Now is not the time to stop selling. Though the new decade got off to a rough start, businesses waiting for the dust to settle could find themselves waiting a long time. Small businesses, which make up 44 percent of the American economy, must find a way to keep revenue flowing.
But these top sales engagement tools won’t just help businesses survive this pandemic. Used correctly, sales engagement tools help audiences connect to brands, open lines of communication, and make it easier for sales teams to guide prospects down the funnel. The better the tools, the more effectively the company can keep things running.
Check out 2020’s top sales engagement tools, good for use both during and after the coronavirus pandemic:
1. Mixmax
Mixmax empowers sales and customer success teams to deepen their engagement with prospects and customers to generate more revenue. Because it offers sales engagement features, Mixmax helps customer-facing teams reach more prospects, book more meetings, and have more meaningful conversations. Integrations with all sorts of popular tools — including Salesforce, Dropbox, and more — make it easy for Mixmax users to get the most of their software from day one.
Key Features:
- Create personalized, multi-step outbound campaigns.
- Book meetings in one click.
- Boost reply rates with interactive content.
- Automate follow-up tasks.
2. SalesHandy
SalesHandy promises to help businesses turn their email strategies into growth catalysts. With more than 100,000 users, this Gmail- and Outlook-friendly tool provides a variety of helpful features, including templates, tracking, and campaign management. Furthermore, companies can manage and track prospect engagement with sales collateral to ensure they focus their energies on the right opportunities.
Key Features:
- Track emails through Gmail and Outlook.
- Templatize common pitches and outreaches.
- Track and manage sales collateral engagement.
3. ClearSlide
As a complete sales engagement platform, ClearSlide helps companies close more deals using a combination of effective content, communications, and intelligence tools. Because its sales and marketing content hub allows users to organize recommended content and maximize discoverability, sales teams always know exactly what they have and what clients want to see. Guided content mechanics and rules-based recommendations facilitate every pitch, from introduction to closing.
Key Features:
- Recommend relevant content with guided selling.
- Track analytics in real time.
- Organize collections in the content hub.
- Integrate communications to maintain seamless conversations.
4. Yesware
Claiming to be the easiest-to-use sales software on the market, Yesware is all about user-friendly solutions. From prospecting to follow-ups, Yesware helps sales teams automate and streamline as many processes as possible. Boasting a 60-second installation and integration time, Yesware may be the fastest sales engagement tool on the market in terms of implementation.
Key Features:
- Install and start using in minutes.
- Connect with prospects via email, phone, and social media.
- Automate meetings and follow-up communications.
5. SalesLoft
One of the top sales engagement platforms with several big-name clients, including IBM and Zoom, SalesLoft works for both enterprise companies and small businesses. By focusing on scale without sacrificing personalization, SalesLoft provides top-of-the-line options to companies looking for an edge. Though more expensive than some of the other tools on this list, SalesLoft backs up its prices with power.
Key Features:
- Automate communications and follow-ups.
- Streamline calendars and scheduling.
- Perform deep dives with advanced reporting.
- Integrate with Salesforce and LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
6. Freshworks
Freshworks provides a host of sales engagement solutions to keep small and enterprise businesses on the right track. From messaging software to call center solutions, FreshWorks has an answer for every engagement challenge. Furthermore, the company offers products to streamline internal operations, like human resources and IT management.
Key Features:
- Use messaging tools to engage website visitors and prospects.
- Optimize call centers and outreach.
- Leverage CRM to keep sales teams informed and close more deals.
7. VanillaSoft
Branding itself as the solution to complex inside sales challenges, VanillaSoft’s sales engagement platform helps sales teams talk to larger numbers of more qualified prospects. Automated workflows guarantee efficiency, while queue technology ensures salespeople spend the most time on the best leads. And to add even more speed to the package, the platform offers communications scheduling and templatization.
Key Features:
- Streamline workflows for replicable success.
- Speed up contact to reach top leads.
- Automate calls, emails, and SMS to cut closing times.
8. ConnectLeader
ConnectLeader helps businesses prioritize leads and optimize engagement flows across channels. Automation technology empowers businesses to bring in more revenue without scaling worker hours in the bargain. As a result, with better processes and tools for the whole pipeline, ConnectLeader makes an ideal sales engagement partner.
Key Features:
- Use multiple dialers to fit various sales roles.
- Increase top-of-funnel velocity with multiple communication tools.
- Prioritize, score, and pursue prospects using advanced analytics.
- Broadcast sales data to boost employee engagement.
9. Seismic
Today’s buyers expect personalized experiences and knowledgeable sales teams. Seismic helps companies beat experience expectations by providing a storytelling platform with industry-leading tools. From digital content management to marketing automation, Seismic wants today’s companies to speak to consumers on common ground.
Key Features:
- Manage content to keep prospects moving down the funnel.
- Empower sales teams with access to competitive intelligence.
- Train employees with content and programs to accelerate onboarding.
10. PhoneBurner
While most tools on this list focus more on digital communications, PhoneBurner recognizes the importance of voice-to-voice contact. Powerful phone contact solutions dial leads on their own, leave voicemails, send follow-up emails, and quadruple live sales conversations. PhoneBurner also offers CRM and workflow automation solutions to help businesses meet all their needs in one place.
Key Features:
- Power-dial leads and increase outbound activity.
- Manage contacts and call campaigns through the CRM solution.
- Automate contact tasks including voicemails and contact management.
- Intelligently distribute leads to sales teams.
11. Showpad
As an all-in-one sales enablement platform, Showpad offers a bit of everything. Manage content, identify cross-selling opportunities, and reduce busywork for salespeople with a variety of helpful built-in tools. Showpad works with several major sales tools and platforms so businesses can deploy new systems quickly without disrupting current workflows.
Key Features:
- Intelligently manage content from a centralized database.
- Coach and train salespeople to guide buyers through the funnel.
- Integrate seamlessly with existing technology stacks.
12. Zendesk
The Zendesk sales suite makes sales easier so your team can focus more on building meaningful relationships. For example, it includes personalized templates and targeted lead lists to put connecting with customers at the forefront of the product. Because it just takes minutes to set up, you can start raking in the sales immediately.
Key Features:
- Create leads from chat messages on your website.
- Integrated with all your communication channels to create smart lists.
- Allows for segmentation of customers by industry, role, location, etc.
Final Thoughts: Top 12 Sales Engagement Tools for 2020
Although the world will eventually return to normal life, that may not happen for a while. Smart companies should use this opportunity to improve their sales engagement processes by adding the right tools for the job. Because different businesses have different needs, consider the advantages of every option before making a decision.
Nonetheless, you may not be sure where to begin. For that reason, ask your sales team about their most common complaints and what improvements they’d like to see. Give them the resources they need so they can keep helping your company bring in revenue through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
