Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What CRM systems do members recommend for small on-trade focused field sales teams?
**Bowimi** is the primary field sales CRM used by several Kindred members for on-trade sales. Members report it works well for setting sales targets, gathering trade marketing data, and reporting, with a solid backend for management oversight. **Considerations:** - **Cost-benefit:** At approximately £50 per user per month, Bowimi is positioned as good value when weighed against the full cost of a field sales rep (£30K salary + £20K+ in employers NI, travel expenses, and samples = £50K+ total P&L impact). - **User experience:** One member noted it's "good, but not as user-friendly as promoted," suggesting the interface may require some adjustment period despite strong functionality. - **Implementation:** Members recommend requesting a demo directly from Bowimi to evaluate fit for your team. - **Satisfaction:** Multiple users report being "broadly very happy" with it; management finds the backend intuitive for oversight and reporting. **Caveat:** Bowimi appears to be the only CRM discussed in depth by the community for this use case, so limited comparative options were shared.
Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core (£69.99/month) worth the investment for drinks brands?
Members report that LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core is not a good fit for drinks brands. One member who trialled it on LinkedIn's free trial period found it was not worth paying for and noted that the tool is primarily designed for recruitment professionals rather than beverage businesses. The recommendation is to take advantage of the free trial period before committing to any paid tier to assess whether it meets your specific needs.