How to Use Clickup as a CRM in 6 Steps

What is a CRM?

A CRM, an acronym for Customer Relationship Management, is a comprehensive tool designed to oversee daily interactions and data exchanges with prospects, contacts, and existing customers. It functions as a dynamic database with templates, automatic tracking, and reports, replacing the traditional methods of spreadsheets and emails. Simply put, a CRM enables sales teams to nurture relationships with customers rather than just facilitating transactional exchanges.

With modern businesses facing contacts from multiple sources, including LinkedIn and cold calls, the possibility of leaving a valuable customer or potential prospect unanswered can lead to significant issues. Growth can be a challenge if companies expend too much energy on memory tasks, management, and conjecture.

Implementing a solid Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy, accompanied by appropriate processes and tools, can enhance revenue generation, foster supportive relationships, and improve the quality of leads and campaigns. Here is where ClickUp, a project management tool, comes to the rescue! ⚡️🌐

How to create a CRM in ClickUp

If you're already a user of ClickUp's free account, join us as we walk you through this comprehensive guide! A fully-functional ClickUp as a CRM is just a few steps away. ⏳

Step 1: Download the ClickUp CRM template

Start your journey by downloading the ClickUp CRM template. A window will pop up, allowing you to either create a new Space or use an existing one in your account to store the CRM Folder. To delve deeper into this, refer to our article detailing the ClickUp hierarchy.

A pop-up window will prompt you to either create a new Space or utilize an existing one within your account to house the CRM Folder. For more information, consider our article on the ClickUp hierarchy.

Step 2: Add views to manage and prioritize contacts.

See the pre-loaded customer tasks? Before you input your actual data, it's a good idea to use these tasks to experiment with different views that best suit your CRM structure. This way, we can establish the right framework for your data without handling sensitive information.

The List view is shown by default for all new ClickUp lists. If you prefer a more visual approach to manage your customers, UpSys recommends one of the following views:

• Board View: Tasks are grouped into columns by status, displaying early-stage leads on the left and closed accounts on the right.
• Calendar View: This view is perfect for scheduling and tracking meetings with customers and prospects.

If you're new to ClickUp views, start with our dedicated training.

Step 3: Build custom statuses to tailor the workflow to your sales process

This step showcases ClickUp's customization abilities: custom statuses! These statuses provide quick and clear context on the status of a task. They also play a crucial role in reporting by offering insights into pipeline bottlenecks, resource allocation, and cycle duration for each stage.

How to add and edit custom statuses

Hover the mouse over the name of a status and click on the settings button > Manage statuses.

Enter a name for your new status or edit a status. You can add emojis to make the sales process a little more fun and use the color picker to change the default color. Click “Save” when you are satisfied with your CRM statuses.

Let's go to the next step: custom fields!

Step 4: Display key information in each view using custom fields

Custom fields in ClickUp can significantly boost your productivity. This feature enables you to add any task information to views, eliminating the need to continuously open and close individual tasks to find particular information.

In addition to the custom fields preloaded in your CRM template, try these other popular fields for CRM:

• Dropdown list for tracks (hot, warm, cold): use the Dropdown list field.
• Company/Prospect Location: use the Location field
• Client's monetary value: use the currency field
• Company size: use the Number field
• Phone number: use the Phone field
• Email: use the Email field

How to show/hide custom fields in the List view

Click on the + icon.

Select Show/Hide.

Scroll down and select any custom field in the Fields section of the list. The custom fields you click on will move to the Show Fields category at the top! If you don't want to see a specific custom field, deselect it in Show Fields and it will be removed from the view.

At this point, we have the CRM basics in place: views and custom fields! 🙌

Step 5: Create tasks with your data

We're almost there! Now, let's add your actual data to the CRM by creating tasks. Tasks can be created in three ways, providing flexibility for your workflow.:

Click “+ New Task” under a status group.

Click “+ Task” in the lower right corner.

• Press the letter "t" on your keyboard.

If you want to import your data from an Excel file or other project management application, see our article on importing data into ClickUp.

Step 6: Exploit Relational Databases within CRM

Well done! You can stop right here and use your brand new CRM in ClickUp. But ClickUp's relational fields feature allows you to go further. It allows you to create simple links between related tasks in your workspace or to create an advanced database using relationships between different lists (accounts, contacts, opportunities, etc.)

In a nutshell: Relationships allow you to easily switch between tasks and documents without having to open an extra tab in your browser.

Here is an example of related lists:

Company (Task) ⇔ Contact A (Task) ⇔ Contact B (Task) ⇔ Quote Documentation (Doc)

How do I add a relationship from a task view?

Scroll down to the Relationship section.

Click the “+Add New Relationship” button.

Select a task from the dropdown menu or use the search bar to find a task.

Boost Your Business with UpSys' CRM Implementation in ClickUp

With its intuitive templates, ClickUp enables swift and straightforward CRM setup. However, the CRM template serves as a foundational layer designed for customization. It's vital to strategize and reflect on the intricacies of the relationships between lists and sales workflows to optimize its utility. Equally important is training your sales teams to adeptly navigate this tool, ensuring seamless functionality.

Take your business to the next level with a proficient CRM system in ClickUp. Ready to transform your customer relationship management? Book a free meeting here and start your journey today!