Software and automation. Reviewed October 29, 2026
CRM
Also called: Customer relationship management
A CRM, customer relationship management system, is the software that stores every lead and customer with their calls, texts, quotes and jobs, so nothing is lost in a text thread or a notebook.
In practice
For a trade business the CRM is usually part of the field service software: Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan all have one built in. The job of the CRM is to make every lead visible, every follow-up automatic and every source measurable.
The best CRM is the one the crew will actually use on a phone in a truck.
Related terms
- Field service management softwareField service management software runs a trade business's daily operations: scheduling, dispatch, estimates, invoices and payments, with Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan the common choices.
- Lead nurtureLead nurture is the automated series of texts and emails sent to a lead who has not booked yet, spaced over days or weeks, so the business stays in front of them until they are ready.
- Marketing attributionMarketing attribution is working out which ad, search, referral or page produced each lead and each job, so money moves toward what works.
- IntegrationAn integration is a connection between two pieces of software that moves data automatically, such as a website form sending leads into the CRM or the CRM syncing invoices into QuickBooks.
More software and automation terms
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