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Zoho CRM has always been one of the most flexible customer relationship management systems for businesses of all sizes. But Zoho never stops improving. In their recent release notes, they rolled out a bunch of powerful new features—from smarter AI assistants (Zia) to advanced reporting, new chart types, and better ways to collaborate.
If you’ve ever felt buried in sales data or wished your CRM could “think ahead” for you, these updates are game-changers. In this blog, we’ll break down each major improvement, show you how it works in real life, and explain why it matters to your business.
1. Smarter Automation: Let the CRM Do the Work
Formula Fields with More Control
- Before: Formula fields only updated when a record was saved.
- Now: They auto-refresh, especially useful for time-sensitive formulas like Now().
Example: Imagine tracking support ticket resolution times. With the auto-refresh, the timer updates live instead of waiting until the next save. Managers instantly see overdue tickets.
Benefit: Less manual refreshing, more real-time accuracy.
Team Selling with Deal Splits
Sales rarely happen because of one person. Marketing warms the lead, sales reps negotiate, and customer success ensures a smooth handover.
- With the new feature, you can add multiple contributors to a deal and split credit fairly.
- Revenue attribution is visible to everyone.
Example: A $100,000 deal is split 70% to the sales rep, 20% to the solutions engineer, and 10% to marketing.
Benefit: More transparency → happier teams → fair recognition.
2. Visual Insights: See Your Data Differently
New Chart Types in Analytics
Zoho CRM added several visualization tools:
- Sankey Charts: Track movement of leads through funnel stages.
- Treemaps: Show revenue contribution by product category.
- Butterfly Charts: Compare win vs. loss ratios.
- Cluster Charts: Visualize team-by-team performance.
- Waterfall Charts: Break down revenue growth step by step.
Example: Use Sankey charts to see how many leads “drop off” between the initial demo and the proposal stage.
Benefit: Spot bottlenecks quickly and act before losing deals.
Dashboard-Wide Filters
- Apply a filter once, and it updates every widget on the dashboard.
Example: A sales director can filter by “North America” and instantly see deals, revenues, and customer feedback—all in one region view.
Benefit: Saves clicks, saves time, and makes reviews faster.
3. Stronger Data Management
Simplified Data Sharing Rules
Before, setting permissions in CRM was confusing. Now, Zoho has split it into two tabs:
- Default permissions
- Specific sharing rules
Benefit: Easier for admins, less chance of mistakes, and stronger compliance.
Custom Rollup Summaries
Previously, you were stuck with standard summaries (like “total revenue”). Now, you can design your own.
Example: Calculate total discount given per rep per quarter.
Benefit: Custom KPIs that matter to your business.
4. Enhanced Customization for Workflows
Subform Upgrades
Subforms = mini-tables inside records.
Now you can:
- Pin multiple columns
- Resize them
- Edit inline
- Clone or delete rows quickly
Example: In an “Order” record, you can manage product line items neatly without switching screens.
Benefit: Faster data entry, cleaner records.
AI-Powered Canvas Design
Canvas already lets you redesign CRM screens. Now, with AI, you can upload an image of your ideal layout—Zia will generate a working template for you.
Example: Upload a mockup of your “Deal Page” design from Canva or Figma, and Zoho CRM auto-builds it.
Benefit: Saves hours of manual UI editing.
5. AI That Feels Like a Co-Worker
Zia Agents
Zoho added role-based AI agents:
- SDR Agent: Nurtures cold leads, schedules follow-ups, and routes qualified leads to reps.
- Sales Coach Agent: Gives feedback on rep performance, helps with pitch prep, and suggests next steps.
Example: Before a sales call, the Sales Coach shows you, “This client is most interested in delivery timelines—highlight that.”
Benefit: AI guidance makes reps better prepared and more confident.
Ask Zia (Chat Assistant) Gets Smarter
Zia can now do:
- Insights (“Show me monthly revenue trends”)
- Help (“How do I build a workflow?”)
- Actions (“Create a report of lost deals in Q1”)
You can even keep multiple chat sessions open.
Benefit: Feels like having a trainer + analyst + admin in one.
Zia Scores for Any Module
Before, only leads had scores. Now, every module can have AI scoring—like contacts, accounts, or deals.
Example: Score customers on engagement (emails opened, meetings booked) → focus on the hottest ones.
Strategy Influencer
Zia now acts like a business consultant. It studies your CRM, spots weak points, and gives advice.
Example: “Deals in Stage 3 take 10 days longer than the industry average. Recommend adding a follow-up email sequence.”
Usage Data Predictions
If you feed Zia product usage data, it can predict churn or suggest cross-sells.
Example: A SaaS company sees that customers who log in <2 times per week are at churn risk. Zia alerts the CSM.
Action Buttons in Zia Insights
Zia now lets you act immediately.
Example: Insight = “High-value lead detected.” Button = “Assign to senior rep.”
Benefit: No switching screens—one-click action.
6. Voice of the Customer (VoC) Enhancements
- More Data Sources: Pulls feedback from YouTube, social reviews, and more.
- Better Filters & Dashboards: Let you display customer sentiment data on your homepage.
Example: If YouTube comments show “slow delivery” is trending, Zoho flags it.
Benefit: Fix issues before they snowball into churn.
Conclusion
Zoho CRM’s latest updates prove one thing: CRM is no longer just a record-keeping tool. It’s a smart assistant, a business advisor, and a data analyst all rolled into one.
- Smarter automation means less manual work.
- New charts and dashboards give sharper insights.
- AI-powered Zia acts like a co-worker who never sleeps.
- Customization ensures your CRM fits your exact business, not the other way around.
If you’re already using Zoho CRM, these features are waiting to be unlocked. And if you’re just starting, this is the best time to step in.
👉 At Zolute, we don’t just set up Zoho CRM—we customize, configure, and integrate it so your business gets maximum value from Day One. Ready to make Zoho CRM work for you? Let’s build it together!
