Illustration showcasing a mobile CRM CTAs

What Is Mobile CRM?

Learn how mobile CRM makes customer data accessible to employees on-the-go, ensuring they have the most updated information at their fingertips.

Caylin White, Editorial Lead

Accessing your customer relationship management (CRM) on mobile is no longer a nice to have. It's now the standard. Your teams need immediate access to the latest sales trends and customer activity, and your customers expect a personalized mobile-first experience 24/7.

Mobile CRM isn't only about being able to access your customer data anytime from any device, it’s the foundation of your entire mobile strategy, from branded customer-facing apps to distributed customer service and support. So, what do you need to know to go mobile with your business? We’re going to cover what a mobile CRM includes, the many benefits, and the top ways you can get started today.

Getting started with The Beginners Guide to CRM

Just getting started on your CRM journey?

Learn everything you need to know about finding, winning, and keeping customers with The Beginner's Guide to CRM.

What is mobile CRM?

Mobile CRM, or mobile customer relationship management, refers to software that manages customer activity for businesses, and is specifically designed for use on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

With mobile CRM, sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT teams can access and manage customer data, communicate with customers, and track sales while on the go. This level of mobility empowers businesses to provide exceptional customer experiences.

The adaptability of a mobile CRM means it's a fit for businesses of any scale, from growing startups to established corporations. Whether you're a one-person show or part of a global enterprise, you can revolutionize your CRM strategy with better customer engagements, and enhanced productivity, moving your business forward with mobile CRM.

Benefits of mobile CRM

One of the biggest benefits of mobile CRM is the productivity boost it can give your sales teams. Unlike traditional methods, mobile CRM provides updates to customer information, no matter where they are, eliminating the need for manual data entry. This ensures that customer data is more accurate and up to date and as a result, sales teams can spend more time building relationships and closing deals.

In addition, CRM is a powerful tool for improving sales performance. By providing sales reps with the information they need to identify and target the most promising leads, CRM helps them work more efficiently and close more deals. The ability to access customer data, track and automate interactions, and monitor sales performance in real time helps sales reps stay organized, prioritize their efforts, and focus on the most profitable opportunities.

Mobile CRM is also a game-changer for customer service. It enables teams to quickly and efficiently respond to customer inquiries and issues, ultimately improving the customer experience. By providing instant access to customer history, preferences, and past interactions, teams can deliver personalized support that meets each customer’s needs.

If we’re talking budget, mobile CRM offers a strong cost reduction proposition. By eliminating paper-based processes and giving sales reps efficient digital tools, it streamlines administrative tasks, saving time and resources. And because it can integrate with other critical business systems, such as accounting and inventory management software, it can boost operational efficiency, helping to create a more agile organization.

For developers, the potential for customized mobile apps can extend beyond traditional devices to self-reporting by smart, internet-enabled components. A platform such as Salesforce, with APIs that enable integration with almost any device, creates extraordinary new possibilities.

Einstein showcasing Forrester's AI-Powered CRM report

Map Your Journey to AI-Powered CRM

Read Forrester's survey of 700+ business leaders to see how they're using AI to serve customers better.

How to choose the right mobile CRM

Selecting the right mobile CRM for your business is key to optimizing customer interactions, boosting productivity, and driving growth. Here are some factors to consider when making your decision:

1. Business size

Consider the size of your business and the number of users who will require access to the mobile CRM. Some solutions are designed for small or medium-sized businesses (SMBs), while others cater to larger enterprises with more complex needs. The more customers you want to reach, the more users you need. The more users you have, the higher the cost of your mobile CRM.

2. Features

A mobile CRM includes several key features to enhance productivity and customer engagement. It should offer instant access to customer data, allowing sales teams to view and update contact information, deal status, and interaction history from their smartphones or tablets. A mobile CRM should also provide functionalities like task management, appointment scheduling, and route planning, ensuring efficient time management. And, it should include integration with other business tools and communication tools such as in-app calling, email, and messaging, enabling seamless customer interactions.

3. Cost

The cost of a mobile CRM is determined by a range of features, number of users, and functionalities offered, with more advanced tools like AI integration and extensive analytics to consider. Additionally, the level of customization needed to tailor the CRM to specific business processes, and the extent of customer support and training provided can all impact the overall cost.

4. Reviews

Reviews can be incredibly helpful in determining how to choose a mobile CRM for several reasons. Users can offer valuable perspectives on the ease of use, functionality, and reliability of mobile CRM in various business scenarios. Reviews often highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of different CRM solutions, allowing you to make an informed decision based on what features are most important to your business.

5. Compatibility

A compatible CRM seamlessly integrates with existing tools and platforms, such as email clients, marketing automation software, and accounting systems, ensuring an efficient workflow. This saves time, reduces manual data entry, and minimizes the risk of errors and data silos. A mobile CRM compatible with various devices and operating systems allows greater flexibility and accessibility, enabling teams to work effectively from anywhere.

6. AI-readiness

Your mobile CRM should be designed to seamlessly integrate with artificial intelligence (AI), technologies enabling features like predictive analytics, automated workflows, and intelligent customer insights. AI assessment toolsOpens in a new window can help you determine if your organization is ready for AI and how best to integrate the technology. Make data-driven decisions, improve customer interactions, and streamline operations, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and increased sales. By embracing AI, CRM systems can evolve from simple data repositories to powerful tools that actively drive business growth.

A customer and Einstein standing in front of the Customer 360 product illustration showing Sales, Service, Marketing

Choose the right CRM for your needs

Answer four quick questions and we'll create a customized CRM solution for your industry and business size.

Top ways to use Salesforce’s mobile CRM

We’d like to throw our hat in the ring as an option for your mobile CRM. Here are the top reasons why the Salesforce CRM is a good choice for mobile:

  • Ease of use: Implementation is easy with Salesforce’s mobile CRM. We offer an intuitive and user-friendly mobile app that lets users quickly access and update customer information, manage leads, and track sales pipelines with just a few taps.
  • Seamless integration: The Salesforce mobile app syncs seamlessly with the desktop version, ensuring that data is always up to date and accessible, regardless of the device being used.
  • Customization: Salesforce provides a high degree of customization, allowing businesses to tailor the mobile CRM to their specific needs with custom fields, objects, and workflows.
  • AI-powered features: The mobile app includes advanced features like AI-powered CRM, offline access for when you're without WiFi, and real-time collaboration with Slack.
  • Security and compliance: Salesforce prioritizes data security and compliance, offering data encryption, user authentication, and compliance certifications to ensure that sensitive customer information is protected at all times.

Getting started with CRM for mobile

An investment in a mobile-capable CRM solution, like Salesforce, can pay dividends throughout your organization – far beyond the traditional users of CRM. Go mobile for any team, easily.

As mobile reach and usage continue to boom, your customers are everywhere. Mobile CRM enables you to be there too. Learn more or try it for free today.

Caylin White is an Editorial Lead and Growth Manager for Small Business at Salesforce. She has written content for over 15 years for many SaaS industries, like WordPress and BuzzSumo. She specializes in SEO but is sure to add a human-centric angle to every piece.