If you're part of a sales team, I bet you know the feeling of trying to juggle 8 things at once. From tracking leads and nurturing relationships to managing content and crunching numbers. That’s why sales enablement tools were created.
Picturing these tools as your trusty ringmasters is spot on. They guide your high-wire act of lead generation while taming the wild beasts of data analytics. They basically make it insanely easier for sales pros to do their job.
Organizations using sales enablement have a 49% win rate for their forecasted deals compared to a win rate of 42% for those organizations with no sales enablement plan. It's an easy win to score more and better sales by thinking strategically about the best tools for sales enablement.
And that's not all.
Organizations with sales enablement plans in place also reduce turnover rates in the company by 59% which means keeping more of your rockstar sales team in place long-term.
In this article, we'll show you some of the best sales enablement tools and how to choose the right one for your business.
Sales enablement tools are like the magic wand that every sales team needs. They're designed to help streamline the entire sales process, making it easier for reps to manage their leads and close deals.
In essence, a good sales enablement tool acts as your personal dashboard for managing all things related to selling. Think about when you're driving: you wouldn't go anywhere without your GPS guiding you towards your destination. In much the same way, these tools guide you through your sales journey.
But what's really cool is how they simplify tracking and cross-referencing of marketing content with actual sales analytics. You get a clear picture of which tactics work best and where improvements can be made - crucial insights that can significantly boost efficiency in navigating complex market segments.
Choosing the Right Sales Enablement Tool for Your Team
Choosing a suitable sales enablement tool for your team starts with your team. You need something that understands your unique needs, enhances productivity, and complements existing systems.
Integration Capabilities with CRM Systems
The first step to choosing an effective sales enablement tool involves examining integration capabilities with customer relationship management (CRM) software. A good enablement platform should work seamlessly with leading CRMs such as Salesforce or HubSpot, making data more easily accessible and streamlining processes.
An integrated system lets you manage sales from prospecting to close without needing to switch between different platforms. This can save time and reduce the learning curve associated with adopting new tools. In essence, it's like having one universal spellbook instead of carrying around multiple scrolls.
They Have To Be Mobile-Friendly
A mobile-friendly solution is not a nice-to-have but a give-me-I-gotta-have-it. Sales reps often need access to resources while they're on-the-go meeting clients or attending events outside office walls.
A responsive design ensures that content delivery isn't hindered by device limitations. It fits well whether viewed on a smartphone screen or desktop monitor—and allows users to deliver relevant content at any given moment.
Remember that the best sales enablement tool is one that empowers your team to work effectively and integrates smoothly with existing systems. It should be user-friendly, flexible enough for different market segments, and robust in its content management capabilities.
Some of the top sales enablement tools include:
1. Magical
In today’s fast-paced business environment, sales teams need to be equipped with the right tools to streamline their processes and improve efficiency. That's where Magical comes in.
The key feature of Magical is its ability to automate repetitive tasks that can bog down a sales team. With automation, your team can focus more on selling and less on administrative work. For example, you no longer have to manually enter data into your CRM or spend time scheduling follow-up emails – Magical does it for you.
Providing Insightful Analytics
Beyond automating tasks, Magical also provides insightful analytics that help drive decision-making within your sales department. By tracking metrics like customer engagement and conversion rates, these analytical insights allow you to fine-tune your strategies for better results.
Integrations with Other Tools
Another standout feature of Magical is its seamless integration with other commonly used tools in the industry such as Salesforce and Slack. This means all important information is centralized making collaboration easier among remote workers while also improving overall productivity levels within the team.
User Ritik G. says "I recently started using Magically to help streamline my workflow and save time on tedious tasks like copying and pasting. The tool has been a game-changer for me! With Magically, I can set up unique shortcuts for frequently used text and phrases, so I don't have to copy and paste them constantly. Instead, I can type in the shortcut and Magically automatically expand it.
I've found the tool incredibly user-friendly and easy to set up. It's also helped me increase my productivity by eliminating the need to constantly switch between different windows or applications to copy and paste information.
I highly recommend Magically to anyone who frequently finds themselves copying and pasting the same information. It's a simple but powerful tool that can save you a lot of time and hassle."
2. Ambition
Ambition provides a robust platform that empowers sales teams to streamline their workflows and achieve greater success.
Ambition offers real-time data tracking and analytics capabilities that allow sales teams to monitor performance metrics closely. By having immediate access to crucial information such as conversion rates or customer engagement levels, team members can make informed decisions swiftly, enhancing overall productivity.
Gamification for Motivation
The concept of gamification has proven effective in motivating employees across various sectors. Ambition harnesses this power by introducing competitive elements like leaderboards and scorecards within its system. These features encourage healthy competition among team members while also offering tangible goals for them to strive towards.
User John H. says "The birds eye view of my stats and where I rank against my peers and where I need to focus. The anthems that go off are very motivating and bring the group together. When creating comps it can be hard to find a balance when people are out of town or if people have different schedules. That or we just have not figured it out."
3. Boomerang
Boomerang comes packed with features that are geared towards making life easier for sales teams. Here are some key examples:
Email Scheduling: This feature allows you to schedule emails in advance, ensuring timely communication with leads and clients regardless of time zones or personal schedules. Tick off your to-do list when convenient for you, all while choosing when your replies arrive!
Email Tracking: With email tracking, you can get real-time notifications when a recipient opens an email or clicks on a link within it. This helps gauge lead interest levels and plan follow-ups accordingly.
Sales Automation: Boomerang automates repetitive tasks such as following up on cold leads or sending routine communications, freeing up valuable time for more strategic activities.
Respondability: Boomerang can also give you live feedback on the tone of your email, helping you craft a compelling and positive message.
One user says "Boomerang has helped me to get important information from clients as well as helped me to not miss important meetings!"
4. Cloze
Cloze is an efficient and reliable tool to manage customer relationships is crucial.
Cloze offers a range of impressive features designed to streamline your sales process. It provides comprehensive contact management capabilities, enabling you to keep track of all interactions with clients in one place.
The software also boasts intelligent reminders which ensure no follow-ups are missed. This feature alone can significantly increase productivity by automating repetitive tasks.
Users find this one to be a mixed bag. While it does save time, customers have lots of recommendations to make the tool better, so the functionality is limited. For example, as one user shares, "Casts a wide net over all comms.Biggest plus is, I actually use it because I haven't found anything that suits me better. But the Facebook cloze group is inactive and unhelpful, it has awful image handling. Disastrous if you're used to Mac Mail and there are no "breadcrumbs" so it's hard to navigate backwards.
5. HubSpot
At its core, HubSpot provides a robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that helps manage customer data efficiently. The CRM software allows your team to track interactions with customers and prospects, making it easier to follow up on leads and close deals.
Beyond just serving as a CRM tool, HubSpot also offers automation features that streamline repetitive tasks in your sales process. For instance, you can automate email sequences or schedule meetings without leaving the platform. These automations save time and reduce human error.
Data-Driven Decisions
The power of data cannot be underestimated when it comes to driving successful sales strategies. With HubSpot’s reporting dashboard feature, teams get access to real-time analytics about their performance which aids in making informed decisions.
Personalization at Scale
HubSpot enables personalization at scale by providing tools like personalized email templates and sequence queues for different segments of your audience. By tailoring communication based on individual needs and preferences, businesses can enhance engagement rates significantly.
Nigel W. says "The system is easy to navigate, easy to share info or assign tasks to colleagues and keep a record of correspondence relating to deals. I can access the system from my ipad and phone when out and about just as easily as on my pc at work.
We found it was very straightforward and painless to import multiple contacts and companies from previous system. If there is something you are unsure of, there are numerous videos to check or can access the academy section."
A Final Thought
No matter what you choose, sales enablement tools are there to help sales teams streamline sales cycles and integrate smoothly with CRM systems. Choosing a tool must be based on your unique needs. It should be mobile-friendly for today's dynamic, on-the-go sales reps.
Having sales enablement means a freer sales team, a smoother sales cycle, and ultimately more sales--which means more money (you know, the reason we're doing this in the first place).
