I've spent thousands of dollars on CRMs over the years.
Salesforce. Follow Up Boss. LionDesk. HubSpot. You name it, I've tried it.
And every single one of them had the same problem: they were designed for someone else's workflow.
The CRM Trap
Here's what happens with most CRMs:
1. You buy it because it promises to solve your follow-up problem 2. You spend 2 weeks setting it up 3. You use it consistently for about a month 4. Life gets busy 5. You stop logging things 6. The data becomes unreliable 7. You stop trusting it 8. You stop using it
Sound familiar?
Why the Spreadsheet Works
I went back to a simple Google Sheet about 18 months ago. Here's what I track:
| Column | What I Track |
|---|---|
| Name | First and last name |
| Last Contact | Date of last touchpoint |
| Next Action | What I need to do next |
| Notes | One sentence about where they are |
| Status | Hot / Warm / Cold |
That's it. Five columns. Free forever.
The Key Insight
The reason the spreadsheet works isn't because it's simpler (though it is). It's because I actually use it.
The best CRM in the world is worthless if you don't update it. A spreadsheet you update every day beats a $1,000 CRM you update once a month.
My Daily Routine
Every morning, I open the spreadsheet and do three things:
1. Update anyone I contacted yesterday 2. Identify the 3 people I need to reach out to today 3. Add any new contacts from the past 24 hours
Takes 10 minutes. Keeps my pipeline clean. Keeps my relationships warm.
The Upgrade Path
I'm not saying CRMs are bad. I'm saying start simple. Prove the habit first. Then upgrade the tool.
If you're not following up consistently with a free spreadsheet, you won't follow up consistently with a $1,000 CRM.
Build the habit. Then buy the tool.
— Keith
