The field of sales automation has very quickly become a revolution in managing sales and motivating the salesforce. These tools use technology to handle time-consuming tasks, allowing sales teams to focus on what matters most: roles and responsibilities performed by the salespeople, management of salespeople- customer relations, and closing of the sales.
However, in the current world where competition has been ratcheted to the next level, optimal utilization of the sales automation tools is possible. It means they allow one to work faster and raise the efficiency of sales organizations and therefore raise revenues while improving the relations with clients; this makes them a must have tool for any sales force of the contemporary century.
Whether the company is big or small it is crucial to entail the right sales automation tools to push up the company’s level. However, given the great number of tools, it is necessary to select suitable tools that will be effective for the team and its objectives. This article will discuss what sales automation is, why your team should adopt it, and what to know to find the right tools. Also, we’ve reviewed and ranked 10 best sales automation software to help you make a wise decision.
What Are Sales Automation Tools?
Sales automation software solutions help automate generic sales operational workflows such as data entry, lead management, customer follow-up, and reporting. These tools support the bureaucratic functions of a sales team by executing repetitive activities and allowing high-level activity. A majority of the sales automation software is CROM compatible, which makes it an all-in-one package when it comes to the interaction between a business and its customers.
Why You Need Sales Automation Software
Every organization that is seeking to enhance efficiency in sales has to invest in sales automation given the following benefits. They assist in reducing the probability of human errors, standardizing customer treatments, and improving lead activities. These solutions enable the sales departments to work on the ed leads instead of the rne work such as lead scoring, and email email writing reporting.
Key Features of Sales Automation Tools
- Lead Management: Saves time, by automatically collecting, scoring, and distributing leads.
- Task Automation: Manages follow-up, reminders, and any other causes that have a repetitive nature of work.
- Analytics and Reporting: Helps to assess the sales results and identify customers’ behaviors.
- CRM Integration: Integrates customers hence providing consolidated customer information.
- Communication Automation: Oversees management of several essentials such as email lists and campaigns, social media, etc.
Comparison Table
Tool Name | Free Plan | Starting Price | Social Media Covered |
Good Meetings | No | Contact for Pricing | None |
Zendesk Sell | No | $19 per agent, billed annually | None |
Keap | No | $1,500 per year | None |
Zapier | Yes | ₹1,719.82/month, billed annually | Multiple integrations |
Seismic | No | Custom Pricing, demo required | None |
HubSpot Sales Hub | Yes | $800/month | None |
LinkedIn Sales Navigator | No | Contact for Pricing | |
Salesmate | No | $23 per user/month | None |
Salesforce Sales Cloud | No | $165/user/month | None |
Outreach | No | Contact for Pricing | None |
Clari | No | Contact for Pricing | None |
Gong | No | Contact for Pricing | None |
12 Best Sales Automation Tools
1. Good meetings
Good meetings are an artificial intelligence well intended to improve the quality of sales meetings and of follow-up work by offering automatic interpretations of the results of important meetings. It captures and analyzes the meeting information in a real time and consists of elements such as notes, roles determination and leads qualification. Good meetings also display coaching prompts and performance feedback to help coordinate persuading strategies and sales decisions. With calendars, sales management systems, and the ability to arrange email integrating and efficient work is ensured.
Key Features:
- Real-time meeting transcription.
- Portfolio of future actions to be taken of follow-up automatically after a meeting/teleconference.
- Highlights of using AI-based lead scoring and coaching prompts.
Pros | Cons |
Saves time introducing automatic labor. | Slope-brighter for the new buyers. |
Enhances meeting efficiency. | Small adjustability options for summaries. |
This is why many of these tools can be integrated with other tools seamlessly to achieve the best results. | Premium plan pricing. |
Ideal For:
Field sales team that expects to get an extensive summary of their meetings as well as automated scheduling.
Pricing:
- Contact For Pricing
Website: https://goodmeetings.ai/
2. Zendesk Sell
Zendesk Sell is a sales accelerator and comes with automation and analytics to help guide teams to engage with prospects and track their behavior. It provides a pipeline perspective, can be altered on the workflow, and is appropriate for integration into a CRM system. They can work sales leads, specify e-mail auto-responder sequences as well, and generate reports and that is why it is suitable for companies that have basic and specific objectives geared towards improving their relations with their clients and therefore boosting their conversion rates.
Key Features:
- Task automation and leads.
- Email sequence customization.
- Pipeline analytics with details.
Pros | Cons |
User-friendly interface. | Some customization is available on higher tiers only. |
Can be easily integrated into existing systems. | It may become too expensive for smaller teams. |
Wide range of reporting possibilities available to the user. | It has those extra functions applicable only in case you are using a paid service. |
Ideal For:
Salespeople who require an easy-to-use CRM with a layer of automation.
Pricing:
- Support Team: US$ 19 per agent billed annually
- Support Professional: US$ 55 per agent billed annually
- Support Enterprise: US$ 19 per agent billed annually
Website: https://www.zendesk.com
3. Keap
Keap is one of the new all-in-one automation software for ecommerce. This intensifies the automation of the process of generation of leads, appointments, and follow-ups. This tool contains e-commerce features including customized checkout fields, integrated with CRM so the customer is not lost once he or she becomes a lead but is automatically converted into a customer. Keap is going to be most useful for companies that are looking for an easy-to-use and simple CRM and sales automation tool.
Key Features:
- Appointments for the booking of service and other follow-ups.
- E-commerce and checkout as a service.
- The next level of contact segmentation.
Pros | Cons |
Intuitive automation setup. | This can be sometimes cumbersome particularly when in large teams. |
Comprehensive CRM features. | Higher-tier plans are costly. |
Perfect for any Small Business Requirement. | Limited integration options. |
Ideal For:
Sales representatives in small businesses interested in an integrated web-based CRM tool with sales features.
Pricing:
- Ignite: $1,500
- Grow: $2,500
- Scale: $3,500
Website: https://keap.com
4. Zapier
Zapier is a powerful tool that connects more than 6,000 apps and allows users to automate specific boring tasks across apps. In terms of functions, it is popular in sales to use the program to share information about leads and their transformations, and to schedule messages to customers. Due to Zapier’s compatibility with so many applications and services, as well as its flexibility, it may be especially useful for businesses that aren’t trying to create custom-coded integrations.
Key Features:
- This app connects with apps of more than 6,000 apps integrated.
- Ability to apply and build filters and logic in those workflows based on their needs.
- Use of AI-fueled tools that can automate processes at various levels.
Pros | Cons |
Easy to set up and use. | Restrictive features on the free version. |
Broad app integration. | Pricing can scale with usage. |
Easy to is an application that can be used by anyone without a background in technology. | This means that complex work may be needed, which will need to be supported. |
Ideal For:
Any team that requires connections over multiple apps, without the necessity to build custom code.
Pricing:
- Free: ₹0
- Professional: ₹1719.82/mo billed annually
- Team: ₹5,936.35/mo billed annually
- Enterprise: Contact For Pricing
Website: https://zapier.com/
5. Seismic
Seismic is a sales enablement technology that was developed to assist with content management, coaching, and measurement. It provides customers with relevant content and notification as well as analysis to enhance customer intimacy. Such integration with CRM and collaboration tools enables teams with all the needed content and knowledge to achieve sales success. Seismic is well suited for organizations that want to enhance content and make sales results better with data.
Key Features:
- As for the fulfillment of the creation and management of content as well as other deliverables, it will be this week.
- Particular note and advice about the situation.
- Analytics on performance.
Pros | Cons |
Bigger picture content analysis. | Higher price point. |
There is the capability in supporting large-scale documentation. | Some of the complex abilities are available with training only. |
CRM integration with other large software. | Unfortunately, a lot of flexibility is not provided for the smaller plans. |
Ideal For:
Companies needing content-focused sales enablement.
Pricing:
- Custom pricing, and demo required.
Website: https://seismic.com/
6. HubSpot Sales Hub
The HubSpot Sales Hub allows the organization to select from some of the tools such as lead management tools, as well as e-mail automation tools, all of which are supported by advanced reporting tools. Its tasks, lead routing and email Follow-Up sequences assist the sales staff in managing their prospecting adequately. It can be easily integrated with other HubSpot products and, therefore, will be a great fit for businesses using HubSpot tools to handle both sales and marketing.
Key Features:
- Personalized email sequences.
- Automating workload and leads distribution.
- Sales performance analytics.
Pros | Cons |
Compatibility with the HubSpot environment. | Can be quite costly, especially at the higher level of the administration. |
Scalable and customizable. | Few customizations are available in the free version. |
Numerous features are available in the generating of rich data and Reports. | Certain features are for additional sign-up. |
Ideal For:
Teams require an effective and flexible CRM solution with an adequate level of automation.
Pricing:
- Professional: US$800/mo
- Enterprise: US$3,600/mo
Website: https://www.hubspot.com/products/sales
7. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator also provides information about prospected companies as well as Sales Navigator leads, search, and connection suggestions. It helps the users to find out the possible leads, know more about their buying signals, and communicate directly with the prospects via LinkedIn. Using real-time alerts, you can ensure proper outreach and dealing with customers through the Customer Relationship Management platform.
Key Features:
- Moratorium tracking, advanced lead, and account filters.
- CRM integrations and updates.
- Real-time prospect alerts.
Pros | Cons |
The organization has good prospecting ability. | Expensive for smaller teams. |
Excellent network insights. | Reports can only be customized to some extent. |
Effective for social selling. | Best suited for B2B sales. |
Ideal For:
Salespeople being more specialized in B2B and social selling.
Pricing:
- Contact For Pricing
Website: https://business.linkedin.com
8. Salesmate
In its simplest form, it is the go-to solution of most sales teams as a lead generation and nurturing tool, pipeline management, and tasks related to outreach. Therefore, it has call enabling, the employment of chatbots and can even create unique processes for staff members’ increased efficiency, and managing time with consuming processes. Combined with the fact that Salesmate is significantly cheaper than many of its counterparts, this level of mobility ensures that this platform will be perfect for small and mid-sized businesses that need a CRM solution which can handle an extensive range of tasks, including automation.
Key Features:
- Features include lead capture mechanisms.
- Advanced pipeline management.
- Extensive integrations.
Pros | Cons |
User-friendly interface. | A key issue, which can be observed is the notably restricted range of reporting customization. |
Affordable pricing. | Few native app integrations. |
Full coverage of the sales force automation. | Some features require setup. |
Ideal For:
SMBs have a low budget and require automation for their CRM.
Pricing:
- Basic: $23 per user/ month
- Pro: $39 per user/ month
- Business: $63 per user/ month
- Enterprise: Custom Pricing
Website: https://www.salesmate.io/
9. Salesforce Sales Cloud
Salesforce Sales Cloud is a powerful application that enables the organization to handle customer relationship data and sales processes. It provides Artificial Intelligence recommendations, lead rating and progression, and complete help in building and managing relationships for sales teams. Salesforce is perfect for businesses of any size due to its ability to grow with the business and having plenty of integration capabilities.
Key Features:
- Artificial intelligence leads scoring and analytical information.
- Full data capture across all areas of CRM and centralized synchronization of that data.
- Much related to app and platform compatibility.
Pros | Cons |
Stable and adjustable work environment. | Complex for new users. |
Made to be compatible with large-scale companies. | High cost for the full suite. |
Excellent data management. | To make the best of it requires training for more advanced usage. |
Ideal For:
Organizations requiring a flexible CRM system.
Pricing:
- Enterprise: $165/User/Month
- Unlimited: $330/User/Month
- Einstein 1 Sales: $500/User/Month
Website: https://www.salesforce.com/sales/cloud/
10. Outreach
Outreach is an excellent tool to manage sales engagements and contribute to enhanced work rates among modern sales teams. It helps sales reps in leading nurturing with automated workflows and fully adjustable sequences. Sales departments can focus on leads and prospects due to Outreach’s AI-based information, which optimizes time and makes it easier to locate worthwhile chores.
Key Features:
- How ‘leads’ can be automatically nurtured with a specific sequence of marketing messages.
- AI analyzing tools will help in suggestions on which is the next important opportunity that needs to be targeted.
- Stakeholder interaction in coordination and scheduling, meeting minutes, and thorough performance reviews for improvement.
Pros | Cons |
Extensive automation of the lead nurturing process. | It may not be cheap; especially for small businesses that are just starting. |
The real-time information assists in recognizing the potential customers that are worthy of attention. | Should be trained to get the most out of this solution. |
Integrations in CRM platforms that haven’t been glitchy or unstable. | Some of the features can be customized only marginally due to some restrictions put in place. |
Ideal for:
Employed by sizable and middle regular sales groups interested in increasing coverage and increasing lead activity.
Pricing:
- Pricing is available on request.
Website: https://www.outreach.io/
11. Clari
Clari is an AI solution for revenue organizations generated for salespeople and businessmen to make the right decision quickly. To do so, it pulls together different information feeds to give a complete picture of the sales pipeline and to assist in forecasting accurately, managing opportunities, and enhancing sales effectiveness.
Key Features:
- Utilizes Artificial Intelligence to offer estimations of revenues with information on prospects and threats in the pipeline.
- Provides a coherent perspective on deal activities to assist sales organizations in engaging and closing deals more efficiently.
- Can be used by managers as a tool to help steer their teams in the right direction while possibly helping team members understand where each other is coming from in solving strategic problems.
Pros | Cons |
Aids in the ability to make accurate revenue estimates. | The drawback of the learning curve is due to the detailed details it provides. |
Just works as a centralized repository of the deals that can be easily accessed. | Low interaction compatibility with some other comparatively rare CRMs. |
Enables the sales leaders to monitor the performance of their teams and specifically the kinds of coaching to offer. | Can be expensive for small companies to implement. |
Ideal For:
B2B sales executives and revenue organizations and companies in general.
Pricing:
- Contact For Pricing
Website: https://www.clari.com/
12. Gong
There is Gong, an AI platform in the space of revenue intelligence that records and analyzes the calls of the sales department, as well as identifies communication patterns and customer needs. It also benefits the sales side to arrive at the most suitable sales stratagems and sell more efficiently by increasing the interaction quality.
Key Features:
- Provides services regarding AI-assisted transcription and analysis of sales calls aiming to provide information regarding successful strategies.
- Records deal status, and offers an open view of the sales funnel.
- Offers call recording and note taking, by which managers can train their employees while using actual interaction.
Pros | Cons |
Helps to increase the awareness of the organization about the customers and their conduct. | Expensive especially for organizations that are small or those that are starting up. |
Enhances conversation training with flashes of conversation. | Can occupy a large amount of storage space because of the large number of calls on record. |
Raises conversion ratios by assembling guidelines for effective sales tactics. | While some users consider its insights too hard to understand if one did not undergo formal training. |
Ideal For:
Sales representatives that require precise analytics of their interactions with clients, and managers.
Pricing:
Gong provides tailored pricing based on team size and requirements. A demo is available to get a sense of its capabilities.
Website: https://www.gong.io/
How Sales Automation Tools Help Us
The applications are strong tools for enhancing the sales force’s productivity, efficiency, and performance in the current complex environment. These tools help to save much time, minimize the use of paper, and maximize the involvement of sales reps in critical processes, interactions, and negotiations. Sales automation tools come equipped with complex features.
Both of these features enable sales teams to make better decisions, analyze leads, as well as prioritize potential clients better, and optimize resource allocation. With these tools, the sales reps can know who is willing to interact or ready to generate responses, which method is most effective, and where to put efforts.
From this data perspective, there are faster closings, better client relations, and increased revenue opportunities. In addition, administrative work could be thus delegated to the software and robots, which would allow for productivity rates at scale, and better cooperation with other departments, such as marketing and customer support.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Sales Automation Tool
- Identify Your Sales Process Needs: The first step would be to map out the sales process to know the activities that consume a lot of time. Search for sources to apply in the given particular fields so that you can have some assistance with these cases.
- Integration Capabilities: Make sure it is compatible with your customer relationship management system, e-service provider, and any other utilities you may use. This integration will enable easy flow of work and data and will help to guard against data compartmentalization.
- Ease of Use and Learning Curve: Select a tool that the selected team would be capable of using: In simple terms, there should be a correlation between the technical sophistication of the selected team and the tool that is being selected. Another feature can be valuable for sales teams, and that is the possibility to use an application without complexity.
- Customization and Scalability: When you are growing your business, therefore, the sales processes that you put in place may change as well. Identify a tool that can be fit so that it is small enough to accommodate as and can also grow big enough to accommodate your business growth.
- Pricing and Budget Considerations: Some tools are paid but you will save more time, therefore, the money will be well spent in terms of sales performance. Depending on the number of features that it is equipped with, many of the tools come with different prices depending on the extent of the features offered.
Tips for Effective Sales Automation Tool Usage
- Set Clear Objectives: State your objectives and goals when implementing selling automation; it could be a faster response to leads or higher chances of completing deals.
- Regularly Update Data: This means that you should clean, and update regularly the data within your CRM to the right insights.
- Train Your Team: Ensure to give your employees enough practice to assist them harness the features that come with automating some functions.
- Monitor and Adjust Workflows: Regular time intervals should check and optimize the work process to meet the current objectives of sales activity.
Conclusion
The use of technological tools in the field of sales is a great boon for today’s worldwide sales force to improve productivity, quality, and time. These tools include lead management to follow-up which offers a sales framework that can boost revenue. Choosing the perfect sales automation software depends on factors such as your business requirements, your budget, and the size of your team. The tools described in this guide will help you make the right choice and achieve maximum results in sales management.
FAQs
1. What is found under the meaning of the term sales automation tools?
They are applications adapted to customize and manage the routine activities in the sales process, which allow the organizations to dedicate their efforts to the communication and closing of deals.
2. In what way do several publicized sales automation tools enhance productivity?
A non-exhaustive list of what can be automated includes lead scoring, follow-up, and data entry, which means that salespeople can focus more on value-added work.
3. Whose businesses are served greatly by sales automation software?
Businesses being involved get to benefit especially those with high lead volumes or those with complicated sales cycles.
4. Are the notions used in managing sales automation costly?
Pricing differs from one tool to another, though most of them have a price range for a business, mostly with a small fee for the basic package.
5. Are there possibilities for push sales automation tools to interact with other tools?
Yes, most of these tools are compatible with CRM, email, and all other business-relevant tools.