Sales Strategy

Choose the Perfect Sales Tools: A complete guide

Nicolas Gromer
LAST UPDATED
April 25, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

Working in sales without a decent tool backing you up is almost like beating your head against a wall and hoping for it to budge.

This is why we have a whole army of sales tools at our disposal. But with so many choices out there, how do you know you which one is the right tools for you and your team?

Let’s learn a bit more about sales tools before we dive into the specifics of choosing.

The evolution of sales tools

As technology progresses, sales tools have had to keep up with the high demands. Which is why they have been in constant transformation.

Sales tools have become an integral part of many businesses, providing a wide range of benefits, such as improved customer service, increased sales, and streamlined operations.

The evolution of sales tools has been shaped by technological advancements, changes in consumer behavior, and shifts in business landscapes.

But how have they developed over the years?

  • Manual methods: Paper-based records, Rolodexes, hand written notes to manage customer information, track leads, and communicate with prospects.
  • Early digital tools: Speadsheets, contact management software, emailing
  • CRM Systems: These starting showing up in the 1990s centralizing data, tracking interactions, pipelines, and analyzing sales performance
  • Sales automation: email outreach, lead scoring, follow-up reminders
  • Predictive analytics, sales forecasting and AI: providing insights into customer behavior, market trends, predicting buying patterns and personalizing sales strategies

Additionaly, you no longer have to limit your sales efforts to your office and computer. The advancement in sales tools allows you to carry all of your information and fix any issues in your mobile phone as well!

What are sales tools?

Sales tools are vital instruments that can propel an organization toward success.

But what exactly are these tools and how do they contribute to a company's performance?

  • Goals and purposes of sales tools

At their core, sales software is designed to streamline and enhance the sales process.

They play a crucial role in managing customer relationships, tracking sales performance, and automating routine tasks, freeing up time for sales teams to focus on strategic activities.

With the right software, businesses can effectively manage their sales pipeline, gain valuable insights into customer behavior, and ultimately drive more sales.

  • Key features of sales tools

Sales tools come packed with a multitude of features that provide a plethora of advantages.

These include contact and lead management, sales forecasting, reporting and analytics, and email tracking, among others.

  • Benefits of sales tools

These features not only help sales teams to stay organized but also provide them with actionable insights to make informed decisions.

Moreover, the automation capabilities of these tools reduce manual labor, thereby increasing efficiency and productivity.

Lighten your business strain with sales tools

More often than not, businesses will bump into complications regarding administration, training and lead management.

However, the right sales tools can significantly alleviate these strains, helping you enhance your productivity and improve customer engagement.

  • Reduce administrative complications

Administrative tasks can be time-consuming and often distract sales teams from their primary goal - selling.

Sales tools, particularly CRM systems, can automate many of these tasks.

From managing contacts and tracking customer interactions to scheduling follow-ups, these tools can drastically reduce the administrative burden, allowing sales and marketing teams to focus more on closing deals and less on paperwork.

  • Get good training and demos

Most sales tools will offer demos, tutorials or one-on-one onboarding.

For example, you could follow YouTube accounts that help you out with that.

This will ensure that your team knows how to effectively use the tool you’ve decided to invest in and will allow that you make the most of it.

  • Increase customer engagement

The main reason to rely on a sales tools is to increase your customer engagement.

Sales tools can help you:

→ Reach more leads

→ Learn how to send emails that will get replies

→ Keep track of your KPIs and relevant metrics

→ Find the right leads

→ Personalize your messages to ensure you get the best reply rates

  • Manage your leads effectively

Lead management is another area where sales tools can make a significant difference.

Sales prospecting tools can help identify and qualify potential customers, while CRM systems can track and manage these leads throughout the sales cycle.

Such tools ensure a steady stream of leads and provide a clear view of the sales pipeline, enabling better decision-making and forecasting.

Find the ideal sales tool strategy for your business

Creating a successful sales tool strategy involves understanding your business needs, aligning the right sales tools to meet these needs, and striking the right balance between quantity and quality of tools.

Here's how to go about it:

  • Assess your business needs and align sales tools

Every business is unique, and so are its needs.

Therefore, it's crucial to assess your business requirements before selecting any sales tools.

Understand your sales process, identify areas that need improvement, and align sales tools that can address these specific areas.

For instance, if your business struggles with customer retention, a CRM system with robust customer engagement features may be beneficial.

  • Pick your ideal sales tool

While it's tempting to adopt every new tool on the market, it's essential to prioritize quality over quantity. Too many softwares can overwhelm your sales team and complicate processes.

Consider factors such as:

→ ease of use

→ pricing

→ integration capabilities

→ cost-effectiveness

When assessing business needs, it's also vital to consider the scalability of the tools you're considering. Will they be able to adapt as your business grows?

For example, some CRM platforms are designed to scale with your business, allowing you to add features or modules based on evolving needs. These platforms often provide the flexibility to create custom solutions tailored to your specific requirements.

Another aspect to consider is how the tool can help you create a more streamlined process for engaging with prospects.

A platform that offers automation features can save time and effort in reaching out to prospects, allowing your sales team to focus more on closing deals.

  • Keep track of the sales tool’s impact and adjust if necessary

It's important for businesses to continually reassess the effectiveness of their sales tools.

This involves not just looking at the immediate benefits but also considering the long-term impact on sales intelligence and decision-making.

By doing so, you ensure you are leveraging the best tools to drive your sales success.

However, if the tool is not working for your team or is not meeting expectations, it’s wise to find another one that will better fit all of your needs.

What factors should you consider when picking a sales tool?

Choosing the right sales tools can be a daunting task, given the plethora of options available.

However, with careful consideration and strategic planning, sales professionals can select tools that align with their business needs and enhance their sales processes.

Some of the factors you should consider are: 

  • Team input

The most effective sales tools are those that meet the needs of the entire sales team. Therefore, it's crucial to involve the team in the selection process.

By understanding their challenges and requirements, sales professionals can choose tools that will truly enhance their prospecting efforts.

  • Vendor Rreliability and security in sales software

When choosing a sales tool, it's important to ensure that the vendor is reliable and that the software is secure.

This means checking the vendor's track record, customer reviews, and security measures. Sales professionals should also consider the vendor's customer support and the software's scalability to ensure it can grow with the business.

You should also make sure that the tool you are going to pick is complient with all the current laws, such as GDPR.

  • Defined needs and priorities

Sales tools should align with the business's specific needs and priorities. Therefore, before selecting a tool, sales professionals should clearly define their goals, such as improving lead generation, streamlining sales processes, or enhancing customer engagement. This will help them select tools that directly support these objectives.

By carefully considering these factors, sales professionals can select the right sales tools that will truly enhance their sales processes.

However, it's important to remember that the effectiveness of these tools also depends on their proper implementation and usage. Therefore, after selecting a tool, businesses should invest in training their teams and regularly reassessing the tool's effectiveness to ensure it continues to meet their needs.

To make your decision that much easier, we’ve listed 30 of out favorite sales tools out there.

What are the best sales tools for customer success and management?

In the quest for business success, several sales tools have emerged as game-changers to help with customer management.

These tools are designed to streamline processes, enhance customer engagement, and ultimately drive sales.

Let's explore some of the best sales tools in the market:

  • CRM Systems
Salesforce, Hubspot, Pipedrive

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are the backbone of any sales & marketing team.

They offer a comprehensive platform for managing customer interactions, tracking sales activities, and analyzing customer data.

Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive stand out as top-tier CRM systems, each offering a unique blend of features tailored to various business needs (revenue tracking, call monitoring, etc).

Whether you're looking for advanced analytics, seamless integrations, or user-friendly interfaces, these CRM systems can help you.

  • Sales Intel Platforms
Clearbit, ZoomInfo

Sales intelligence platforms like Clearbit and ZoomInfo offer invaluable insights into potential leads.

These tools provide detailed information about prospects, including their business size, industry, and key decision-makers.

With such insights, sales teams can craft personalized pitches, improving their chances of closing deals and, therefore, revenue.

  • Communication tools and Outreach Platform
lemlist, DocuSign

lemlist offers outreach automation and sequencing (emails, LinkedIn, calls, and more), allowing sales reps to send personalized communication at scale to increase revenue.

Cold calling remains one of the best acquisition channels offering a high return on investment. With the help of a marketing team and prospect analysis, the power of a well-designed e-mail can be significant.

On the other hand, DocuSign streamlines the contract signing process, making it faster and more efficient.

If you want to learn more about how sales tools will improve your email strategies, read more about email marketing and cold emailing!

Tools for data analysis, automation, and real-time responses

While the core function of sales tools is to streamline the sales process, their capabilities extend far beyond this.

Modern sales tools help with data analysis, automation, and real-time responses. Let's delve into these advanced features:

  • Data analysis tools in sales
Tableau, Clari

In today's data-driven world, the ability to analyze and interpret data is crucial for sales success.

Tools like Tableau and Clari allow sales teams to visualize and analyze sales data, enabling them to make informed decisions. Tableau offers powerful data visualization features, while Clari provides predictive analytics to help forecast sales outcomes.

These tools can transform raw data into actionable insights, driving strategic decision-making and improving sales performance.

  • Automating sales processes with tools
Segment, Zapier, Workato

Automation tools can significantly reduce the time and effort spent on repetitive tasks, allowing sales teams to focus on more strategic activities.

Segment offers automated data integration, enabling seamless data flow between different systems.

Zapier and Workato, on the other hand, allow for process automation, from lead nurturing to follow-ups, enhancing efficiency and productivity in the sales process.

  • Sales Tools for Real-Time Training and Sales Enablement
Gong, Showpad

Real-time training and sales enablement are critical for enhancing the skills and effectiveness of sales teams.

Tools like Gong provide conversation analytics, offering insights into sales calls and meetings. The ones like Showpad are sales enablement platforms that provide training materials, content management, and guidance for sales reps, helping them engage with customers more effectively.

These tools offer the ability to analyze data, automate processes, and provide real-time training, all of which can significantly enhance sales performance. However, it's important to remember that the value of these tools lies in their proper implementation and usage. Therefore, businesses should ensure they have the necessary resources and expertise to fully utilize these tools for optimal results.

Limitations and challenges of sales tools

While sales tools can provide immense benefits and streamline the sales process, it's important to recognize that they also come with their own set of limitations and challenges.

Here are some key points to consider:

  • Onboarding can take some time

Implementing new sales tools can sometimes be a complex process, requiring time and effort.

Sales reps may face challenges in learning to use the tool effectively, which can lead to resistance or slow adoption rates.

It's crucial to provide adequate training and support to ensure a smooth transition and to maximize the benefits of the tool.

  • Results won’t always be perfect, don’t forget to check them!

While sales tools can automate and simplify many tasks, they are not a substitute for the human touch in sales.

The best results are often achieved by balancing the use of sales tools with internal solutions, such as training, team collaboration, and personal customer engagement. This ensures that the tools are used to enhance the sales process, not replace it.

Addressing these challenges can help businesses get the most out of their sales tools.

It's important to remember that the effectiveness of these tools is not just about the technology itself, but also about how it's implemented and used.

Key Takeaways

By using a sales tools efficiently and effectively you can ensure to stay ahead of the curve from your competitors and achieve unprecedented results.

Sales tools can play a transformative role in boosting sales performance and driving business success.

By strategically selecting, implementing, and reassessing these tools, businesses can ensure they are getting the most out of their investment, thereby securing a competitive edge in the market.

If you want to try sales tools for yourself and see what we’re talking about, start you 14-day free trial with lemlist today!

Nicolas Gromer
Growth Marketer @lemlist | Providing you the insights to master cold emails and accelerate your business growth!
Get weekly outreach tips
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Thanks! You've successfully subscribed to lemlist newsletter
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
G2 Rating
Price
Best for
Standout feature
Con
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/mo
$75/mo
$2,999/mo
Large, distributed sales teams
AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs
Lack of tracking system
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Sales operations and finance teams
Powerful configurability
Limited training resources and complex to navigate
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Mid-market and enterprise businesses
Comprehensive incentive management
Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$15/user/mo
$40/user/mo
Enterprise: custom price
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Collaborative teams
Connected planning
Complexity and steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts
Simplicity and ease of use
Lack of features like redirection
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$30/user/mo
$35/user/mo
Custom: upon request
Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software
Ease of use and adoption
Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
4.8
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights
A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility
Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/user/mo
$50/user/mo
Smaller sales teams
Powerful automation
Lesser user base and average user interface
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with scalable needs
Automated Commission Calculations
Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app
ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
PRM Tool
Rating
Feature
Pro
Con
Mobile App
Integrations
Free Plan
Pricing
4.65
star
star
star
star
star-half
Org-wide alignment
User-friendly layout and database
Suboptimal as a personal CRM
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-check
Team: $20/month
Business: $45/month
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
4.75
star
star
star
star
star-half
Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
square-check
Limited
square-check
Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
square-xmark
Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
3.1
star
star
star
Simple iOS app
Ideal for non-tech-savvy users
iPhone only
square-check
iOS only
Limited
square-xmark
1-month trial
$1.49/month or
$14.99/month
3.6
star
star
star
star-half
Smart Contact Management
Feature-rich and flexible
Reported bugs
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
7-day trial
Premium: $13.99/month
Teams: $17.99/month
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Integrated Calling
Integrated Calling
Too sales-oriented & pricey
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
Startup: $59/user/month
Professional: $329/user/month
4.8
star
star
star
star
star
Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
square-check
Limited
square-check
$9.99/month
4.45
star
star
star
star
star-half
160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
$29.90/month or
$24.90/month (billed annually)
Capterra Rating
Free Trial
Free Plan
Starting Price (excluding the free plan)
Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)
Best for
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-check
€15/month/seat billed annually
€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat
Versatility and free plan
4.2
star
star
star
star
square-check
30-day
square-xmark
But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
€25/user/month
€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)
Best overall operational CRM
4.3
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-xmark
square-check
Limited to 3 users
Comprehensive incentive management
€52/user/month billed annually
Small-medium businesses and automation
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-xmark
€14/seat/month billed annually
€99/seat/month billed annually
Sales teams and ease of use
4.1
star
star
star
star
square-xmark
square-check
Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
$64.99/user/month billed annually
Free plan for very small teams up to 10
CRM goal
Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown
1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).
2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.
3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.
4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.
5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions
Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.
Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.
Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.
Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.
Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes
Increased sales and revenue
Improved marketing automation ROI
Marketing and sales alignment
Data-driven marketing optimization
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

What you should look at next

Sales Strategy

How to Start with Affiliate Marketing and Make Money (The Beginner’s Guide)

Your step-by-step guide on starting an affiliate marketing business that actually makes money in 2024.
September 6, 2024
Sales Strategy

15 Types of Affiliate Marketing Content to Create in 2024 (with examples)

Here are 15 affiliate marketing content ideas to make your followers click on your promo links and make a purchase.
September 4, 2024
Sales Strategy

Is Affiliate Marketing a Pyramid Scheme? And Other Affiliate Myths Debunked

People lose over $11 billion to pyramid schemes in a year, so no wonder people fear affiliate marketing is one of them. Here's everything you need to know about the most common myths in the affiliate industry.
August 29, 2024
Sales Strategy

6 Major Benefits of Affiliate Marketing in 2024

These are the 6 major benefits of choosing affiliate marketing as your go-to business model.
August 28, 2024
Sales Strategy

How Affiliate Marketing Works?

Learn all about the mechanism of affiliate marketing, how it works, and how you earn money.
August 28, 2024

What you should look at next

Recibe tips de outreach semanales en tu bandeja de entrada, enviado a más de 210,000 ¡vendedores, comercializadores, fundadores y emprendedores de todo el mundo!

Subscribe to the lemlist newsletter
You've successfully subscribed to the lemlist newsletter!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.