RelayLeads vs. a traditional CRM
A CRM stores your contacts and deals for you to manage. RelayLeads takes the booking itself, and RelayOS tells you the next step. Here is how they differ and when each one fits.
The short answer
RelayLeads is not a CRM. A traditional CRM is a database of contacts and deals that you fill in and keep up to date. RelayLeads is the booking page your customer uses, and it fills itself in: the customer answers your questions, sees the price, picks a time and pays the deposit.
What a CRM leaves to you, deciding who to follow up with and when, RelayOS does with Next Step: every lead shows the one thing to do now.
Where the work comes from
In a traditional CRM, a lead usually starts as a record someone types in or imports, and a person moves it from stage to stage.
With RelayLeads, the lead starts as a booking. It reaches you already priced and scheduled, because the customer did that part on your booking page.
What you look at each day
A CRM typically gives you lists, pipelines and reports to browse, and you decide what needs attention.
RelayOS gives you a queue. Each lead and job shows its Next Step, such as Create Payment, Nudge to Pay or Start Job. With automations on, payment reminders and follow-ups send themselves.
Getting paid
A CRM generally tracks the value of a deal. Taking the money is usually a separate tool.
RelayLeads takes the deposit when the customer books, and RelayOS sends the final bill when you close the job. Payments go to your own Square or Stripe account.
What RelayLeads does not do
It is not a long-term contact database. A customer's contact details are kept for as long as the job needs them and then deleted on a timer, so it is not the place to build a permanent mailing list.
It does not send email marketing campaigns.
When a traditional CRM is the better fit
Choose a CRM if your sales take weeks of calls and meetings before anyone books, if several salespeople share accounts, or if you need a permanent record of every contact and conversation.
Choose RelayLeads if your customers can book a priced service themselves and you want the job to move from booking to paid without managing a database.
