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In this blog post, I answer the question you’ve been wanting to know….can you use Google Contacts as a CRM?
Google’s suite of productivity and collaboration tools (Google Workspace) is an excellent tool to help businesses work more efficiently and effectively.
Many use Google Contacts to manage their contacts on the same platform they use for emails (Gmail), documents (Google Docs), spreadsheets (Google Sheets), and more.
Unfortunately, Google Workspace doesn’t offer a standalone CRM product.
Which leaves many business owners wondering: Can I use Google Contacts as a CRM?
Can You Use Google Contacts As a CRM?
The simple answer? No, you can’t use Google Contacts as an effective CRM.
At first glance, Google Contacts might seem like a sensible, cost-friendly option for small teams that want to manage customer relationships on a smaller scale.
This is because you can save and categorize contact details, add notes and labels, and monitor customer interactions within the tool.
And when combined with other tools from Google Workspace, like Gmail or Google Calendar, Google Contacts appears to resemble a basic CRM system to some degree.
However, if you’re serious about driving growth, using Google Contacts as a CRM system is not an adequate solution.
As your business scales, you’ll need robust CRM features, such as sales pipelines to track sales, automation workflows to save time, and detailed reports to monitor performance.
Read more: 7 Best CRM For Small Business.
Can Google Be Used As a CRM?
Okay, so we’ve established that you can’t use Google Contacts as an effective customer relationship management tool.
So, is there a way to use Google as a CRM? Yes!
In fact, there are many ways you can use Google Workspace as a CRM tool.
How To Use Google As a CRM?
The best way to use Google as a CRM is to use Google Sheets as the base of your CRM.
As a spreadsheet tool, Google Sheets is flexible and can easily organize, process, and analyze various forms of data (including customer data!)
Google Sheets is also highly customizable and functional.
And thanks to Google Apps Script and Zapier, you can even automate processes and link data between sheets.
Basically, anything is possible with Google Sheets! So, how can you use Google Sheets as a CRM?
Read more: Google Sheets Sales Pipeline Template
How To Use Google Sheets as a CRM? Three Methods
1. Create your own Google Sheets CRM
It is completely possible to build your own CRM within Google Sheets. All you need to do is customize the columns and rows of your spreadsheet and enter your business data.
You can then add conditional formatting, functions, and data validation rules to your spreadsheet to enhance the look and functionality.
However, unless you know your way around Apps Scripts, you can’t send emails, connect to other tools like Google Tasks and Contacts, create reports, and more.
Also, this method can take some time to build. And in return, it will only give you basic CRM features!
Read more: Google Sheets Sales Tracker.
2. Get a spreadsheet expert to build one
This might be your best option if you’re after a custom CRM or have complex CRM requirements.
By hiring a spreadsheet expert such as BetterSheets, you can customize the CRM to look and function exactly as you like.
However, you must pay the expert to design and build the Google Sheets CRM, which may cost you thousands of dollars (depending on how long it takes).
Read more: Google Sheets Task Tracker.
3. Use Sheetify CRM Google Sheets CRM Template
A simple ‘Google Sheets CRM template’ search will bring up various Google Sheets CRM templates that you can easily download and use.
And although these templates are usually pre-populated, they’re usually still quite limited.
That’s why I designed my comprehensive business toolkit, Sheetify CRM!
Sheetify CRM is a functional, versatile, and affordable CRM solution built specifically for small business owners like you.
With Sheetify CRM, you can manage your contacts, tasks, and deals, create sales pipelines, track inventory, curate invoices, view reports, and more.
All within one Google Sheet.
Plus, Sheetify CRM integrates seamlessly with Gmail (mass emails), Google Forms (cate invoices and capture website leads), Google Tasks, and Google Contacts!
With a built-in Apps Script, pre-populated headings, and already-constructed conditional formatting options, Sheetify CRM does all the hard work for you.
How To Connect Google Contacts and Google Sheets (Sheetify CRM)
If you already use Google Contacts to manage your customers, you’ll love just how easy it is to integrate Google Contacts with Sheetify CRM.
Essentially, Sheetify CRM can bulk upload or automatically import your Google Contacts into Sheetify CRM.
This completely eliminates the need for manual data entry – how good is that??
To connect Google Contacts with Google Sheets, there are two options:
- Use the ‘Import Contact’ Google Workspace Add-on to bulk import their Google Contacts into Sheetify CRM.
- Set up a Zapier automation that automatically syncs new Google Contacts into Sheetify CRM.
Watch this detailed guide on how to implement both methods here.
How Much Does Sheetify CRM Cost?
Sheetify CRM is available to both free and paid Google Workspace users for just one single payment of $67.
This extremely affordable price tag includes all current features plus everlasting access to all present and future feature updates!
Now, that’s what I call an actual lifetime CRM solution.
Unlike costlier monthly subscription-based CRM services like HubSpot or Monday.com, Sheetify CRM is an economical, high-quality alternative that does it all!
Download the Sheetify CRM template, customize it to fit your business, and you’re set. It’s that easy.
Stews Final Thoughts
And there you go! That concludes this ‘Can I use Google Contacts as a CRM?’ article!
The good news is that while Google Contacts alone doesn’t serve as a functional CRM, you can use Google Workspace as a CRM tool in plenty of ways.
Personally, I believe that Sheetify CRM is the best CRM tool for small businesses on the market.
And the best part? You don’t have to leave Google to use it.
Sheetify CRM can streamline your contact management and your entire business operations! So, what are you waiting for?
