The Productivity Tools Our Clients Actually Use (and What We’ve Stopped Recommending)

If you’ve ever started researching productivity tools, you’ll know how overwhelming the choice can be — hundreds of platforms claiming to save you time, automate your day, or “transform” the way you work. But in reality, most teams stick to just a handful of tools that genuinely make life easier.

At The Remote Assistant, we’ve seen the same pattern over and over again amongst our clients: the most effective tools are simple, stable, and used consistently by everyone involved.

Here’s a look at the tools our clients actually rely on — and the ones we’ve quietly stopped recommending.

Scheduling Tools That Make Life Easier

Calendly / Microsoft Bookings

Our consultancy clients appreciate tools that take the back-and-forth out of arranging meetings. Calendly or Bookings tend to be the go-tos because:

• They integrate cleanly with existing calendars

• They reduce admin time

• They help avoid double-bookings

• They make client onboarding smoother

Why simple wins

Some teams try more complex scheduling tools with custom logic and workflows, but most end up going back to tools their clients recognise and trust. When scheduling becomes too clever, people stop using it.

CRMs That Consultants Actually Stick With

Lightweight CRMs (e.g., HubSpot, Capsule, Pipedrive)

The most successful consultancies we support don’t look for huge, complex systems — they look for CRMs they’ll actually use. The tools that work best tend to offer:

·       One clear place to track leads

·       A simple, visual pipeline

·       Easy email integration

·       Reliable notes and activity logging

·       Minimal setup or training

The golden rule still applies: if a CRM feels like a project in itself, it won’t get used.

A note on heavier CRMs

A CRM should always be chosen based on a client’s needs. We do support clients using more advanced systems — platforms like GoHighLevel, for example, can be incredibly powerful for consultants who need built-in automation, landing pages, email marketing and reporting all in one place.

But for many solo consultants or small teams, these feature-rich systems can feel overwhelming. If the complexity gets in the way of consistency, we usually guide people back to something simple — often HubSpot, including the free version — because adoption matters more than functionality on paper.

A CRM is only valuable if it becomes part of your daily rhythm.

Project Management Tools That Keep Everyone Aligned

Asana / ClickUp / Microsoft Planner (for HE teams)

We see clear patterns across sectors:

• Consultancies prefer Asana or ClickUp for task lists, timelines, and content calendars.

• Higher education teams often get the most value from Microsoft Planner because it integrates seamlessly with Teams and doesn’t require new logins or training.

The winning tools are always:

• Easy to use

• Easy to adopt

• Easy to share with collaborators

Why we’ve stopped recommending Trello

People love the idea of Trello, but boards get messy fast and important tasks disappear into the abyss. Teams quickly move on to something with stronger structure.

Communication & Collaboration Tools Our Clients Depend On

Microsoft Teams

For universities, Teams remains the backbone of communication — especially for multi-institution projects.Shared channels make it easier to:

• Keep funding partners aligned

• Organise documents

• Run regular meetings

• Reduce inbox overload

Slack (for some consultancies)

A few of our consultancy clients love Slack because it creates a quick, informal way to communicate without adding to email pressure.

Why we’ve stopped recommending WhatsApp groups

They seem convenient at first — until files disappear, messages get buried, and boundaries blur. It’s one of the fastest ways to fragment communication.

Our Takeaway: Simple Tools, Used Consistently, Always Win

The tools our clients rely on aren’t flashy. They aren’t the ones dominating ads or promising to transform your business in a week. They’re the practical, sturdy systems that help people work more clearly and communicate more effectively.

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