Why field teams need a mobile-first CRM

With its face to face and on the go nature, field sales requires a customer relationship management platform that can keep up with busy field sales reps in teams of 20-50 people. But not all sales management software can scale effectively for medium-sized field sales operations. In this blog post, we'll look into the features field sales teams need in their CRM and explore the best field sales management software for growing sales organizations.

Key takeaways

• 🧭 Field sales = outside sales: face-to-face selling needs mobile, offline, route, and real-time sync tools.
• 📱 Must-have CRM features: mobile access, offline mode, real-time sync, integrations, and an easy UX for teams of 20-50.
• 🗺️ Fit guide: Spotio for routes, Zendesk Sell for support-led sales, Salesforce for enterprise.
• 💵 Pricing spans ~$19–$330+ per user/month; free trials help validate fit before committing to team-wide deployment.
• ✅ Top choice: folk CRM for mobile, multi-pipeline, email/calendar sync, and seamless team collaboration at scale.

What is field sales?

Field sales, often referred to as outside sales, involves sales representatives meeting potential clients face-to-face. Unlike inside sales, which are conducted remotely via phone or internet, field sales require reps to be on the move, visiting clients at their locations, attending trade shows, and more. For medium-sized teams of 20-50 people, this dynamic and personal approach to sales necessitates tools that can handle on-the-go data access, offline capabilities, route optimization, and real-time updates across the entire sales organization.

5 features field sales teams need in their CRM

With a lot of field sales management software to differentiate, medium-sized field sales teams of 20-50 people should prioritize CRMs with the following features to boost their field sales performance collectively across all reps.

1. Mobile access: A responsive mobile app to ensure reps can update and access information anywhere, anytime, with seamless team visibility.
2. Offline functionality: Ability to log data and access crucial information without internet connectivity, crucial for field reps in remote areas.
3. Real-time data synchronization: Ensure that all information is up-to-date across all devices and team members instantly.
4. Integration capabilities: Seamless integration with other business tools like email, calendar, and ERP systems used by growing teams.
5. User-friendly interface: Intuitive design to minimize the learning curve and maximize efficiency for rapid team onboarding.

👉🏼 Try folk now to get mobile access, offline mode, and real-time sync for your field team

Now that you know what to look for to distinguish between the best field sales software for medium-sized teams, let's explore the best of the best.

4 Best field sales CRM

Let's take a closer look at the best field sales management software in the market for teams of 20-50 people. Below is a mix of CRM platforms with a strong sales tools stack that can scale with growing field sales organizations.

1. folk

Best for: Medium-sized field sales teams needing user-friendly CRM with multiple sales pipelines and team collaboration

folk CRM is designed to simplify relationship management for growing field sales teams of 20-50 people. With an emphasis on ease of use, streamlined features, and powerful team collaboration tools, it caters to medium-sized businesses that need an effective tool that scales without complexity.

Key features

• Contact management and real-time contact sync across team members
• Sales automation tools designed for field sales workflows
• Task and activity tracking with team visibility
• Repetitive task automation to boost team productivity
• Mobile-friendly interface optimized for field use
• Integration with email and calendar systems
• Mail merge between Outlook and Gmail with marketing automation features
• Multiple sales pipeline management for complex field sales processes
• Highly customizable sales dashboards for team performance tracking

Pros

• Perfect for medium-sized teams: folk's intuitive design means less time learning the software and more time selling. This is especially beneficial for teams of 20-50 people that need to onboard quickly and efficiently.
• Scalable affordability: Competitive pricing that remains cost-effective as your field sales team grows from 20 to 50 members.
• Optimize your field sales process and close deals faster as a coordinated team with collaborative notes, shared pipelines, and take folk on the go with you.
• LinkedIn Chrome extensions to help the entire team keep track of important lead activities and social selling opportunities.
• Unified sales software that seamlessly supports both desk-based sales managers and field sales representatives.
• Robust offline access through mobile app, essential for field teams working in areas with poor connectivity.
• Comprehensive social listening tools to track important leads' activities on LinkedIn across your entire sales team.

Cons

• Advanced reporting and analytics are available today, including pipeline and stage analytics, weighted revenue forecasting, and performance breakdowns by owner, channel, industry, region, or any custom field.

Price and plans

You can try folk for free with a 14 day free trial, perfect for testing with your entire field sales team. After that, monthly or annual subscription plans come with unlimited sales pipelines and team collaboration features ideal for 20-50 person teams.

• Standard: $20 per user, per month - excellent value for growing field sales teams
• Premium: $40 per user, per month - includes advanced automation perfect for medium-sized teams
• Custom: Starts from $60 per user, per month - tailored solutions for complex field sales operations

2. Spotio

Best for: Route planning software for field teams focused on territory optimization

Spotio is a field sales CRM focused on improving the productivity and efficiency of outside sales teams through advanced mapping and territory management tools, though it can be complex for medium-sized teams needing simpler solutions.

Key features

• Route planning and optimization for field sales territories
• Sales automation focused on location-based activities
• GPS tracking for field sales rep monitoring
• Sales tracking with geolocation capabilities

Pros

• Route optimization: Spotio's route planning tools help reps save time and reduce travel costs, crucial for field sales efficiency.
• Geolocation tracking: Provides real-time location tracking for field team management.
• Large integration marketplace for connecting with existing tools

Cons

• Complexity: The extensive feature set may require a steeper learning curve for medium-sized teams looking for quick deployment.
• Cost: Higher pricing tiers can be expensive for teams of 20-50 people, making it less suitable than folk for growing businesses.
• Narrow focus: More specialized for route optimization rather than comprehensive CRM features needed by diverse field sales teams.

Price and plans

Spotio's price and plans are gated on their website which suggest a high barrier to entry for medium-sized teams. Research suggests that plans start from $39-$69 per user, per month and can go up to $129 per user, per month. There's also an enterprise plan available.

3. Zendesk sell

Best for: Field sales teams with heavy customer service integration needs

Initially known for its customer support solutions, Zendesk has expanded into CRM with a comprehensive suite of tools designed to manage both sales and support interactions. Enter Zendesk sell – their answer to a sales focussed CRM system, though it's more complex than needed for pure field sales teams.

Key features

• Customer view integrated with support tickets
• Reporting and analytics for sales and support
• Sales automation tools with service integration

Pros

• Integration with support: Seamlessly integrates sales and customer support data, providing a 360-degree view of customer interactions.
• Geolocation, visit tracking and offline access available for field sales activities.

Cons

• Learning curve: More complex interface might take time for field sales teams of 20-50 people to adapt to, unlike folk's intuitive design.
• Cost: Premium pricing may be prohibitive for medium-sized teams, with some features limited to higher-tier plans that can get expensive quickly.
• Service-focused: More suitable for customer service teams rather than dedicated field sales operations, making it overly complex for pure sales teams.

Price and plans

Zendesk sells offers a 14 day free trial. After that, an annual subscription plan for Zendesk Sell is as follows, though costs can add up quickly for teams of 20-50 people.

• Sell team: $19 per user, per month. Only includes two sales pipelines, limiting for growing field sales teams.
• Sell growth: $49 per user, per month. Includes up to 10 sales pipelines.
• Sell professional: $99 per user, per month, becoming expensive for medium-sized teams.
• Sell Enterprise: Undisclosed, likely prohibitively expensive.

4. Salesforce

Best for: Enterprise teams with large budgets and dedicated administrators

Salesforce needs no introduction as one of the most mature cloud based CRMs on the market. Offering a highly customizable and comprehensive platform suited for large organizations with complex needs, though often overkill and too expensive for medium-sized field sales teams.

Key features

• Highly customizable dashboards and reports
• Extensive integration options with enterprise tools
• Advanced analytics requiring dedicated analysis
• Mobile app with enterprise-grade features

Pros

• Customization: Extensive customization options allow businesses to tailor the CRM to their specific processes and needs.
• Integration: Wide range of integrations with third-party tools and enterprise systems.
• CPQ to speed up sales cycles and help field sales representatives create accurate quotes and contracts.
• AI-assistance to monitor sales calls and provide real-time coaching for large teams.

Cons

• Cost: Pricing is prohibitively expensive for teams of 20-50 people, making folk a much more cost-effective choice for medium-sized field sales teams.
• Complexity: High degree of customization and features lead to a steep learning curve and require dedicated administration, unlike folk's plug-and-play approach.
• Over-engineering: More of an enterprise B2B product with complexity that exceeds the needs of focused field sales teams.

Price and plans

An annual subscription plan is as follows, with costs quickly becoming prohibitive for medium-sized field sales teams.

• Starter suite: $25 per user, per month.
• Professional: $80 per user, per month.
• Enterprise: $165 per user, per month.
• Unlimited: Starts from $330 per user, per month.
• Einstein 1 Service: $500 per user, per month.

Conclusion

Choosing the right CRM for your field sales team of 20-50 people can make a huge difference in their sales efficiency and overall success. For medium-sized field sales teams that need something powerful yet simple, that can support both sales managers and field reps without breaking the bank, folk CRM is clearly the way to go. It's easy to use, scales perfectly with growing teams, and can support sales managers, outside sales reps and desk-based sales activities thanks to its intuitive yet customizable nature. Unlike complex enterprise solutions or narrow niche tools, folk strikes the perfect balance for teams in the 20-50 person range.

👉🏼 Try folk now to manage multiple sales pipelines and never miss a follow-up in the field with your entire team

More resources

• folk pricing page
• folk vs Salesforce

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FAQ

What is a field sales CRM?

A field sales CRM helps outside reps manage leads, visits, and deals on the go. It prioritizes mobile and offline access, route planning, geolocation, and real-time sync so teams can log activities, update pipelines, and collaborate while traveling.

What features should a field sales CRM include?

Essential features: mobile app, offline mode, real-time sync, route optimization, GPS check-ins, email/calendar integrations, simple multi-pipeline management, customizable dashboards, task automation, team collaboration, and scalable pricing.

Which CRM is best for field sales teams of 20–50 people?

For 20–50 person teams, folk fits multi-pipeline, mobile, and collaboration needs at a fair cost. Spotio suits route-heavy use, Zendesk Sell works when sales ties to support, and Salesforce fits large enterprises.

What is the best CRM for WhatsApp?

Choose a CRM with WhatsApp Business API support for two-way messaging, templates, opt-in tracking, and automatic chat logging. Salesforce and Zendesk Sell offer marketplace apps. folk can connect via third-party connectors to sync contacts and activities.