If you work in B2B sales, you know the tools you pick can make or break your go-to-market (GTM) motion. There are more CRMs than anyone really needs, all promising to “transform your pipeline” or “10x your revenue.” Most are overkill, overpriced, or just plain confusing.
This review is for folks who want the real story on Close—a CRM built for inside sales teams that want to move fast and don’t want to spend a month learning their software. Whether you’re a founder running sales, a small sales team, or a GTM leader sick of Salesforce bloat, this is for you.
Let’s dig in: features, pricing, real-world strengths, annoyances, and what to watch out for.
What Is Close CRM, Really?
Close is a CRM built for B2B sales teams—especially those doing lots of outbound calls, emails, and follow-ups. The company markets itself as “the CRM for startups and SMBs,” but that’s only part of the story. What sets it apart is the focus on speed: fast setup, fast workflow, and quick communication.
It’s cloud-based, so there’s nothing to install. The idea is to give your sales reps one place to manage leads, emails, calls, tasks, and reporting without the usual “enterprise” headaches.
Who Close Is Best For: - Founder-led sales teams - Early-stage B2B companies - Inside sales teams (think: phones, emails, not field reps) - Folks who want less setup and more conversations
Who Might Want to Look Elsewhere: - Enterprise teams who need endless customization or deep integration with legacy systems - Companies with complex, multi-division sales orgs - Heavy field sales teams (e.g., pharma, large outside sales)
Features—What Matters and What Doesn’t
Close has a long list of features, but let’s focus on what actually matters day-to-day.
1. Built-in Calling and SMS
You can place calls and send texts straight from the CRM, log them automatically, and even record calls (with consent, obviously). No need for third-party dialers.
Works well when: - You’re doing lots of cold or warm calls and want to keep reps in one tool. - You want call recordings for coaching or compliance.
Annoyances: - Outbound call quality is good, but international calling can get pricey fast. - SMS works, but don’t expect a full-blown texting platform.
2. Email Integration
Close can sync with Gmail or Outlook. You can send emails, track opens/clicks, and set up simple sequences.
What’s good: - One place for all your communication, including bulk emails. - Tracking and follow-ups are straightforward.
What’s just okay: - Sequences are basic. If you want advanced triggers or branching, you’ll hit limits fast. - Templates work, but formatting is finicky at times.
3. Smart Views and Search
You can slice and dice your leads with filters and saved “Smart Views”—think: your own instant call lists, demo no-shows, or hot leads from last week.
Pro tip: Smart Views are flexible, so you don’t need a Salesforce admin to build what you need.
4. Reporting and Dashboards
You get basic pipeline and activity reporting: calls made, emails sent, deals won/lost, revenue by rep, etc.
It’s enough for: - Keeping sales honest and accountable. - Spotting obvious bottlenecks (e.g., “Why did nobody call these leads?”).
But: - Custom reporting is limited. If you want weird charts or deep-dive analytics, you’ll need to export data or use something like Google Sheets or Looker.
5. Task and Workflow Automation
There’s a lightweight workflow builder—automate follow-up emails, assign tasks, move leads based on actions.
Honestly: - It covers 80% of what small teams need. No coding required. - If you want “if this, then that” automations, it’s fine. - Power users will outgrow it if they want fancy stuff (think: multi-step, multi-condition automations).
6. Integrations
Close offers Zapier support and a public API. There are native integrations for a handful of tools (Zoom, Slack, Mailchimp, etc.), but it’s not the App Store.
What to know: - If you’re using basic sales stack tools, you’ll be fine. - If you want deep integrations (billing, custom quoting, contracts), you’ll need workarounds.
Pricing—The Real Costs
Close publishes its pricing, and it’s refreshingly less confusing than most CRMs. As of June 2024:
| Plan | Price Per User/Month (Billed Annually) | Key Features | |--------------|:--------------------------------------:|------------------------------------------------------| | Startup | $49 | Calling, basic email, Smart Views, API | | Professional | $99 | Power dialer, email sequences, advanced reporting | | Enterprise | $139 | Priority support, custom roles, advanced permissions |
What’s included: Unlimited contacts, all core features, and support. Calling minutes and SMS are extra, and you’ll pay for direct phone numbers. Volume discounts are possible if you have a bigger team.
The fine print: - There’s a 14-day free trial, no credit card needed. - No long-term contracts. Cancel anytime. - You pay extra for international numbers and outbound minutes. This adds up if your team calls outside the U.S./Canada.
Compared to Salesforce or HubSpot: You’ll likely pay less overall, especially if you don’t need deep customization. But you don’t get the same branding power or marketplace integrations.
Real User Experiences—What People Actually Say
I’ve talked to a bunch of teams using Close. Here’s what comes up again and again.
The Good
- Fast Setup: “We went live in a day. No consultant needed.”
- Simple UI: “Reps don’t complain. They actually use it.”
- All-in-One: “No more juggling five tabs just to call a lead and send a follow-up.”
The Not-So-Good
- Reporting Gaps: “I wish I could build more custom dashboards.”
- Workflow Limits: “Automations are there, but I hit walls for more complex stuff.”
- International Cost: “We pay a lot more for non-U.S. calling.”
What Surprised People
- Support is real: “We actually get answers from humans, not bots.”
- Less busywork: “We spend less time logging stuff, more time selling.”
What Annoyed Them
- Integrations: “It’s not a giant ecosystem. Some tools we use don’t connect natively.”
- No mobile dialer: “The mobile app is fine for updates but not great for calling.”
What to Ignore
There’s plenty of “AI” sprinkled in marketing copy, but Close isn’t really about AI-powered selling. There are a few smart features—like suggested follow-ups—but don’t expect a virtual assistant to close your deals for you.
Also, don’t get hung up on “pipeline velocity” dashboards unless you actually use them to make decisions. The basics—call, email, follow-up—still matter most.
How To: Setting Up Close for B2B GTM (Without Wasting Your Week)
Here’s how most small B2B teams get rolling with Close in a day or two.
- Sign Up and Import Your Leads
- Use the CSV importer or connect to your email to pull in contacts.
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Don’t overthink data mapping; you can clean it up later.
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Connect Email and Phone
- Link your Gmail or Outlook account.
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Buy a phone number inside Close if you want to call/text from the platform.
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Build Smart Views
- Set up lists for “New Leads,” “Follow-Ups,” and “Hot Prospects.”
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Use filters for fast daily call/email lists.
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Set Up Basic Sequences
- Create simple email templates for follow-ups.
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Set up reminders for when to call or email next.
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Train Your Team—Quickly
- Do a 30-minute walkthrough. Most reps pick it up fast.
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Skip the “feature tour” and focus on how you want reps to work.
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Start Working Leads
- Make calls, send emails, log notes—all from Close.
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Use the activity feed to track progress.
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Tweak and Iterate
- Update Smart Views as you learn.
- Adjust templates and workflows based on what reps actually use.
Pro tip: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of done. Get reps using Close, then improve as you go.
Bottom Line—Is Close Worth It?
If you want a CRM that gets out of your way and lets you focus on the basics—calls, emails, follow-ups—Close is hard to beat for small and midsize B2B teams. It’s not for everyone, but it’s refreshingly free of fluff.
Sure, it’s missing some bells and whistles. But if your GTM motion is more about talking to customers than building dashboards, that’s probably a good thing.
Keep it simple. Get started, see what sticks, and don’t be afraid to change things up as you grow. Most sales teams overcomplicate their stack. Close keeps you honest—and that’s usually enough.