Managing customer relationships shouldn't feel like herding cats.

If you're still juggling leads across sticky notes, inbox chaos, or scattered docs… it's time to level up.

Whether you're a startup founder, agency lead, or solo consultant, the right CRM template can help you organize your pipeline, track interactions, and close more deals—without paying for clunky enterprise software.

Discover the best CRM templates across Excel, Google Sheets, and Notion—plus tips on choosing the right one.

What Is a CRM Template?

A CRM template is a ready-to-use framework to help you manage contacts, leads, and sales pipelines without investing in a full-blown CRM software. Instead of starting from scratch, you get a structured system to log, track, and follow up with your clients.

Who Should Use a CRM Template

These templates are ideal for individuals or teams who:

• Want to avoid expensive tools early on
• Prefer a no-code, plug-and-play system
• Need something fast to get organized and start working

They're widely used by freelancers, small business owners, startup teams, and consultants who prioritize speed, clarity, and control.

Templates help you:

• Save time with predefined columns and formulas
• Centralize your contact and deal information
• Quickly identify leads, clients, or tasks that need follow-up

💡 Pro Tip: If you're testing a new process (sales, recruitment, fundraising), start with a template to prototype your workflow.

Types of CRM Templates

Excel CRM Templates

Excel templates offer full control and are great if you're working solo or need offline access. They're especially useful for people who already use spreadsheets for invoicing or budgeting and want everything in one place.

You can use Excel to build a full CRM system—with tabs for contacts, sales stages, and follow-up reminders. But be aware: the more complex it gets, the more fragile it becomes.

⚠️ No real-time collaboration means you'll run into trouble if your team grows or if multiple users need access.

Notable templates

• Simple Sales CRM (Excel)
• Customer Contact List
• Sales Funnel Dashboard

Google Sheets CRM Templates

If you're working remotely or collaborating in real time, Google Sheets CRM templates offer more flexibility. You can comment, tag teammates, and access everything from anywhere.

These templates are often lighter, visually clean, and easier to update. Some even include conditional formatting and filters to help you prioritize leads or track follow-ups.

One challenge? Performance drops if you store too much data, and you'll need to connect third-party tools (like Zapier) for automation.

💡 Pro Tip: Add Google Calendar or Gmail integrations via Google Apps Script to automate follow-ups.

Popular options

• Startup Sales CRM
• Growth Pipeline Tracker
• Freelancer Client Tracker

Notion CRM Templates

Notion shines when you need more than a CRM. You can combine notes, task management, and CRM workflows into one place. It's perfect for agencies, creators, and teams who like a visual, drag-and-drop interface.

You can link databases, add comments, assign tasks, and create dynamic dashboards. It's less rigid than spreadsheets but may feel overwhelming at first.

💡 Pro Tip: Use Notion relations and rollups to create powerful linkages between contacts, deals, and tasks.

Top picks

• Notion Agency CRM
• Freelance CRM
• Startup Deal Flow Tracker

Limitations of CRM Templates

Templates are a solid starting point, but they have real limitations. You might find yourself buried in manual updates, lost data, or inconsistent workflows once your business scales.

Here's why you might hit a wall:

• Manual updates mean more room for error
• No integrations with your tools (email, Slack, etc.)
• You can't set automated reminders or follow-ups
• Difficult to manage once you're handling dozens of contacts or multiple pipelines

👉 Outgrowing templates? Try folk CRM for free—it's the perfect solution for growing businesses and teams of 20-50 people who need the simplicity of a template with the power of a real CRM. It's designed to feel like a spreadsheet but with all the automation, collaboration, and clarity you wish templates had.

👉🏼 Try folk now to manage contact-based reminders with your team

👉🏼 Try folk now to organize your templates and pipelines in one place

When to Upgrade From a Template to a Real CRM

If you're starting to feel friction with templates, that's your signal. Common signs include:

• You miss follow-ups regularly
• Your team has no central source of truth
• You're juggling too many spreadsheets
• You spend hours cleaning or merging data

That's when a real CRM starts to pay off. But not just any CRM. Look for one that's:

• Simple to onboard (no steep learning curve)
• Customizable to your process, not vice versa
• Lightweight but powerful
• Collaborative

For solopreneurs and small business owners managing growing client bases, folk CRM checks all these boxes—no bloated features, just what you need to grow and stay organized without overwhelming your team of 20-50 people.

How to Build a Custom CRM Template

Prefer the DIY route? Here's a roadmap to create your own CRM template from scratch:

1. Start with your end goal. Are you managing clients, deals, job candidates, or press contacts?
2. Structure your database. Include fields like Contact Name, Company, Status, Next Follow-Up Date, Notes, and Priority.
3. Add visual cues. Use color codes, conditional formatting, or symbols to highlight important rows.
4. Set formulas. Count leads by status, calculate deal values, or flag overdue tasks.
5. Make it scalable. Include filters and dropdown menus for easy sorting and filtering.

💡 Pro Tip: Don't overcomplicate it. A clean and simple sheet with only the essential fields will save you time and reduce clutter.

Why folk CRM Feels Like a Template But Scales Like a CRM

folk is designed for teams who want the comfort of a spreadsheet with the power of a true CRM.

Instead of forcing you into rigid templates, folk adapts to how you already work.

Top features that mimic the simplicity of templates:

• Import from Excel, Gmail, LinkedIn or CSV in seconds
• Create Kanban views, list views, or grouped pipelines
• Add notes, tags, reminders directly inside your contact lists
• Mention teammates, assign tasks, and centralize communication

Final Thoughts: Start With a Template, Grow With the Right Tool!

CRM templates are excellent training wheels. They help you build good habits, define your workflow, and understand what you really need in a CRM.

But when the cracks start to show—missed deals, lost context, no collaboration—it's time to evolve.

For solopreneurs and small business owners who've outgrown templates, folk CRM is the ideal next step. It delivers the best of both worlds: the familiarity of templates with the robust functionality needed to manage teams of 20-50 people effectively. folk CRM gives you everything a good CRM should: simplicity, power, and flexibility.

FAQ

Can you make a CRM in Google Sheets?

Yes. Add columns for Contact, Company, Stage, Owner, Next follow-up, Value, Source, Notes. Use filters, validation, and conditional formatting. Automate reminders with Apps Script. Works for small teams but slows down and needs add-ons as data grows.

What should a CRM template include?

Core fields: Contact, Company, Stage, Owner, Next follow-up date, Deal value, Priority, Source, Notes. Add tags, dropdowns, and views. Keep it minimal, use formulas to flag overdue tasks, and protect key cells to reduce errors.

When should you switch from a template to a CRM?

Switch when follow-ups are missed, spreadsheets multiply, collaboration is needed, or automation is required. A CRM centralizes data, reminders, and pipelines. Consider folk for a simple, scalable upgrade.

Which is better for a CRM template: Excel, Google Sheets, or Notion?

Excel: strong formulas, offline, weak collaboration. Google Sheets: real-time collaboration, easy sharing, slower at scale. Notion: visual databases, linked notes and tasks, lighter on formulas. Choose based on team size and needs.