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Clay
Clay is a networking CRM that helps you build and manage personal and professional relationships.
Consider it a modern-day Rolodex, contact directory, or part CRM software with networking and relationship-building tools.
Clay automatically creates profiles along with the social history of each contact.
Im doing this Clay review because I heard about Clay from my colleague whos a master of networking.
In this review, Ive documented my assessment and experience using Clay.
Automated Contact Management
Clays helps you manage thousands of contacts in one place.
All imported contacts are automatically visible from the People section on the right-hand sidebar.
It is likely that you may connect with someone over different channels.
You start off on LinkedIn but carry the conversation to email or WhatsApphow does Clay handlesuch conflicts?
Clay automatically merges duplicate contacts across integrated apps.
you’ve got the option to toggle it fromSettings>General panel>Resolve Duplicates.
(Its on by default)
Clay automatically creates individual cards or profiles for your contacts.
I like the ribbon-style toolbar on top of each card.
It helps me perform contact-specific actions right from the card.
For example, I can:
2.
Live Home Feed
Social media has immense potential, and I second that.
But, at timesreels, memes, judgmentscould be distracting.
Actually, you’re free to easily filter what you view.
you might also customize the home feed from the controls panel.
Here, you get more options to personalize your feed and make it relevant to enhance relationships.
Suppose I want to add a reminder for Lisas birthday.
I simply visit her profile, and in the notes, I key in next week Tuesday and tada!
If youre importing contacts from a spreadsheet or .csv file, ensure you have thecorrect formatting.
When I imported my contact list, the birthdays didnt get into the system with this error popping up.
you’re able to combine queries together to create advanced searches with tags, filters, etc.
Suppose I have a contact list with 500+ contacts.
I remember asking someone for a podcast, but Im unsure who.
I can simply enter the term Podcast and get a list of moments where the term is mentioned.
See the example below.
Apart from this, Clay has its library of example search terms to intelligently search through your web link.
Tip:Hit Ctrl + K to bring up our command palette.
you could instantly do or search for any action from there.
Note-Taking & Tagging
Notes are one of the core building blocks of Clay.
On iOS, there are two other ways to create notes:
Clay Notes supportMarkdown formatting.
The web app isnt very responsive when used on mobile, but the iOS native app is great.
Unfortunately, Android is still missing.
According to Clay, it will be available someday, but they dont say when.
The Clay Home tab updates you with recent activities from your contacts across integrated channels.
It helps you manage and deepen relationships with personalized follow-ups, making networking more intentional.
On top of that, the Reconnect Cadence is where Clay earns its keep.
If I havent checked in with someone in a while, Clay gives me a nudge.
Its like having an assistant whose only job is making sure I dont lose touch.
Clay has allowed me to strengthen those connections in an organic way.
When the families dont reach out for long periods, I get a nudge to reconnect with them.
Clay makes that easy.
It lets me stay organized without feeling robotic but more intentional and personal.
Clay helped me keep track of all my important contactscustomers, vendors, and partners.
In my line of work, relationships matter.
Its made follow-ups easy and more personal, which keeps people coming back.
Recruiting & Hiring
Being a contact management software, Clay simplifies the recruiting process by tracking and managing candidates.
Event Planning
Are you juggling multiple events this week?
I also set reminders to reconnect with people I meet, ensuring valuable connections dont slip through the cracks.
Personal Contact Management
Clay focuses on managing personal contacts in the best way possible.
No scrambling to remember what we last talked about.
Is Clay a CRM?
Clay is more relationship-centric.
Clay Nexus is an AI-powered conversational intelligence that answers any questions about people in your online grid.
Or, the conversation could be REALLY interesting
Apart from that, Nexus is readily accessible on all contacts.
Simply right-punch any contact and let Nexus brief you on the contact.
Other than that, it has three plans, which are summarized below in a comparison table.
Its not cheap, for sure.
So, I prepared a list of the best clay alternatives.
With the Enterprise Plan, it’s possible for you to import data from100+ software tools.
However, I wish it had Slack and Telegram integrations, as thats where most of my conversations happen.
As a relationship management tool, Clay fails to match the integration capabilities of full-fledged CRMs.
After my assessment, I found no ifs and buts in recommending Clay as an excellent contact management app.
Clayreceives theGeekflare Innovation Awardfor its minimalistic CRM design and use of AI to streamline personal and professional contact management.
