When trade teams look for a CRM they usually face three options: a generic CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho), the sales module of an ERP or accounting suite, or a trade-specific tool. All three promise “customer and sales management,” but where they diverge in the daily flow of export and import is very clear. This guide compares them not by a feature checklist, but by the real operation of foreign trade.
Apply the comparison to your own process: walk a lead through to a customer, an order, a shipment, and a collection in your head. How many links of that chain does each tool keep in one data model? That is the real question.
What to compare in foreign trade
Generic CRMs track leads, contacts, and deals well. But the trade workflow goes far beyond that: multi-currency and FX, Incoterms 2020, GTIP/HS codes, L/C lifecycle, VAT refund, customs documents, shipment tracking, multi-warehouse, sanctions screening, and country profiles. When these are not at the base of the data model, the team piles Excel, WhatsApp, and email on top of the CRM and the process fragments.
Category comparison
The table below compares three typical categories across the dimensions that matter in trade. Looking at categories rather than brands is healthier when you evaluate your own shortlist.
| Dimension | Generic CRM | ERP / Accounting | Trade-specific (Sighthem) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data model | Leads, contacts, deals. Trade fields built by hand via custom fields. | Accounting and stock centric; weak pre-sales process. | Trade data model built in, from lead to cash. |
| Multi-currency and FX | Usually single currency; FX is manual. | Present but tied to accounting, not the ops screen. | EUR/USD/TRY/GBP auto FX, per-currency running balance. |
| GTIP / HS code | None. | May exist in a customs module, closed to the sales team. | HS-code catalog embedded in product and quote flow. |
| Quote and proforma invoice | Template attachment; no multi-currency/Incoterm. | Invoicing exists, proforma and Incoterm weak. | Proforma from one form, multi-currency, Incoterms, bilingual PDF, approval flow. |
| Letter of Credit (L/C) | None. | No lifecycle tracking. | 5-stage lifecycle, UCP 600 references, deadline reminders. |
| Shipment and customs docs | None. | Shipment exists, document versioning weak. | 6 statuses, B/L, packing list, CO slot/version, demurrage risk, container/AWB tracking. |
| Production and stock traceability | None. | Can be strong but disconnected from trade flow. | Lot/batch traceability, multi-warehouse, backorder, order-linked. |
| Sanctions screening | None. | Usually none. | OFAC + EU + UN lists, automated check and alerts. |
| VAT refund | None. | Has accounting data, export-exemption report is manual. | Auto-aggregated, 12-month chart, country split, pre-declaration single page. |
| Customer acquisition (prospecting) | None; needs a separate tool. | None. | Email discovery and verification, HS-code targeting, business-card OCR. |
| AI / market intelligence | Add-on or top tier. | Usually none. | Status/risk analysis, lead scoring, L/C pre-check, weekly digest. |
| Data residency / privacy | Mostly US-based; data abroad. | A local ERP can have the edge. | EU hosting, hourly backups, audit log, KVKK-compliant. |
| Pricing model | Per-seat monthly, scales fast; top features in pricey tiers. | Usually annual license + consulting, price hidden. | Permanent free plan, 14-day PRO trial, 50% off annual, transparent pricing. |
The dividing line is not the feature count but the “single data model.” In a generic CRM or ERP the trade flow is assembled piece by piece and data breaks between the links. In a trade-specific tool the lead, order, shipment, L/C, and collection are continuations of the same record.
Sighthem's current features
Sighthem keeps the trade operation on one backbone, from lead to cash. The headlines live today, by module:
- Customer acquisition: email discovery and verification, HS-code targeting, business-card OCR to lead at fairs.
- Lead and customer: one pipeline, RFM segmentation, follow-up tasks with auto reminders, 206-country profiles.
- Quote and proforma: multi-currency, Incoterms, terms from one form; bilingual TR/EN PDF, optional manager approval.
- Letter of Credit (L/C): 5-stage lifecycle, UCP 600 references, deadline reminders.
- Production and stock: lot/batch traceability, multi-warehouse, backorder, order-linked.
- Shipment and customs: 6 statuses, B/L, packing list, CO slot/version, demurrage risk, container/AWB tracking.
- AI: status and risk analysis, lead scoring, L/C pre-check, weekly digest.
- Communication: managed email infrastructure + open/click tracking, browser WebRTC calling (206 countries, KVKK-compliant recording), WhatsApp Business.
- Collection and compliance: ledger and DSO, per-currency balance, VAT refund report, OFAC + EU + UN sanctions screening, audit log, EU hosting.
Pricing model
The price axis is often hidden in comparisons: generic CRMs start per seat per month and keep top features in pricey tiers; on the ERP side it is usually an annual license plus consulting and “request a demo” pricing. Sighthem keeps this axis transparent:
- A permanent free FREE plan (no credit card required).
- A 14-day PRO trial to explore every feature.
- A launch 50% discount on annual plans.
- Works in EUR/USD/TRY, prices transparent.
Current, live prices are always on the pricing page. Plan contents and discounts are managed there as the single source of truth.
How to evaluate a tool
Instead of watching a demo, test with your own data. Run the 14-day free trial on 3 to 5 real customers and orders and focus on a single end-to-end scenario: turn a lead into a customer, issue a proforma invoice, open a shipment, close the collection follow-up. If you can complete this chain in one system, the backbone is solid; if you cannot, the tool you patch will fragment again over time.
The most common mistake is looking only at the size of the feature list. A tool can have 200 features, but with no trade data model you spend half the team maintaining custom fields and workflows. Measure not the count, but whether your own flow completes in one system.
Frequently asked questions
Which foreign trade CRM is best?
There is no single "best"; the right answer depends on your criteria. If multi-currency, HS codes, L/C lifecycle, shipment and customs documents, sanctions screening, and VAT refund are part of your daily work, a trade-specific tool that keeps these in the data model needs less maintenance than piling custom fields on a generic CRM. If KVKK and Turkish support are critical, local options have the edge.
Why is a generic CRM like Salesforce or HubSpot not enough?
Three practical issues hit: (1) no trade data model out of the box, the team has to build it with custom fields and workflows, which is a maintenance load; (2) per-seat license cost eats into the trade team budget quickly; (3) local regulatory pieces (e-invoice, VAT refund tracker, central-bank FX) are not in the stock product.
What does Sighthem cost?
There is a permanent free FREE plan (no credit card), a 14-day PRO trial to see every feature, and a launch 50% discount on annual plans. Current, live prices are always on the /fiyat page, which is the single source of truth.
Should I pick a local or a global solution?
The decision has multiple axes: data residency (KVKK, GDPR), Turkish interface and support, local regulation integrations, billing currency, team language proficiency, and IT-audit questions from enterprise customers. If KVKK and Turkish support are critical, local wins; if you need global scale and a vast API ecosystem, global options stand out.
How should I evaluate a CRM?
Run the 14-day free trial on 3 to 5 real customers and orders. Focus on one scenario: turn a lead into a customer, issue a proforma, open a shipment, close the collection. If you can complete this end-to-end flow in one system, the backbone is solid.