Wealthbox launches new CRM version with Gmail integration

Wealthbox, a client relationship management system for financial advisers, launched its latest CRM platform to integrate widely-used Gmail accounts on Wednesday. With the integration, which is available with Google Chrome, advisers with Gmail accounts will be able to import contacts to Wealthbox, add client notes to the CRM and send and archive emails to Wealthbox. The extension is free to Wealthbox users. “We have really matured our core features of Wealthbox,” said John Rourke, chief executive of Starburst Labs, the vendor of the CRM that was previously known as Gotham Tech Labs. “We position [Wealthbox] as a modern CRM.” Mr. Rourke said 55% of Wealthbox users use Gmail, which indicates a new wave of advisers using “modern tools.” The integration is possible through Wealthbox API, which allows advisers to create apps and widgets for the CRM platform. The next step for the API will be with Zapier, which connects web apps to perform tasks. For example, if an adviser wants to receive a text message every time she receives an email, she could set up that connection on Zapier. Last year, Wealthbox integrated Slack, an instant messaging service for coworkers to collaborate and communicate on projects. Previously, Wealthbox was synced with Google Calendar and Google Drive. Other CRMs can connect to Gmail through their current email system. Junxure, a CRM for financial advisers, uses Outlook, which can be connected to a Gmail account for receiving or sending emails. Redtail, another CRM for advisers, has its own email service, which can connect to Gmail and provides automatic journaling to Redtail, Brian McLaughlin, chief executive of the vendor, said. Still, the Gmail extension can be an attractive feature for advisers who prefer to go straight to their Gmail site for emails. Greg Friedman, chief executive of Junxure, a CRM for advisers, said the new feature is a positive. “I am sure it will appeal to a lot of advisers,” he said. “I think it is a good thing, but it is one of dozens of considerations that should go into choosing a CRM and what works best for an adviser's practice.” For Eric Roberge, a financial planner with Beyond Your Hammock in Boston, Mass., Google apps are everything. He currently uses Wealthbox, and says it is essential for him that the CRM works with his Google apps.