12 of the Best Sales Automation Tools to Close More Deals in 2024

There’s hundreds of sales automation tools out there — but it’s overwhelming to sift through the cruft.

That’s why we’ve rounded up a curated list of the 12 most useful sales automation tools on the market right now.

Companies are trying to do more with less — cutting manual tasks and accelerating productivity across many functions like sales enablement, sales prospecting, CRM reporting and more.

This guide explains the fundamentals of sales automation, and what to look for in a sales automation tool – everything from features to integrations and beyond.

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Top Benefits of a Sales Automation Tool

1. Minimizes repetitive tasks.

Sellers have never been excited about maintaining a squeaky clean sales CRM.

Inbound and outbound sales automation software can manage routine and time-consuming tasks like data entry, lead qualification, and follow-ups.

2. Boost sales productivity.

AI can analyze vast amounts of data to improve lead scoring, lead routing and prioritization. This also greatly benefits marketing teams driving inbound leads to sales.

CRM data decay and lead enrichment is another pain for sellers, which can be resolved with automation.

AI-powered chatbots, notetakers and virtual assistants have also revolutionized the sales process — answering commonly asked questions, automating meeting follow-ups and beyond.

3. Better sales management.

Sales managers often don’t have enough resources for sales training, pipeline management, reporting and other types of administrative tasks.

Modern sales leaders have accepted more responsibility than ever before — that means they need to accomplish more tasks in less time.

This is where AI can help. Some examples are:

• Sales Content Optimization: AI can optimize email templates, sales scripts, and enablement materials — improving the entire sales machine.
• Sales Forecasting: AI can analyze CRM trends to make more accurate sales forecasts.
• Sales Performance Monitoring: AI tools can track individual and team performance, providing real-time insights into key metrics and identifying areas for improvement.

1. HubSpot Sales Hub

HubSpotSales Hub is a hybrid customer relationship management (CRM) and sales automation platform that offers a suite of marketing and sales tools to help small businesses drive growth. It combines sales, marketing, and customer service functionalities into one unified platform, empowering sales teams to effectively manage leads, automate tasks, and nurture customer relationships. Access sales, marketing, customer service, and operations tools in a single place via HubSpot’s Customer Platform.

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Key features:

• Contact and Lead Management: Organize and track contacts and leads in a centralized database, enabling efficient lead qualification and nurturing.
• Email Automation: Automate personalized email sequences and follow-ups to engage leads and move them through the sales pipeline.
• Sales Analytics: Gain insights into sales performance, track deal progress, and identify areas for improvement with comprehensive sales analytics and reporting.
• SalesAutomation Workflows: Automate repetitive sales tasks, such as data entry, task assignment, and follow-up reminders, to save time and increase productivity.
• CRMIntegration: Seamlessly integrate with popular CRMs and hundreds of othersystems to ensure smooth data flow and enhance sales processes.

2. Clearbit

Clearbit is a B2B intelligence tool that provides access to rich and reliable data from millions of companies. It empowers sales teams to sell effectively by tracking buying signals across the web, identifying high-fit leads, and seamlessly converting intent into pipeline.

Key features:

• AI Native Data: Harness the intelligence of AI to streamline your datasets and enrich your lead, prospect, and customer records.
• Lead Scoring and Routing: Enable your sales team to focus their conversion efforts on the highest-quality leads.
• Buyer Intent Signaling: Easily identify target buyers, and trigger an alert for your sales team when new leads are showing intent.
• B2B Contact Intelligence: Connect with key decision makers on your accounts to convert your best opportunities with the right action at the right time.

Exciting news: HubSpot has entered into an agreement to acquire Clearbit. Learn more about the agreement here.

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3. 6sense

6sense revolutionizes sales automation by harnessing the power of predictive analytics and AI. It enables sales teams to identify and prioritize high-intent prospects, driving targeted and personalized outreach.

Key features:

• Predictive Intelligence: Utilize AI-driven predictive analytics to identify and prioritize prospects with high buying intent.
• Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Implement account-based marketing strategies with personalized messaging and content.
• Intent Data Analysis: Gain visibility into buyer intent signals and real-time engagement data for effective outreach.
• ROI Tracking: Measure the impact of sales and marketing activities with robust ROI tracking and attribution capabilities.

4. Clari

Clari is an AI-powered revenue analysis platform that provides sales teams with actionable insights and predictive analytics to improve sales execution. It leverages machine learning algorithms to analyze data from various sources and deliver real-time visibility into sales pipelines and forecasts.

Key features:

• Sales Forecasting: Clari employs advanced analytics for precise sales predictions. It aids in recognizing risks, prioritizing prospects, and making informed decisions.
• Deal Management: This platform supports tracking and controlling opportunities during the sales process. It gives an integrated view of deal activities, engagement, and stakeholders, enabling proactive actions for deal closure.
• Sales Enablement: Clari assists sales managers in providing specific guidance to their teams. It offers performance insights, identifies coaching possibilities, and encourages collaboration for better sales results.

5. Cognism

Cognism is a B2B data platform that empowers sales teams with accurate and up-to-date prospecting data. It combines AI with data enrichment to help sales professionals identify, target, and engage with the right prospects. Cognism's intelligent automation capabilities streamline the prospecting process and enable personalized outreach at scale.

Key features:

• B2B Contact Data: Access a comprehensive B2B database of prospecting data, enriched with firmographic and technographic information.
• Lead Generation: Leverage AI-powered algorithms to identify and generate high-quality leads based on ideal customer profiles.
• Email Campaigns: Automate personalized email campaigns with dynamic content and follow-up sequences.
• Intent Data: Cognism offers B2B intent data to help marketers and sellers identify accounts actively searching for your product or service – and target key decision-makers when they’re ready to buy.

6. VanillaSoft

VanillaSoft stands as a robust sales engagement platform, offering versatile functionality either independently or in tandem with established CRM systems. This dynamic tool equips sales representatives to promptly address new leads, ensuring consistent interaction across various channels and fostering the creation of high-quality sales opportunities.

With VanillaSoft's queue-based sales engine and intelligent routing capabilities, users can seamlessly implement sales cadence automation, leading to significant improvements in speed-to-lead, persistence, productivity, and revenue-per-representative.

Key features:

• Queue-based lead routing: Assign leads to specific queues based on priority, ensuring the most qualified leads get handled first.
• Auto-dialing and email sequencing: Automate repetitive tasks like calling and emailing, freeing up reps for valuable conversations.
• Dynamic scripts and call coaching: Guide reps with real-time insights and suggested talking points for effective communication.
• Lead and sales tracking: Gain complete visibility into every interaction, analyze performance, and identify areas for improvement.

7. Docebo

Docebo is a comprehensive learning management system (LMS for sales training) that enables extended enterprises the ability to deliver effective training and development programs to their partner sales teams.

It offers a range of features to create, manage, and track learning content, ensuring that sales professionals have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. With its intuitive interface and mobile accessibility, Docebo makes learning and skills development accessible anytime, anywhere.

Key features:

• Sales Content Management: Create and organize learning content, including courses, assessments, and certifications.
• Learner Engagement: Foster learner engagement through gamification, social learning, and interactive elements.
• Tracking and Reporting: Track learner progress, completion rates, and assessment results for performance evaluation.
• Industry Specific: Docebo offers learning programs built for specific industries such as sales development for government agencies.
• Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrate with existing systems, such as CRM platforms and HR software, to streamline training workflows.
• Mobile Learning: Enable sales reps to access training materials and resources on their mobile devices for flexible and on-the-go learning.

8. DocuSign

DocuSign forever changed how agreements and contracts are signed, making the process digital, secure, and efficient. It offers a cloud-based electronic signature solution that simplifies the signing and management of documents, eliminating the need for physical paperwork and manual processes.

Key features:

• Electronic Signatures: Easily send, sign, and manage documents with legally binding electronic signatures.
• Workflow Automation: Streamline document workflows with automated routing, reminders, and notifications, including plenty of CRM integrations.
• Security and Compliance: Ensure document security with encryption, authentication, and audit trails to meet regulatory requirements.

9. Gong

Gong is a sales conversation analytics and revenue intelligence platform designed to help sales teams improve performance and close deals more effectively. By capturing, analyzing, and transcribing sales calls and meetings, Gong provides actionable insights and data-driven recommendations to drive revenue growth.

Key features:

• Conversation Analytics: Gong uses AI for sales conversation analysis, transcription, and providing insights into effective tactics.
• Sales Funnel Visibility: Gong monitors deal progress and sales pipeline, offering data for better decision-making.
• Coaching and Training: Gong aids managers in coaching teams via call recordings and transcripts for targeted feedback and best practices.

10. LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedInSales Navigator is a staple among sales professionals for more than automation. It provides sales teams with advanced search and lead generation capabilities to identify and connect with the right prospects. The downside is that Sales Navigator can be quite expensive, but the good news is there are plenty of cost-efficient alternatives on the market.

Key features:

• Advanced Search Filters: Narrow down prospects based on criteria such as industry, job title, company size, and more, allowing for highly targeted lead generation.
• Lead Recommendations: Receive personalized lead recommendations based on the customer journey, connections, and engagement history — helping sales teams focus on the most relevant opportunities.
• InMail Messaging: Send direct messages to prospects even if you're not connected, enabling personalized outreach and fostering meaningful conversations.
• Sales Insights and Updates: Stay informed about key updates and activities of your prospects and existing connections, allowing you to engage at the right time with relevant information.

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11. Outreach

Outreach.io is a versatile sales automation software that empowers sales teams with its comprehensive suite of tools. The platform offers powerful features such as contact management, auto dialer, email sequencing, A/B testing, SMS capabilities and beyond.

Key features:

• Outbound Sequencing: Create and automate personalized email sequences to engage prospects effectively.
• Gmail Integration: Reps can work directly within Gmail and manage sales activities like scheduling meetings, creating tasks, and viewing prospect information all from their Gmail inbox.
• Analytics and Reporting: Gain insights into outreach performance through detailed analytics and reporting features.
• CRM Integration: Seamlessly integrate with popular CRM platforms to ensure data synchronization.

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12. UserGems

UserGems is a sales intelligence platform that helps businesses identify and leverage their existing customer data to drive sales and marketing efforts.

UserGems is most famously known for helping companies track job changes to prioritize outreach efforts on warm, familiar leads (rather than depleting sales resources on cold outbound).

Key features:

• Customer Data Enrichment: UserGems enriches your customer database with up-to-date information, such as job titles, company details, and contact information — to ensure you have accurate and complete customer profiles.
• Marketing Campaign Intelligence: UserGems uses predictive analytics to identify potential high-value customers who are more likely to convert or engage with your products or services.
• Integration: UserGems integrates with customer relationship management (CRM) systems and marketing automation tools to streamline your sales and marketing processes.

Top Sales Automation Use Cases

1. Account-Based Sales and Marketing

Targeting high-value accounts with personalized outreach and follow-up is crucial in B2B sales. Automation allows sellers to streamline tasks like researching accounts and lead nurturing.

Recommended tools: HubSpot, Clearbit, 6Sense, LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

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• Sales Automation
• Call Tracking
• Lead Prospecting
• And More!

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2. B2B Contact Data Enrichment

Enhancing contact information with accurate data helps increaselead generation and enables more personalized email campaigns.

Recommended tools: Clearbit, Cognism, UserGems.

3. Data Entry and Integration

Having a centralized view of the sales pipeline is vital for effective sales management. Sales automation simplifies capturing and integrating multiple data sources into your CRM.

It takes care of the nitty-gritty tasks, saving time and ensuring all the critical information is available. This allows sales teams to stay organized and spend less time bouncing between different sales and marketing tools.

Recommended tools: HubSpot, Clearbit, UserGems.

4. Meeting Scheduling

When setting up appointments with prospects, you should streamline the booking experience to save a lot of back and forth. Sales automation software lets you easily integrate team calendars and availability across multiple time zones.

Salespeople and prospects can agree on the perfect slot, saving time and easing the scheduling experience. With a user-friendly customer experience, qualified leads can book demos faster and attend the meeting.

Recommended tools: HubSpot, Outreach.io.

5. Sales Enablement

Equipping sales teams with the right content resources is essential to succeed. Sales automation offers centralized repositories of sales email collateral, collaboration tools, and training. It's like a one-stop shop for everything related to driving sales for the brand. Salespeople can easily access the materials they need and develop their mastery.

With these sales enablement resources at their fingertips, sales reps can better support prospect needs, stay on-brand, and sharpen their sales skills.

Recommended tools: Docebo, Clari, Gong.

6. Sales Pipeline Management and Forecasting

Managing the sales pipeline is crucial for effective sales management for small businesses and enterprises. Sales automation provides visibility into the progress of leads and predicts sales performance. A realistic sales forecast helps the business plan effectively around customer growth.

By analyzing pipeline metrics and trends, sales teams can make informed adjustments, ensuring they stay on track to achieve their targets and crush the competition.

Recommended tools: HubSpot Sales Hub.

7. Sales Reports and Analytics

Analyzing sales data is how sales leaders improve close rates. Sales automation platforms offer robust reporting and analytics capabilities to measure your sales performance. They can also trigger notifications when teams exceed or fall behind.

By analyzing and reporting on trends, sales teams can reveal strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. With this knowledge, sales reps can fine-tune their sales tactics and drive exceptional results.

Recommended tools: Gong, Clari, HubSpot, Clearbit.

8. Workflow Automation

Automating workflows in the sales process is essential for efficiency and productivity. Sales automation platforms enable companies to design workflows on autopilot, freeing time for valuable activities.

By automating lead routing, follow-up reminders, or approval processes, sales teams can dedicate more time and energy to building relationships with prospects and sealing the deal.

Recommended tools: Outreach.io, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, DocuSign.

Sales Automation Software: What's Next?

With AI becoming mainstream, sales automation tools are getting smarter and easier to use.

So, what's next?

• Advanced Analysis: AI in sales tools will offer more intelligent predictive analytics, that compiles sales, marketing, and customer data under centralized dashboards helping sales teams foresee customer behavior and market trends.
• Expanded CRM Functionality: CRM software will evolve from static databases to store leads and customer relationships. They'll move toward becoming more dynamic with personalized recommendations powered by AI.
• Better Mobile Experiences: Generally, salespeople have limited lead management functionality from their smartphones. As sales automation can handle the “busywork,” mobile apps can focus on user-friendly interfaces rather than the cluttered feel of many sales CRMs.

The future of sales is here, and it's better with automation.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in March 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.