Supercharge Your Sales Team with Essential Tools for Success

Sales professionals rely on sales tools to enhance their efficiency and productivity, making them crucial in their work. Without appropriate sales tools, navigating through various sales processes such as prospecting, relationship building, and deal closure becomes challenging. LinkedIn's 2021 State of Sales report revealed that 74% of sellers anticipate increased investment in sales intelligence tools within the next year. Embracing new tools is an effective way to drive digital transformation. However, sales professionals often wonder where to allocate their resources and which tools are worth considering. It's essential to approach tool procurement by focusing on acquiring only a few tools that truly deliver value and ensure effectiveness. This article aims to provide an extensive overview of 34 sales tools that all sales professionals should know about. Links to popular options in the market will also be provided. It's important to note that not all of these tools will be necessary, but some will undoubtedly be valuable to your sales operations. Take your time to explore the list and determine which sales tools are essential for transforming your sales strategies. Additionally, if you decide to invest in any of these tools, ensure you have a robust digital adoption strategy in place to maximize their benefits.


Customer relationship management (CRM) systems are essential sales tools that assist in the management of customer information and improving sales efficiency. They provide a centralized location for storing contact details, sales opportunities, conversations, and other relevant sales data. By utilizing an effective CRM, your team can stay organized by keeping track of upcoming deals, promptly following up with leads, and enhancing the overall customer experience. Here are some well-known examples of popular CRMs:

  1. Salesforce
  2. HubSpot CRM
  3. Zoho CRM
  4. Microsoft Dynamics 365

Email marketing tools play a crucial role in reaching potential customers and nurturing relationships with existing ones. These platforms assist in designing visually appealing emails, segmenting audiences, automating email campaigns using triggers, and tracking essential metrics such as open rates and click-throughs. By leveraging the right tool, you can create engaging emails that drive higher engagement and enhance customer satisfaction. Here are some popular email marketing tools:

  • Mailchimp
  • Constant Contact
  • Brevo

Sales automation tools are indispensable for every sales team, providing streamlined processes throughout the sales cycle. These tools automate tedious tasks like data entry, activity scheduling, lead qualification and routing, and prospecting. By automating these mundane activities, your team can focus their time and effort on building relationships and closing deals instead of being bogged down by administrative work. Additionally, sales automation tools offer insights into leads most likely to convert into customers. Here are a few examples of sales automation tools:

  • Pipedrive
  • Close
  • Outreach

Social selling tools facilitate the use of social media platforms to connect with prospects and nurture relationships with current customers. These tools simplify the process of finding potential customers by searching profiles, identifying key contacts within organizations, and targeting specific accounts. Here are a couple of popular social selling tools:

  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator
  • Hootsuite

Prospecting tools are essential for lead generation and identifying potential customers. They enable the creation of targeted campaigns, monitor lead engagement, track activities like emails and calls, and provide key insights into customer behavior. Effective prospecting tools automate manual tasks in the lead-generation process, thus boosting productivity. Here are some popular prospecting tools:

  • Hunter.io
  • Clearbit
  • DiscoverOrg

Proposal creation tools streamline the process of crafting professional-looking proposals for sales teams. These tools often include features like template libraries and drag-and-drop elements, making it easy to customize proposals. They also facilitate collaboration, version control, proposal effectiveness measurement, and performance tracking. Here are a few popular proposal creation tools:

  • PandaDoc
  • Proposify
  • Qwilr

Sales analytics tools offer valuable insights into sales performance by collecting data from all stages of the sales funnel and presenting it through interactive dashboards. This enables the identification of patterns and trends in customer behavior, highlights areas for improvement, and enhances understanding of customer interactions with the product or service. Notable sales analytics tools include:

  • Tableau
  • Looker
  • Databox

Sales enablement tools empower sales representatives with the necessary skills and resources for success. These platforms often provide training materials, playbooks, and other valuable resources to help reps quickly grasp sales techniques. Some tools even offer on-demand coaching capabilities, ensuring reps can access assistance when needed. Here are a few examples of sales enablement tools:

  • Seismic
  • Highspot
  • Showpad

Live chat and chatbot tools drive customer engagement by offering real-time support. Sales representatives can promptly answer queries, provide helpful resources, and guide customers through the purchasing process. These tools also enable tracking of customer activity, leading to a better understanding of customer needs. Consider the following live chat tools:

  • Drift
  • Intercom
  • LiveChat

Collaboration tools Sales teams that frequently collaborate on projects find collaboration tools to be essential. These tools facilitate task organization, workflow management, real-time communication, easy file sharing, and more. They also enable seamless coordination among colleagues across different departments or locations, ensuring everyone is aligned. Here are a few popular examples of collaboration tools:

  • Slack
  • Asana
  • Trello

E-Signature tools simplify the process of signing contracts for sales teams, eliminating the need for printing documents or physical signatures. These tools offer a secure and convenient electronic signature process that complies with industry regulations. Here are a few e-signature tools to consider:

  • DocuSign
  • HelloSign
  • Adobe Sign

AI sales assistants leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to support sales teams with automated tasks like lead qualification, routing, and scheduling. They utilize natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to generate valuable insights into customer behavior, enabling sales teams to tailor their approach effectively. Currently, available AI sales assistants include:

  • Conversica
  • Exceed.ai

Account-based marketing (ABM) tools Account-based marketing (ABM) tools are instrumental in delivering personalized messages and content to target accounts. These tools facilitate the creation of targeted campaigns, customer relationship management, campaign effectiveness measurement, and more. They enable sales teams to build scalable relationships, better understand customer needs, and prioritize high-value accounts. Some popular ABM tools are:

  • Terminus
  • Demandbase

Sales training and coaching tools provide sales representatives with a platform to learn new skills and enhance existing ones. These platforms offer educational resources such as ebooks, tutorials, webinars, podcasts, online courses, quizzes, and even one-on-one coaching sessions. They help sales reps stay up-to-date with industry trends, refine their selling techniques, and better adapt to customer needs. Examples of sales training and coaching tools include:

  • Lessonly
  • MindTickle
  • Ambition

Product demo tools facilitate virtual demonstrations of products or services for sales representatives. These tools enable reps to showcase product features, simulate real-world scenarios, and provide interactive demos for customer participation. Moreover, they eliminate the need for costly hardware setups, allowing for a cost-effective yet engaging experience. Consider the following product demo tools:

  • Demio
  • GoToWebinar
  • Zoom

Pipeline management tools automate the tracking of leads throughout the sales cycle. They provide insights into prospect responses, identify drop-off points, determine next steps, and more. These tools empower sales reps to plan activities effectively and ensure they address customer needs proactively. Some popular pipeline management tools include:

  • Pipedrive
  • Insightly
  • Zoho CRM

Customer feedback tools enable sales teams to collect feedback from customers and leverage it to enhance the overall customer experience. These tools offer a platform for customers to rate their experiences, provide suggestions, and voice concerns. By analyzing this feedback, sales teams can identify areas requiring adjustments and foster more positive customer interactions. Consider the following customer feedback tools:

  • SurveyMonkey
  • Qualtrics
  • Typeform

Sales intelligence tools are designed to provide sales representatives with access to current market insights and data that can accelerate deal closures. These tools utilize predictive analytics and AI algorithms to uncover potential opportunities in target accounts, track competitors' strategies, and identify areas for sales process improvement. By leveraging this data, you can develop a more effective sales approach. Here are a few sales intelligence tools available in the market:

  • ZoomInfo
  • Leadspace
  • Demandbase

CPQ (Configure Price Quote) tools CPQ tools offer automated pricing solutions for businesses. These tools reduce manual order processing time by providing real-time, accurate pricing calculations and product configurations for customers. This simplifies quick responses to customer inquiries and streamlines the ordering process, resulting in faster deal closures. Additionally, CPQ tools allow the application of discounts and promotions based on customer preferences or other criteria, ensuring customers receive the best value. Here are some prominent CPQ tools:

  • Salesforce CPQ
  • Zoho CPQ
  • Conga CPQ

Call and meeting tools Call and meeting tools facilitate real-time connections with customers. These tools enable the creation of virtual rooms for video calls, webinars, or online meetings, offering features like screen sharing, file sharing, recordings, and more. Many of these tools also incorporate AI capabilities that help understand customer needs and tailor approaches accordingly. Here are a few popular call and meeting tools:

  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Chorus.ai
  • Gong.io

Sales incentive and commission management tools Sales incentive and commission management tools assist sales reps in maintaining motivation while tracking their progress toward commissions. These tools automate the setup of incentives, calculation of commissions, and tracking of performance metrics, ensuring fair compensation for reps' efforts. They also help plan future incentives and commissions based on historical data, allowing for strategy adjustments as needed. Consider the following sales incentive and commission management tools:

  • Xactly
  • Performio
  • Spiff

Sales performance management tools enable sales teams to monitor and improve their performance over time. These tools provide analytics that measures key metrics such as customer lifetime value, average deal size, conversion rates, lead response times, etc., allowing reps to identify areas for improvement. They also track progress against goals and generate actionable insights to help reps excel. Here are a few sales performance management tools to explore:

  • Gong
  • Chorus
  • ExecVision

Customer success tools assist sales teams in keeping customers engaged with their product or service. These tools enable reps to monitor customer usage, identify areas where customers may require assistance, and provide personalized support when necessary. Additionally, these tools can track customer feedback and measure success over time, allowing reps to adapt their approach accordingly. Some popular customer success tools include:

  • Gainsight
  • Totango
  • ClientSuccess

Sales forecasting tools simplify the prediction of future revenue and the planning of upcoming opportunities. By utilizing data from past sales cycles, market trends, and customer interactions, these tools generate accurate forecasts based on current conditions. This enables reps to prepare for changing market dynamics and capitalize on new business opportunities. Consider the following sales forecasting tools:

  • Clari
  • Anaplan
  • Salesforce Forecasting

Appointment scheduling tools enable sales teams to efficiently coordinate meetings with potential customers or existing clients. These tools allow reps to schedule appointments directly from their calendar or through automated booking systems, streamlining time management. Additionally, they save time by automatically sending reminders to customers about upcoming appointments or any schedule changes. Here are a few appointment scheduling tools:

  • Calendly
  • Doodle
  • Acuity Scheduling

Data enrichment tools empower sales teams to gain deeper insights into customer behavior and preferences. These tools collect data from various sources, including social media, emails, and online surveys, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the customer journey. This helps reps develop more effective strategies for targeting prospects and engaging existing customers. Consider these data enrichment tools:

  • Clearbit Enrichment
  • FullContact
  • Datanyze

Market research tools enable sales teams to stay updated on industry trends and competitor activities. These tools allow reps to track news articles, financial statements, product launches, customer feedback, and more, providing valuable insights into the market. Additionally, these tools help reps identify opportunities to increase sales and maintain a competitive edge. If you're looking for market research tools, start with:

  • SimilarWeb
  • Nielsen
  • Statista

Video selling tools provide a captivating way for sales teams to interact with prospects and existing customers. These tools enable the creation of personalized video messages or live presentations for clients, helping reps establish connections and capture attention quickly. They also offer features such as analytics tracking, customized branding, interactive calls-to-action, and more, allowing reps to tailor their approach based on customer preferences. Consider these video selling tools:

  • Vidyard
  • BombBomb
  • Loom

 Content management systems (CMS) enable sales teams to efficiently handle website content across various devices and platforms. These platforms offer features like drag-and-drop interfaces, page customization, and automated content updates, allowing reps to create dynamic web pages and enhance the customer experience quickly. Moreover, these tools assist reps in boosting website traffic by providing SEO optimization tools and analytics tracking capabilities. Some prominent CMS tools you may be familiar with include:

  • WordPress
  • HubSpot
  • Contentful

Document management tools empower sales teams to easily store, organize, and share documents with prospects or existing customers. These tools enable secure file uploads to cloud-based storage systems, granting reps access to documents from multiple devices at any time. They also save time by allowing reps to search for specific documents within the system using keywords or tags. Consider these notable document management tools:

  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Box

Product information management (PIM) tools

 Product information mnagement (PIM) tools assist sales teams in managing product information across multiple channels. These tools provide features such as automated data collection, data integration, and product catalogs, enabling reps to quickly access the most up-to-date information about products and services. Additionally, they allow reps to create customized product descriptions for different markets or areas of interest. If you're in need of a PIM tool, explore these options:

  • Akeneo
  • Salsify
  • Pimcore

Contract lifecycle management tools offer a convenient way for sales teams to handle contracts throughout their entire lifecycle. These tools enable tracking of contract versions, monitoring changes between iterations, and generating real-time reports to ensure compliance with regulations. Moreover, they save time by automating approval processes and providing reminders for upcoming deadlines. Consider the following contract lifecycle management tools:

  • Conga
  • ContractSafe
  • ContractWorks

Task management tools enable sales teams to efficiently set and track goals, tasks, and deadlines. These tools provide features like project tracking, task delegation, and collaboration tools, allowing reps to manage their workloads effectively. They also help reps stay organized by sending reminders for upcoming tasks or schedule changes. Here are some popular task management tools:

  • Asana
  • Trello
  • Monday.com

Mobile sales tools offer a convenient way for reps to access customer information while on the go. These tools securely store customer data on mobile devices, enabling reps to quickly retrieve contact details or order history during customer visits. Additionally, they save time by automating common processes like lead generation and payment processing. Explore the following mobile sales tools:

  • Zendesk Sell
  • Salesbox
  • ForceManager

The essential tool you need: A digital adoption platform Regardless of the tools you choose to enhance your tech stack, it's crucial to consider the implementation costs in terms of time and money. Employee training is necessary to minimize the time-to-value of new tools and ensure that they can continue performing their jobs effectively. This is where a digital adoption platform (DAP) becomes an essential part of your tech stack. Whether you're adopting new sales tools to establish new functions or digitize existing processes, a DAP can help you quickly onboard and maximize the value of those tools.