Despite media speculation that AI will soon replace salespeople, experts know that people still buy from people and that agility is essential for solving complex problems, which is the primary role of salespeople. However, there have been significant advancements in sales technology that can help sales teams be more effective and efficient in their outreach and management of opportunities.
In today's SaaS environment, cloud-based tools have reduced the cost and risk of implementation, making it easier for businesses to manage and implement them. Here's a list of essential and nice-to-have sales tools and the value they can bring to your sales process. It's important to note that the specific elements of a sales technology stack will vary depending on the organization's needs and goals. Below are the classifications of tools that could be in the stack.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software to manage and organize customer data, interactions, and sales processes.
Sales Enablement tools to provide sales representatives with the right content and resources to effectively engage with prospects and customers.
Automation software to automate repetitive marketing tasks and support lead generation and nurturing activities.
Sales Intelligence or Sales Analytics software to gain insights into sales performance and customer behavior.
Collaboration and Communication tools to facilitate teamwork, communication and coordination among sales and marketing teams.
Analytics Automation tools to streamline sales processes and improve productivity and efficiency.
Sales Reporting and Dashboarding software to monitor and analyze sales performance and data.
Let’s do a deeper dive into the details of each of the solutions and highlight some of the market leading solutions within the SME space.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – an essential piece of your sales technology stack, a good CRM allows you to manage correspondence, prioritize activities, track opportunities, and analyze data. Industry leaders for the SME space include:
HubSpot CRM: an all-in-one inbound marketing, sales, and customer service software platform. It offers a range of tools for attracting, converting, closing, and delighting customers, as well as for automating and streamlining various sales and marketing processes.
Salesforce: a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps businesses manage and track customer interactions and data throughout the customer journey. It provides a range of sales, service, marketing, and analytics tools to help organizations drive growth and improve customer satisfaction.
PipeDrive: a sales management tool designed to help sales teams focus on the right deals and improve their closing rates. It provides a visual pipeline view of the sales process, along with features such as email tracking, deal tracking, and customizable reporting, to help sales teams manage their sales processes effectively.
Zoho: a suite of business and productivity applications that includes CRM, marketing, finance, HR, and support tools. It offers a range of affordable, user-friendly solutions for small to medium-sized businesses, with the goal of providing a comprehensive set of tools for businesses to streamline their operations and grow their customer base.
Monday Sales CRM: a visual, flexible and user-friendly customer relationship management tool. It provides a centralized platform for businesses to manage their sales pipeline, customer interactions, and data in one place, enabling teams to collaborate, automate, and optimize their sales processes.
Sales enablement automation tools - automate parts of your sales process and save time by using scheduling and meeting software, digital signature tools, sales intelligence or analytics, and prospecting and list-building tools. Industry leaders for the SME space include:
HubSpot Sales: A sales enablement tool that provides sales representatives with the right content, resources, and insights to effectively engage with prospects and customers.
SalesLoft: A sales engagement platform that provides sales teams with the tools they need to personalize and scale their sales outreach efforts.
Outreach: A sales engagement platform that provides sales representatives with the tools they need to manage their email, phone, and LinkedIn outreach efforts.
MixMax: A tool that integrates with email platforms to enhance communication and collaboration. It offers features such as email tracking, scheduling, polls, and templates to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.
QuickMail: a sales automation tool that integrates with email platforms to streamline sales outreach and follow-up processes. It offers features such as personalized templates, automatic follow-up scheduling, and email tracking to help sales teams reach their targets and close more deals.
Calendly: a scheduling and appointment scheduling software that helps individuals and teams save time by automating the scheduling process. It allows users to easily create custom schedules, set availability, and receive notifications for confirmed appointments, eliminating the need for back-and-forth email scheduling.
Docusign: an electronic signature and digital transaction management platform that enables users to sign, send, and manage documents electronically. It provides a secure, fast, and convenient way for individuals and organizations to sign, send, and store important documents, reducing the need for physical signatures and paper-based processes.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: a sales intelligence tool designed to help sales professionals find, connect, and engage with prospects on LinkedIn. It offers features such as lead recommendations, account insights, and advanced search capabilities, providing sales teams with the information they need to build and grow their pipeline, and ultimately close more deals.
Prospecting List building Tools: There are many B2B list-building software options available and companies should seek out which has the best and most current information for the verticals that they are trying to sell into. While ZoomInfo is the industry leader, they are not priced well for most SME companies. Some great affordable options include: RocketReach, GetProspect, UpLead, Leads411, Hunter.io, Lusha, GetEmail, Seamless.ai, and more.
Collaboration and Communication – tools that support teamwork and communication (internal and external) for sales teams. These tools aim to improve team productivity, foster collaboration, and streamline communication. Industry leaders for the SME space include:
Slack: A real-time messaging platform for teams that facilitates communication and file sharing.
Microsoft Teams: A collaboration platform that integrates with other Microsoft tools such as OneNote and SharePoint.
Asana: A project management tool that allows teams to plan, organize and track their work in one place.
Trello: A visual project management tool that allows teams to manage tasks and projects in a kanban-style board.
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite): A suite of productivity tools that includes Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Meet.
Zoom: A video conferencing platform that enables remote team communication and collaboration.
Chanty: An AI-powered team chat app that helps teams communicate and work more efficiently.
Every company at a minimum should have a CRM, list-building tool(s), email automation, networking, and a few options for collaboration and communication. There are additional opportunities to add to your stack to further streamline the process and create greater visibility into the process. These may include analytics (bi/dashboards), persona mapping, training, video messaging, auto-dialers, content management tools, enhanced forecasting tools, and proposal tools.
Additionally, there are tools that may be included in the sales management technology stack. These tools provide real-time sales performance, predictive analytics, and monitors/recorders for audits and training. These tools will become more prevalent as the team grows.
When building your sales technology stack, look for tools that are flexible, reliable, supported, scalable, and that integrable with other systems. Remember, the goal of your technology stack is to support and enhance your sales team, not replace them.
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