Deciding on a CRM and Actually Setting It Up (Founder POV)

When a company grows and you’re suddenly responsible for everything, at some point you’ll hit a wall. That’s exactly what just happened to me.

I couldn’t keep track of all past client conversations and new opportunities anymore. My Gmail inbox had become the messy center of client communication. I was using “Tasks” in Gmail to remind me of follow-ups, and I had a self-built Notion “CRM” which no one except me ever used.

In short: I constantly had the feeling there was so much potential if only I had a proper system - a real CRM.

Where Do You Even Start With a CRM?

The problem is, I had no idea what I was even looking for.

So I did the classic thing: I asked my newest best buddy ChatGPT. I literally typed:

“We’re a small 3D studio and want to introduce a CRM. I have no idea what kind of CRM we need or what’s best for our needs. Can you ask me a set of questions to help figure that out?”

And honestly? That approach was incredible.

It didn’t require me to know anything about CRMs upfront. ChatGPT basically became a personal CRM consultant. Asking me smart, tailored questions that helped understand what we as company actually need in a system.

Shortlist: Streak, Close, and Zoho

Once I had clarity, I narrowed it down to three CRM options:

• Streak
• Close
• Zoho CRM

Why those? Because we needed a system that:

• Connects natively to Gmail
• Automatically recognizes and logs leads based on email history
• Keeps all past client communication in one place

Context is everything. Having a CRM without that email history would be basically useless for us.

Why We Chose Close.com

Once all three tools were connected to Gmail, it became obvious: Close.com was the most intuitive and aligned with what we needed.

What I Liked Instantly

• Onboarding was smooth and smart.
  It suggested leads and contacts based on existing conversations. I could pick and choose who to import into the CRM.

• Granular filter options.
  Way more flexibility than the others. You can build custom views for whatever: new leads, past clients, job applicants, filter by number of written emails last contact, and and and.

• Intuitive and simple.
  No need to fight the system or dig through complicated menus.

What I Wanted as a Founder and currently One-Person Sales Team

Here’s what I personally needed from a CRM:

• A single overview showing:

  • Who I need to follow up with on current projects
  • Which past clients haven’t heard from me in 3+ months
  • Who responded recently and still needs a reply from me

• A click into a lead shows:

  • All past conversations
  • My notes
  • An AI-generated summary of the client
    (super useful if I ever bring someone else into sales)

• The ability to do personalized and mass outreach:

  • Christmas mails
  • Updates to past customers
  • Launches of new projects

• Clear deal stages:

  • Where each lead is in the pipeline
  • What action is needed next
  • Automated reminders if a lead has gone cold

• A system that scales:

  • Easy to understand for new keyaccount and sales peoples
  • All information i none place - best for future ai features
  • Loads of integrations with other SaaS products.

Where We Are Now

Things just work. Follow-Ups don’t fall through anymore. We got an amazing overview of our past and current clients, of our partners and suppliers and evene applicants. Honestly without it, we’d have a really hard time.

My Takeaway: Don’t Start With CRMs. Start With Questions.

There are sooo many CRM tools out there. And it’s so easy to pick the wrong one.

Before trying any CRM, ask yourself:

• Why do I open the CRM?
• What do I want to see the moment it opens?
• What’s my next action?
• And then?
• And then?
• What happens after that?
• Does this CRM (need to) scale?
• [Seriously—follow your mental process all the way through.]

And of course, ask ChatGPT like you would a CRM consultant.
The advice you’ll get is basically free, and very tailored—if you feed it the right info.

Try to start with open-ended prompts and let ChatGPT show you how big this topic really is. The better you understand your current situation and where you’re heading, the more useful the answers will be.

That’s it. Those are my honest thoughts on choosing and setting up a CRM as a founder.

If you’re in the same boat—overwhelmed by client convos, feeling like there’s opportunity slipping through the cracks—this might help you get on track too.