The Real Reason Small Teams Hate CRMs (And What to Do Instead)

Let me guess your CRM journey:

1. You signed up for [Big Enterprise CRM]
2. Spent 2 weeks configuring it
3. Used it for 3 days
4. Went back to spreadsheets

You're not alone. 43% of CRM users don't use their CRM.

But why?

It's Not You. It's Them.

Enterprise CRMs are built for enterprise companies. They assume you have:

• A dedicated sales team
• A CRM administrator
• Time to customize workflows
• Patience to click through 8 screens to log a call

You don't have any of that.

You're a team of 3-10 people wearing multiple hats. You need to move fast. Enterprise CRMs slow you down.

The 5 Reasons You Abandoned Your Last CRM

1. Too Many Features You Don't Need

"Wait, there's a marketing automation module? An AI forecasting dashboard? Integration with... what even is that?"

You just wanted to track leads. Not run NASA.

What you actually need: A pipeline. Tasks. Reminders. That's it.

2. It Takes 10 Clicks to Do Anything

Want to log a call?

1. Click "Activities"
2. Click "New Activity"
3. Select "Call" from dropdown
4. Fill in 6 required fields
5. Click "Save"
6. Close modal
7. Oh wait, you forgot to set the follow-up reminder...

You gave up at step 3.

What you actually need: Click "Call." Log it. Done.

3. Nobody on Your Team Uses It

You set it up. You were excited. You told the team to use it.

Two weeks later, you're the only one updating it. Everyone else is still using the shared Google Doc.

Why? Because it's too hard. Too slow. Too annoying.

What you actually need: Something so simple your team actually uses it.

4. You Can't See Your Pipeline

Your dashboard shows:

• 47 metrics you don't understand
• A funnel chart (what does that even mean?)
• "Conversion velocity" (?????)

But you can't just... see your deals.

What you actually need: A Kanban board. Drag cards left to right. Visual. Simple. Done.

5. It Costs Too Much for What You Use

$99/user/month. You have 5 users.

That's $500/month... to track 20 leads?

You're paying for features you'll never use.

What you actually need: Simple pricing for simple needs.

What Small Teams Actually Need

Stop trying to use enterprise tools. You're not an enterprise.

Here's what actually works for teams of 3-10:

Visual Pipeline

See all your leads in one view. Drag them through stages. No clicking through tabs.

Smart Reminders

Get notified when leads go cold. Don't rely on memory.

Quick Actions

Call, email, log notes in one click. No forms. No friction.

Team Visibility

See who's working on what. No more double-contacting.

Email Templates

Save your best messages. Send them fast.

That's it. You don't need more.

The Test

Here's how to know if a CRM will actually work for you:

Ask yourself: "Can I log a call in under 10 seconds?"

If the answer is no, it's too complicated.

Stop Fighting With Your Tools

The right CRM shouldn't feel like work. It should make work easier.

If you're fighting with your CRM, you're using the wrong one.

Want a CRM built for small teams? Join the waitlist for Relix →

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What made you abandon your last CRM? I'd love to hear your horror stories.