Small and mid-sized businesses don’t always have the luxury of large sales teams or sprawling budgets, but that doesn’t mean they can’t punch above their weight.
With the right tools, even lean teams can streamline their sales process, stay on top of leads, and nurture customer relationships at scale. That’s where SaaS CRMs come in. These cloud-based platforms are designed to simplify sales workflows, automate follow-ups, and give teams data-driven insights, all without the need for complex setups or IT support.
In this week’s Let’s Talk, our experts discuss how SMEs can use SaaS CRMs to boost sales, stay agile, and scale customer engagement without needing a big team behind the scenes.
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Ronan Harnett, Head of Multi Product APJ for Monday.com
“For SMEs, growing sales without a big team can be a challenge. That’s where CRMs come in. A flexible, scalable CRM can centralise customer data, automate repetitive tasks, and enable real-time collaboration— empowering teams of any size to work smarter. However, SME leaders need to find the right CRM and seek an innovative and fully customisable platform that streamlines every part of the sales cycle in one place, from lead capture to deal management and post-sale support.
“Our recent study uncovers significant tech challenges facing sales leaders, revealing that 61% are at least somewhat satisfied with their CRM, yet 81% are considering switching their CRMs within the next year, and nearly half of C-level executives are unhappy with their current CRM. This shows us that while sales teams consider CRMs to be essential, they’re also seeking CRMs that perform better.
“A well-chosen CRM acts like an extra set of hands, allowing small teams to boost productivity, accelerate growth, and stay competitive in fast-moving markets. By automating manual work like lead distribution and follow-ups, teams gain back valuable hours to focus on closing deals and building relationships. With AI and the latest technology, sales teams can work faster and optimise sales forecasting, personalised outreach, and real-time analytics to further sharpen their sales strategy and seamlessly scale.”
Alexandra Egan, Founder and CEO at The Domino Effect Consulting & Facilitating
“In 2025, Australian SMEs face a pressing decision: how to scale without overstretching resources. The solution? SaaS CRMs. These tools aren’t just for big businesses; they’re essential for small teams aiming to drive sales and stay competitive.
“The Australian CRM market is projected to hit US$1.67 billion by 2025, growing at a 10.5% CAGR. Yet, only 68% of small-budget businesses are using CRMs, compared to 86% of larger companies (expertmarketresearch.com).
“Here’s how a SaaS CRM can help a small team boost sales:
- Automate Routine Tasks: Free up your team to focus on high-impact activities.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Use real-time analytics to guide sales strategies based on actual customer behaviour.
- Personalised Customer Experience: Track interactions and offer insights to create tailored experiences, boosting loyalty.
“Not adopting a CRM has consequences. 73.9% of SMEs report slowed revenue, and 78% have increased fees just to survive (cfotech.com.au).
“The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in a CRM; it’s whether you can afford not to. RESET your thinking®️ Embrace the tools that help you grow without needing to expand your workforce.”
Dan Bognar, Vice President & Managing Director, JAPAC, HubSpot
“SMEs don’t all need large, specialised sales and marketing teams to drive meaningful revenue growth — instead, they can scale their activities through a unified customer platform like HubSpot.
“Modern customer platforms level the playing field by giving small businesses access to powerful automation, AI-driven insights, productivity tools, and customer engagement features previously used only by larger enterprise companies. With AI-powered features like lead scoring and prioritisation, tailored email sequences, pipeline automation, and tools to remix marketing content, SMEs can manage their entire customer journey with unprecedented speed and focus. This means that SMEs can focus on what matters most — building relationships and closing deals — while their customer platform handles the heavy lifting behind the scenes.
“From setting smart reminders to capturing every customer interaction, a unified customer platform creates a foundation of efficiency and consistency that scales with the business over time. The real opportunity lies in being empowered to act fast, stay focused, and deliver a targeted, highly engaging customer connection — without needing large teams to do it.”
Elise Balsillie, Head of Thryv Australia and New Zealand
“What if your sales team wasn’t bigger, but better equipped?
“Small business owners often think they need more people to grow. In reality, it is about making better use of time and tools. SaaS CRMs allow SMEs to scale their sales efforts without adding headcount. That is a game-changer.
“Imagine being able to see which leads are hot, which customers have not been followed up and what messages are converting. With a well-set-up CRM, you are following a clear path and not chasing your tail. Automating reminders, scheduling follow-ups and segmenting customer groups means no opportunity slips through the cracks. It also frees up your team (or just you) to focus on the conversations that count.
“The real power lies in visibility. Knowing where your customers are in their journey and how they have interacted with your business, gives you the confidence to tailor every message with authenticity and personalisation.
“The best part? You don’t need to be a tech expert or hire one. These systems are built for everyday business owners who often wear multiple hats. A reliable CRM streamlines your workload, brings clarity to your priorities, as well as empowers you to sell smarter.”
Maria Kathopoulis, Chief Marketing Officer & Managing Director at UNTMD Marketing
“Small teams often think they need more staff to scale, but the smartest SMEs know it’s about systems and productivity, not size. Instead of hiring more, they use automation to do the heavy lifting: AI scores inbound leads by intent, routes them to the right team members, and triggers personalised nurture journeys based on client profile.
“The result? Faster conversions, higher close rates, and a CRM that functions more like a strategic growth partner.
“For SMEs, this is the edge. A good CRM doesn’t just store data, it tells you who to call, when to follow up, and what to say. It tracks every deal, automates the repetitive stuff, and gives your team more time to close without needing more hands on deck.
“The takeaway? Data clarity so you can clearly scale. A CRM with AI embedded is the modern SMEs secret weapon.”
Laetitia Boden, Co-Founder of MyWebAdvantage
“This is hands down my favourite moment: when a small business owner realises they don’t need a big team to grow their business. They can save hours, stay on top of every lead, and show up consistently, without burning the midnight oil.
“For me, the real game-changer is automation. They act as playbooks… but better. Smart automations quietly handle repetitive tasks like follow-up emails, while also prompting teams to add the personal touches that matter -> making a quick call, sending a thoughtful message.
“Automations make it easy to show up the way you want to – every time, no matter who is assigned to the lead. Tried & tested processes are repeated without fail.
“A close second is the visual sales pipeline. It gives clarity at a glance:
- Who’s interested,
- Who needs a nudge, and
- What’s coming up next.
“You get a fast overview of your team’s progress, making it easy to delegate without giving up control. No digging through inboxes & spreadsheets.
“When business owners realise what’s possible – relief & excitement wash over their faces. That’s the magic of a CRM done right, and the sky becomes the limit for businesses & their goals.”
Maongkala Jamir, Content Writer at Jobma
“For SMEs, SaaS CRM tool is often called the second brain of the company as it’s essentially the sales command center. It tracks every interaction, helps qualify leads, and shows which deals are moving forward (and which aren’t). This visibility helps small teams operate like bigger ones.
“SMEs can manage the sales pipeline in a spreadsheet and that’ll work for a while. But as you scale, it won’t be the most feasible. With CRM, you can manage more sales deals than you could ever do manually, as you can streamline follow-ups, scheduling, and even upselling, which is essential where retention drives revenue. You can sort customers by value, track deal velocity, and pinpoint where delays happen.
“Even if the tool helps you bump your close rate just by 5-10%, it means thousands in extra revenue. When there is a shorter sales cycle, it means more deals closed faster.”
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