Salesforce Alternatives and Competitors – 2022 Review

Our selection for the best Salesforce alternative is HubSpot, as it can successfully fulfill a variety of needs related to CRM (customer relationship management), all at a great price. Click here to try HubSpot for free.

Salesforce is a highly popular CRM package, as more than 150,000 businesses rely on it. The Salesforce suite has an extensive collection of services from which you can select. It tailors its services to match the needs of businesses operating in particular segments, while also offering solutions for each individual department in the business.

Popularity alone doesn’t make Salesforce perfect for everyone, though. Our Quicksprout research team studies the CRM software market extensively, and we compiled our recommendations for several of the best solutions, many of which will work as alternatives to Salesforce.

The 9 Best CRM Software Solutions

Our research shows that HubSpot is the best alternative to Salesforce. It delivers a highly competitive price point while fulfilling a variety of needs that businesses have related to CRM. To see our full list of the best CRM software options, head right over here

  • HubSpot – Best for Varying CRM Needs 
  • Salesflare – Best for Prospect Management
  • Zoho CRM – Best for a Customizable CRM
  • Freshsales – Best for Managing Sales Leads
  • Insightly – Best for Project Management Features
  • Apptivo – Best for Adding Services As You Need Them
  • Pipedrive – Best for Simplifying the Sales Process
  • EngageBay – Best for Automating Customer Service Tasks
  • Salesforce – Best for Integrating Multiple Services 

Company logos for our best Salesforce alternatives and competitorsCompany logos for our best Salesforce alternatives and competitors

HubSpot – Best for Varying CRM Needs



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3 Practical Lessons from Taking Cold Showers

3 Practical Lessons from Taking Cold Showers

I’ve been taking cold showers for a couple years. My practice has evolved. Even if you’re smart enough to reject cold showers, these lessons will be useful.

The gradual approach prolongs agony. Just get'er did. Image of a duck flapping its wings.The gradual approach prolongs agony. Just get'er did. Image of a duck flapping its wings.

Begin warm:

My cold shower journey began with turning on cold water and jumping in. You could hear me gasping in the hall. Invigorating is an understatement. My pores slammed shut and my heartrate doubled.

When your pores close they trap sweat and dirt. My wife let me know I wasn’t getting clean.

Today my cold shower begins warm enough to prevent goose bumps.

Act quickly:

The gradual approach prolongs agony.

I went from jumping into a cold shower to gradually turning the water cold. That didn’t work. I’ve learned if you’re going to do it, just do it. Now it’s boom. Turn off the hot water.

Negative anticipation multiplies pain.

Positive anticipation energizes.

Find the joy:

I enjoy the initial burst of clarity and vitality when the water goes cold, and it feels great after.

Lack of emotional payoff corrodes resolve.

Sustainable success requires positive emotion.

Positive emotion is fuel for grit.

Happy feelings are great but personal satisfaction is better.

Learn to enjoy doing hard things.

I feel satisfaction when I turn the water off and step out of the shower. Feelings of satisfaction are high-test fuel.

Summary:

  1. Begin difficult tasks by doing some easy things first. Warm up.
  2. Go all in when it’s time to bite the bullet. Gradual action prolongs pain.
  3. Let yourself feel satisfied for doing something difficult.

I’m not encouraging anyone to take cold showers. If you think it’s nuts, I don’t blame you. I admit it’s odd. But, I enjoy it.

Here’s the first article I wrote about cold showers: Confidence: Proof You Can Face Any Challenge.

What’s bringing satisfaction to you these days?

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Episode 1863 Scott Adams: It Looks Like A Slow News Day So Let’s Just Make Up The News

Episode 1863 Scott Adams: It Looks Like A Slow News Day So Let’s Just Make Up The News

Content:

  • Upgrading to a new phone
  • Ukraine war is a risky gamble
  • Russian military collapse in Ukraine?
  • Making up our own news
  • The top 1% of humans
  • If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topicsto build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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How to Navigate & Attract New Leads in The Dark Funnel

95% of B2B buyers are not ready to buy your product right now. They’re having conversations with colleagues, researching on social media, and listening to podcasts about the product or industry and learning where your brand fits in.

Demand generation helps you influence buyers where they’re having those conversations and in those unattributable spaces. It’s an inbound model that develops your authority and brand affinity over time—it can be a long game to get results, but it helps you stay in play.

Those places where your buyers are being actively influenced by the marketing activities you cannot track are called: the dark funnel.

In this post, we’ll uncover the dark funnel and show you how to win customers on the channels companies often overlook. 

What is the dark funnel?

The dark funnel refers to the different places where buyers engage and make decisions that marketing teams can’t attribute. 

When B2B buyers are considering a purchase, they spend only 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers. Most of their time is spent researching independently online and offline and meeting with the buying group. 

Screenshot of Pie chart showing distribution of buying groups' time by key buying activitiesScreenshot of Pie chart showing distribution of buying groups' time by key buying activities

By the time you see intent data, much of the buying process is already complete.

According to Walker: 

“B2B buyers are discovering, researching, and evaluating products in places companies can’t track.”

These places include: 

  • Communities and groups (e.g., Slack, Facebook Groups, Discord, Reddit, etc.)
  • Social media platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, etc.)
  • Content platforms (e.g., Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Twitch, etc.)
  • Word-of-mouth interactions (e.g., text messages, DMs, video calls, etc.)
  • Events (e.g., industry conferences, marketing meetups, VC groups, etc.)

The parts of digital marketing we can track—email marketing, paid social, content syndication—are the tip of the iceberg. The dark funnel is everything happening below the surface.

It’s an acknowledgment of the changing customer experience. Buyer journeyshave become so convoluted that the linear sales funnel mapping the path from awareness to consideration to purchase is no longer sufficient to give you realistic insights into the buying process. 

The dark funnel is the hidden steps in the buying journey. It more accurately mirrors a buyer’s movements before they reach your demo page.

This is especially important given the recent shift in data privacy, with the phasing out of third-party cookies and Apple’s update asking apps not to track users.

When you can’t accurately track, you need to work harder to know where to interact.    

Dark funnel marketing is a shift in mindset 

B2B companies are married to traditional marketing attribution models because they give credit to what’s working. It’s easier to secure a budget from stakeholders if you can show the number of conversions from email marketing or display ad campaigns. 

Dark funnel tactics don’t offer that same luxury. Because…

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Top 6 Best Purchase Order Software – 2022 Review

Want to jump straight to the answer? The best purchase order software for most people is Precoro.

Purchase order software makes sure your business gets the inventory it needs from suppliers easily and quickly. It streamlines the procurement process, allowing you to rest easy your business will get the products you need later.

We’ve taken a look at dozens of purchase order software and reviewed them for quality, efficiency, and reliability.

  • Easy approval workflows
  • Real-time reporting
  • Inventory management tools
  • Integrations with QB, Netsuite, and more

Book a Demo Today!

The 6 Best Purchase Order Software

How to choose the best purchase order software. Quicksprout.com's methodology for reviewing purchase order software.How to choose the best purchase order software. Quicksprout.com's methodology for reviewing purchase order software.

Below are our reviews and recommendations for the six best purchase order software out there. Each one has its own unique benefits and drawbacks.

The one you ultimately choose might differ from another company. That’s okay. The important thing is you choose one that’s good for your process and needs.

Precoro – Best overall

  • Easy approval workflows
  • Real-time reporting
  • Inventory management tools
  • Integrations with QB, Netsuite, and more

Book a Demo Today!

Precoro is a modern, intuitive solution for companies that want to streamline purchase orders, and budget management.

It brings together all of the important information in one place, allowing each person to see exactly what they need to review to keep the ball rolling..

And building those approval workflows is as easy as it gets. Add as many…

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Leaders Love the Most – Leadership Freak

Leaders Love the Most

Leaders love the most. Haters ruin the most.

“All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.” E.B. White

Get out of leadership if you hate the world. Hide yourself away until you disappear in decay. But if you love the world, get busy.

The problem with the world is haters are energized and lovers are timid.

Leaders love the most. Haters ruin the most. Image of an open hand with colorful dots floating out.Leaders love the most. Haters ruin the most. Image of an open hand with colorful dots floating out.

Leaders love the most:

#1. Negative emotions may point to love.

Anger means you care. Every successful leader I know is frustrated about something.

Examine your anger. Does selfish ambition fuel your anger or do you care about the well-being of others?

Sadness means you care. Disappointment means aspiration fell short. Congratulations if you tried to help.

#2. Positive traits point to love.

Love hopes. Hate gives up. When you hear, “Don’t give up. Keep trying,” you hear leadership. The best leaders always press toward positive outcomes.

Hope is fuel for grit. Leaders give up, not for lack of grit but because hope vanished. Hopelessness leads to hate.

Love is open-hearted. Hate forces compliance. Open-hearted leaders listen and change their minds. Closed minds defend, argue, and coerce.

An open heart takes your further than a clenched fist. Image of a clenched fist.An open heart takes your further than a clenched fist. Image of a clenched fist.

An open heart takes you further than a clenched fist.

An open heart never bristles at being wrong because the desire for excellence is greater than the need to be right.

Love takes pleasure where hate resents. Always cheer when others thrive. Leaders love the most when they spotlight others.

People love to see leaders who love people. Image of a duck looking at the screen.People love to see leaders who love people. Image of a duck looking at the screen.

#3. Love elevates worth.

Hitler was a remarkable – but worthless – leader. Hate leads toward destructive ends. Worthless leaders seek to ruin.

You elevate your worth when you serve the noble interest of others.

If you want to lead, care when others don’t.

It’s childish to say, “If you don’t care, I don’t care.” Don’t let others run your life.

What do you look to see when leaders love the most?

Still curious:

How to be the Leader People Love to See

The Heart of Business, Hubert Joly

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Episode 1864 Scott Adams: Dilbert Takes On ESG, Scott Takes On Extremists, Ukraine Persuasion

Episode 1864 Scott Adams: Dilbert Takes On ESG, Scott Takes On Extremists, Ukraine Persuasion

Content:

  • The useless people from both political parties
  • Dilbert starts hard run at ESG today
  • Zelensky’s persuasion talent
  • NO option for Russia winning in Ukraine
  • Alex Berenson on fertility fall off after vaccination
  • Lindsey Graham’s flexibility and unpredictability
  • If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topicsto build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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GoDaddy Alternatives and Competitors – 2022 Review

Our recommendation for most people is Hostinger because it’s an affordable, fast, and reliable web hosting provider. Sign up with Hostinger for as low as $1.99 per month.

With low prices, good speeds, and plenty of user-friendly features, GoDaddy has made a name for itself as one of the biggest all-in-one hosting providers out there. But it has some steep competition, and there are plenty of other hosting providers that cater to different audiences and needs. 

We’ve put together a list of the best GoDaddy alternatives based on performance, features, support, and functionality. Keep reading to compare our favorites and find out which hosting provider is the best match for you. 

The Top 10 Best Web Hosting Providers

The best GoDaddy alternative is Hostinger because of its speed, affordability, and reliability. Sign up with Hostinger for as low as $1.99 per month. For more options, here are our top recommendations for the hosting providers you should be considering. 

  • Hostinger – Best overall 
  • Bluehost– Best for new WordPress websites
  • DreamHost – Best Unbeatable Value On a Month-to-Month Hosting Plan
  • HostGator – Best for simple websites 
  • GreenGeeks – Best eco-friendly Hosting
  • SiteGround – Best WordPress Certified Host For Speed and Security
  • A2 Hosting – Fast & reliable shared hosting
  • InMotion – Best VPS hosting
  • WPEngine – Best managed WordPress hosting
  • Nexcess – Best for eCommerce hosting 

Company logos for our best GoDaddy alternatives and competitorsCompany logos for our best GoDaddy alternatives and competitors Company logo for Hostinger, one of our best GoDaddy alternativesCompany logo for Hostinger, one of our best GoDaddy alternatives

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Crisis: 5 Ways to Fuel Progress When the Lights Go Out

Crisis: 5 Ways to Fuel Progress When the Lights Go Out

Never trivialize crisis with frivolous optimism. Smart people roll their eyes at Pollyanna leaders. Acknowledge bad and work toward good.

The danger of crisis is magnetism. Crisis captures your attention, dominates perspectives, and pollutes attitudes.

Leaders who focus on negativity derail progress.

Never trivialize crisis with frivolous optimism. Image of confetti.Never trivialize crisis with frivolous optimism. Image of confetti.

5 ways to fuel progress in crisis:

#1. Set people free:

When you say, “This is bad,” smart people sigh in relief. When you don’t acknowledge the beast, people focus on proving how bad things are.

Freedom to move forward begins after you embrace negative realities.

Solutions begin after you look the beast in the eye.

#2. Begin with what.

Don’t rush to assign blame when things go dark. The questions are…

  1. What’s happening?
  2. What are symptoms?
  3. What are root causes?
  4. What do we want?

Leaders who focus on negativity derail progress.Leaders who focus on negativity derail progress.

#3. Explore who.

Solutions require accountability. Holding people accountable honors ability and maintains responsibility.

Don’t do other people’s jobs.

Identify harmful behaviors.

Three possible options when things go bad:

  1. Something was left undone.
  2. Someone did something wrong.
  3. Failure was unavoidable. It was the environment. Now deal with it.

#4. Design solutions and develop new skills.

Problems persist when people repeat disappointing behaviors.

Don’t double down on current behaviors when designing solutions.

Do you enjoy solving the same problems over and over? More of the same always produces more of the same.

#5. Add support to challenge.

Maximize potential by adding support to challenge. Too much challenge shuts people down. Too little challenge invites boredom.

Support new behaviors and skills with training, coaching, and accountability.

Appropriate stress wakes you up. Adequate support moves you forward.

Bonus: Speak aspiration into crisis.

Pessimists define problems. Leaders believe this could be their finest hour.

  1. Link correction to ambition.
  2. Avoid punitive action even when laying down the law.
  3. Say, “I’m counting on you.”

What do leaders do wrong when facing dark beasts?

What has helped you stay positive in crisis?

Still curious:

How to Be Decisive and Collaborative When the House is on Fire

Staying positive during difficult times

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