You might wonder why sales tools for B2B are such a big deal nowadays. Can’t we go back to the good old days of picking up the phone and closing a deal?
Well, times have changed, and so have expectations. B2B sales teams expect a seamless and personalized experience, and let’s be real – trying to manage the various sales processes manually is inefficient. That’s where B2B sales tools come in to save the day!
B2B sales tools are essential for optimizing and streamlining the sales process. They help organize customer information, forecast future sales, and give you that extra edge to close more deals. In short, investing in B2B sales tools is a smart decision for any company looking to improve its sales process and meet the demands of modern buyers.
What exactly are B2B sales tools?
In all seriousness, sales tools for B2B sales are essential for any sales professional looking to take their career to the next level. They can help you keep track of leads, organize your communication, and even give you a little extra help with your sales pitch.
Imagine trying to sell a car without a CRM to keep track of all your leads and their preferences like color options checked on your website etc – it would be chaos! Or trying to close a deal without sales presentation software to make your pitch more engaging – yikes! Sales tools for B2B sales teams are like a trusty sidekick, always there to lend a helping hand when you need it most.
Example of a B2B sales tool
SmartReach.io is a B2B sales tool that helps businesses to sell to other businesses. ProspectDaddy is an email finder tool to help create and build lists of prospects based on industry, designation, sector, country, city etc that works with LinkedIn and sales navigator. The details it provides are first names, Linkedin profile links, current company name & designation, business email etc. Businesses can then use SmartReach.io to create automated cold outreach campaign sequences to be sent via email, Linkedin, WhatsApp, Calls & SMS. Businesses can then check all prospect replies in a common shared inbox, this is where the entire sales teams can access, respond, and collaborate with prospects. Its Linkedin automation feature lets your team semi-automate multiple tasks on Linkedin like view profile, send connect request, send message & send Inmail. Its USP is email deliverability.
Why are Sales Tools Integral to Your Sales Strategy?
Sales tools for B2B can be integral to a salesperson’s success for several reasons. Below are three reasons:
- Efficiency: B2B sales tools can help streamline and automate specific tasks, such as sending emails, scheduling appointments, and updating customer records. This frees up more time for salespeople to focus on high-value activities, such as developing relationships with potential customers and closing deals.
- Organisation: B2B sales tools can help salespeople keep track of leads, customer information, and sales data. This can help them stay organized and better manage their time and resources.
- Improved communication: B2B sales tools can help salespeople communicate more effectively with potential customers. For example, a CRM system can help salespeople send personalized emails and track the results, while sales presentation software can help them create and deliver more engaging presentations.
- Enhanced sales skills: Some B2B sales tools, such as sales training and coaching software, can help salespeople improve their skills and techniques. This can help them be more successful in their sales efforts.
Choose the right B2B sales tools to up your sales games!
B2B sales tools can help salespeople identify the most promising prospects, tailor their messaging to each prospect’s needs, save time on administrative tasks, and improve their chances of closing deals. Many employees also expect access to modern B2B sales tools, and companies that don’t provide them may risk losing top sales talent.
The following are the eleven best category-based sales tools for B2B sales teams.
- CRM software
- Marketing automation
- ABM software
- Sales Intelligence
- Sales acceleration software
- Sales analytics software
- Sales gamification
- Video conferencing software
- E-signature and document tracking
- Customer service software
- Call Tracking Software
1. CRMs
A CRM helps organizations manage their client interactions. It can assist with keeping track of current clients, fostering client connections, boosting client retention, and automating communication.
The top three characteristics of any CRM program include:
1. Real-time updates: A top-notch CRM system should offer continual information on client interactions, sales figures, and other crucial details.
2. Advanced lead scoring: Many CRM systems provide tools for advanced lead scoring that assist salespeople in organizing their leads and concentrating on the most promising customers.
3. Automation of routine chores: CRM software may assist in automating routine processes like emailing, setting up appointments, and updating client information, giving salespeople more time to concentrate on high-value activities.
The top ten best CRM tools include:
- Monday .com
- Zendesk CRM
- Pipedrive CRM
- Salesforce CRM
- HubSpot CRM
- Oracle NetSuite
- Zoho CRM
- Act! CRM
- Freshsales
- noCRM.io
2. Marketing Automation
Marketing automation software enables your B2B sales team to streamline marketing workflows, optimize strategy, and build super-targeted campaigns that will have customers wanting more.
With the help of marketing automation CRM, SDRs can quickly warm up and generate leads by automating tasks like email marketing and social media posts. This means you can focus on high-value customers and craft tailored buying journeys that will have them singing your praises.
The following are the top 3 features you should look for in a Marketing Automation tool.
- Lead Generation: Marketing automation software helps companies generate leads by automating marketing tasks such as email marketing, social media posts, and lead generation. This builds up a database of contacts and helps companies identify potential customers.
- Personalised Marketing Campaigns: Marketing Automation software allows marketers to create highly targeted, personalised marketing campaigns based on specific attributes of an account. This will enable companies to focus on high-value customers and craft tailored buying journeys.
- Campaign Measurement and Revenue Contribution: Marketing Automation software allows marketers to measure the results of their campaigns against key performance indicators and prove revenue contribution. This helps companies optimise their marketing efforts and track their success.
The top marketing automation software are –
- Hubspot Marketing Hub
- ActiveCampaign for Marketing
- Braze
- Klaviyo
- Sharpspring
- Mailchimp All-in-One Marketing Platform
- Sendinblue
3. Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Tools
ABM (Account-Based Marketing) software helps you measure the results of your campaigns. This way, you can see what’s working (and what’s not) and make adjustments as needed. ABM software can create personalized campaigns based on specific attributes of an account.
These are the top three features one should look for in AMB software –
- Targeted account identification and segmentation: This feature allows marketers to identify and segment-specific accounts based on industry, size, and buying behavior.
- Personalized communication and messaging: This feature enables marketers to create personalized touch and messaging for each targeted account, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.
- Integrated analytics and reporting: This feature provides marketers with real-time insights and analytics on account engagement and conversion, allowing them to track the performance of their account-based marketing campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
The following are the top account-based marketing tools:
- ActiveDemand
- SmartReach.io
- Nudge
- DataFox
- LeanData
- Leadfeeder
- Terminus ABM Platform
4. Sales Intelligence Software
In the world of Sales Intelligence; software, data, and analytics meet up to revolutionize your sales strategy and boost your B2B sales team’s productivity. With this powerful tool at your fingertips, you’ll have access to real-time insights, predictive analytics, and targeted customer information to help you close more deals and grow your business.
Whether you’re a small business owner, sales manager, or sales representative, sales intelligence software is a must-have for anyone looking to up their game.
Here are the top three features you should look for in Sales Intelligence Tool
- Prospect Intelligence: This feature gives you access to precise and recent details on possible clients, such as their contact information, line of work, and professional background. You may use this to understand your prospects’ requirements and preferences better and adapt your sales approach.
- Tech Stack Data: You can use this feature to evaluate a company’s sales software offerings and find potential for niche markets and product launches. By being aware of their tech stack, you can better understand a prospect’s demands and how your product or service fits into their existing workflow.
- Intent Data: This tool gives you the most recent data about a prospect’s buying possibility, enabling you to coordinate your outreach with their requirements. You can improve your chances of closing a transaction by comprehending a prospect’s intent.
Top Sales Intelligence Software:
- Demandbase Sales Intelligence Cloud
- Apollo
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator
- SalesIntel
- D&B Hoovers
- ZoomInfo SalesOS
- Lusha Extension
- HubSpot Sales Hub
- 6sense
- Drift
5. Sales Acceleration Software
In today’s fast-paced business environment, it’s more important than ever for sales teams to quickly and efficiently manage leads, track progress, and make data-driven decisions. Sales acceleration software drives sales efforts to new levels of success.
Sales Acceleration Softwares help sales representatives get better results than traditional prospecting methods.
These are top three features of Sales Accelerator Software –
- Lead management: This feature helps sales teams track and manage leads, including capturing and organising contact information, tracking interactions with leads, and creating and assigning tasks to team members.
- Sales forecasting: This feature helps sales teams predict future sales performance based on historical data and other factors. It can help sales teams set realistic goals and develop strategies for meeting or exceeding them.
- Collaboration and communication: Sales acceleration tools often include features that help sales teams collaborate and communicate more effectively, such as shared calendars, document storage and sharing, and real-time messaging. These features can help sales teams stay organised, stay up-to-date on the status of deals, and quickly resolve any issues that arise.
- Automation – A good sales acceleration software helps sales representatives automate follow-up emails, birthday reminders, track conversations with prospects, and more.
Often used as a broad term referring to various tools and sales techniques, it is not easy to pick one tool that helps sales representatives streamline the sales process and increase productivity.
Below is a list of five sales acceleration software sales representatives can use today.
- SmartReach.io
- SalesLoft
- Outreach
- Spotio
- Mailshake
6. Sales Analytics Software
If you’re a sales professional, you understand the importance of data and insights to make B2B sales strategy-related decisions.
The right sales analytics tool helps B2B sales teams track key metrics and understand the performance of their sales efforts in real-time, so they can make data-driven decisions and optimize their sales processes for maximum efficiency and success.
Whether you’re looking to increase your closing rate, identify new growth opportunities, or streamline your sales operations, sales analytics software is an essential tool to help sales reps achieve their goals.
The top three features of Sales Analytics Software are –
- Systemic Sales Reports: Sales analytics software enables sales professionals and managers to monitor key performance indicators and assess the efficacy of their sales initiatives in real-time, offering a detailed picture of which salespeople, products, and campaigns are working best and which ones require improvement.
- Predictive Analytics: Using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, several sales analytics software applications may anticipate customer lifetime value and other essential metrics based on a modest quantity of user data.
- Integration with CRM systems: Sales analytics software is frequently put in place on top of CRM platforms, giving salespeople access to all their information and insights in one location. Some systems that provide sales analytics software
Top Sales Analytics Software include:
1. Zoho Analytics
2. Salesforce Analytics Cloud
3. Qualtrics Research Core
4. ActiveBatch
5. Sisense
6. SAP BusinessObjects Lumira
7. Tableau
8. Hotjar
9. Heap Analytics
10. Microsoft Power BI
7. Sales Gamification
If you’re a sales professional or a sales manager, you know how important it is to keep your team motivated, engaged, and focused on hitting their targets.
Sales gamification platforms turn the often-mundane task of selling into interactive activities, complete with customizable competitions, goal campaigns, and performance management features.
Whether you’re looking to boost your team’s morale, increase their productivity, or add a little excitement to your sales process, sales gamification is the way to go.
Some of the most common and useful features in Sales Gamification Software include:
- Customizable competitions and goal campaigns: Many sales gamification platforms allow sales teams to create and customise their competitions and goals, setting targets and rewards for meeting specific milestones or objectives.
- Performance management: Sales gamification software often includes features that allow sales managers to track the performance of their team members in real-time, providing insights into areas where they are excelling and areas where they need to improve.
- Leader boards: Many sales gamification platforms include leader boards that rank team members based on their performance, providing a sense of friendly competition and helping to motivate team members to do their best.
Top Sales Gamification Software include:
- SmartWinnr
- Ambition
- SalesScreen
- Spinify
- OneUp Sales
- Xoxoday Compass
- SetSail
- Master-O
- Centrical
- Zoho CRM
8. Video Conferencing Software
Although video conferencing software has been out since the invention of Windows, its value has skyrocketed, as video conferencing is not just about talking and seeing each other. It has become a significant part of cost-cutting operations, where the sales team can hold meetings in real-time without traveling overseas. To further enhance functionality and user experience, businesses often integrate video conference API into their systems, allowing for custom solutions tailored to their specific needs.
And with features like screen sharing, meeting recorders, and whiteboards, one can effectively present and record everything in real time.
Many video conferencing software platforms include various collaboration tools, such as the ability to collaborate on documents in real-time, chat, file sharing, and calendar integration. These tools can help users stay organized and connected, even when they are not physically present in the same location.
Top Video Conferencing Software includes:
- Zoom
- Webex Meetings
- Google Meet
- Microsoft Teams
- Whereby
9. E-signature and Document Tracking
E-signature technology allows you to digitally “sign” electronic documents, such as contracts and proposals, in a secure and legally-binding way. And with document tracking software, you can easily keep track of each stage of the process and know exactly where your documents are in real-time.
But that’s not all – e-signature and document tracking technology can also help streamline administrative tasks and reduce overhead—no more filing cabinets full of paper or trying to track down a misplaced document. With a unified view of each document’s progress, you can stay organised and on top of your game.
There are a few key features to assess when choosing an e-signature and document tracking solution:
- Real-time tracking: Many e-signature and document tracking platforms offer real-time monitoring. This helps salespeople follow up at the right time.
- Notifications: E-signature and document tracking software often provide notifications for important dates that affect a contract, such as the renewal deadline. This helps users stay on top of their contracts and ensures that nothing falls through the cracks.
- Document management tools: Some e-signature and document workflow automation platforms offer tools for creating, managing, and automating the digital management of contracts throughout their lifecycle.
Top E-signature and Document Tracking software include:
- Eversign
- PandaDoc
- Foxit eSign
- Dropbox Sign (formerly HelloSign)
- SignRequest
- Foxit PDF Editor
- sign now by airSlate
- DocuSign
- GetAccept
10. Customer Service Software
Good customer service software provides the finest working experience for after-sales support staff. They have more time to resolve queries and provide top-notch service.
When they pick up the phone or answer a live chat, your after-sales team must have all the data & tools needed to close the query asap
So, what are the top three features of customer support software?
- Multiple channels of communication: Good customer support software should offer various ways for customers to get in touch with the company. This can include email, phone, live chat, and social media.
- Knowledge base: A knowledge base is a compilation of articles and resources that answer common questions and problems. Customers can quickly find answers to their questions without waiting for a response, and companies can save time by not having to repeat the same information to multiple customers constantly.
- Ticket tracking and escalation: Customer support software should allow businesses to track and manage customer inquiries and issues. This includes assigning tickets to specific team members, setting priorities, and escalating urgent matters to the appropriate person or department. This helps ensure addressing customer issues in a timely and efficient manner.
Top Customer Service Software includes:
- Help Scout
- HelpDocs
- Olark
- Aircall
- Zendesk
- Freshdesk
- Text-Em-All
- Helpshift
- HubSpot Service Hub
- Salesforce Service Cloud
11. Call Tracking Software
Call Tracking Software allows businesses to track and analyze incoming and outgoing calls, giving them valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences.
But with so many call-tracking software options on the market, it can take a while to decide which is best for your business. So, look out for these three features.
- Detailed call analytics: A good call tracking software should provide detailed analytics about incoming and outgoing calls. This can include the caller’s location, phone number, and call duration. This data can be used to understand customer behavior and preferences better and optimize marketing and sales efforts.
- Call recording and transcription: Some call tracking software allows businesses to record and transcribe calls for later review and analysis. This can be especially useful for training or identifying areas for improvement in customer service.
- Call routing and forwarding: Call tracking software can also be used to route calls to the appropriate person or department based on the caller’s needs. This can help ensure that calls are handled efficiently and effectively, leading to better customer satisfaction.
Top Call Tracking Software includes
- Revenue.io
- SalesKen
- 800.com
- CallRail Call Tracking
- Invoca
- CallTrackingMetrics
- WhatConverts
- Ringba
- Phonexa
- Shape Software
The sales team can get free of routine activities while using these technologies, allowing salespeople to focus on vital tasks that require their attention. The entire sales process is simplified.
While sales automation solutions can be beneficial, human participation is required to monitor how the sales process is progressing. Furthermore, without a personal touch, clients frequently lose interest. To succeed, you must have solid sales automation tools and a professional sales force that understands how to leverage technology effectively.
