Top 15 sales automation tools to streamline your workflow in 2024

Endless emails, chasing down leads, and piles of paperwork can add up to a serious time crunch. Would it not be great to have them taken care of so you can focus on closing deals? That is sales automation tools for you.

In today’s market, sales automation is not a luxury, it is a necessity for any team that wants to stay ahead of the game. Take the sales automation-integrated CRM provider, Pipedrive, for example. Snug, a digital rental housing platform, used Pipedrive to organize their setup. Result? 

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• 6-month sales cycle reduced to 2 months
• 50% reduction in calls needed to close deals
• 40% increase in overall prospect volume

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That is what the right tools can do for your team.

Sales automation tools streamline all those repetitive tasks so you have more time to build relationships, nurture potential customers, and boost your bottom line. 

That explains why 72% of all successful businesses today use sales automation tools. But the question remains- which tool is the best choice for you? 

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Benefits of sales automation tools

60% of sales reps say AI and sales automation tools are crucial to their overall sales process. We all want more time, faster closes, and bigger sales numbers.  The best part about sales automation tools is how it increases overall return on investment (ROI) by paying for itself, and then some. But how do sales automation tools do that? 

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1. Increased efficiency

Sales automation tools can take care of many repetitive tasks for you—updating records, scheduling follow-ups, or generating reports. This frees up a lot of your time, letting you spend those extra hours connecting with leads or strategizing your next big deal instead of doing data entry. In fact, recent findings confirm that AI and sales automation tools for client outreach help reps save 2 hours and 7 minutes daily.

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2. Improved lead nurturing

Sales automation tools cover nearly every step of your sales process. This includes letting you design a seamless lead nurturing system for staying connected and building deeper relationships with your prospects.  Personalized touchpoints, delivered with accurate timing, make sure you never lose a lead again.

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3. Enhanced data accuracy

Manually entering information leads to typos and mistakes. Automating data entry with AI sales automation tools makes sure your sales data stays clean and reliable.  This accurate data gives you the insights needed to make informed decisions about your sales process and identify areas for improvement.

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4. Greater team collaboration

Sales automation tools act like a central hub where everyone from your sales team can access client information, track deal progress, and assign tasks. This keeps everyone on the same page, removes chances of confusion, and makes sales team collaboration much more efficient.

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5. Better customer experience

34% of teams that use sales automation tools do so to improve their customer experience. By automating your tasks, you can respond to inquiries faster, provide more personalized attention, and resolve issues quickly. Happy customers are loyal customers, and that translates directly to more sales.

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6. Accurate sales forecasting

Sales automation tools can track leads through your pipeline, analyze trends, and even make data-driven predictions about future sales. This is great for planning resources, setting realistic goals, and making smart business decisions.

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Key types of sales automation tools

Even though one out of every three sales tasks can be automated, sales automation tools are not quite one-size-fits-all. Each tool offers different capabilities, so choose the ones most suited to your sales team’s needs. These are some of the different types of sales automation tools:

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1. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

What it does: 

• Acts as a central database for all customer interactions, contact information, deal history, and more
• Streamlines data management, making everything accessible and organized

Why it matters:

• Organizes scattered data entries and prospect records
• Provides insights into prospect behavior for tailored sales strategies

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2. Email marketing automation

What it does: 

• Allows you to create automated email sequences (welcome series, drip campaigns, follow-ups) based on triggers or customer actions
• Personalizes outreach at scale
• Saves time on repetitive tasks

Why it matters:

• Keeps leads engaged throughout the sales cycle
• Nurtures them toward conversion

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3. Lead generation and prospecting tools

What it does: 

• Helps identify and qualify potential leads using various methods—finding contact information, social media outreach, website visitor tracking
• Expands and enriches your pipeline.

Why it matters:

• Saves immense time in finding suitable prospects
• Ensures a steady flow of leads

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4. Sales analytics and reporting platforms

What it does: 

• Track key metrics, analyze sales data, and generate insightful reports
• Visualize trends and performance patterns

Why it matters:

• Allows for data-driven insights
• Helps spot strengths, weaknesses, and track optimization opportunities within the sales process

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5. AI-powered sales automation tools 

What it does: 

• Leverages AI for advanced automation tasks
• Includes features like chatbots that qualify leads 24/7
• Predictive analytics can forecast sales outcomes and suggest actions

Why it matters:

• Maximizes efficiency and provides deeper insights
• Enables more strategic decisions

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Must-have features in sales automation tools

The right sales automation tools can improve your workflow- but with so many choices, how do you find the perfect fit?  Here are the key features to look for that will take your sales process from disorganized to streamlined, increasing efficiency and driving results:

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1. Ease of use and intuitive interface

A complex, cluttered interface will eat up your time and frustrate your team. Look for sales automation tools with a clean layout and easy navigation. Your sales reps need to find their way around quickly and focus on their core tasks, not wrestle with the software.

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2. Integration capabilities

Sales automation software works best when it plays nicely with your current business tools like your CRM, email marketing platform, and any other software you use in the sales process. Seamless integration ensures smooth data flow, prevents miscommunications, and boosts overall efficiency.

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3. Customization options to tailor workflows

Every company has its unique sales processes. Choose a tool that offers flexibility in customizing workflows and triggers.. This allows you to align the software with how your team actually sells, rather than forcing them to change their approach.

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4. Robust reporting and analytics

The whole point of automation is to gather valuable data and use it to make better decisions. Your sales automation tools must provide clear, actionable reports on sales metrics, pipeline progress, and team performance. The ability to customize these reports is even better, as it lets you focus on the insights that matter most to your business.

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5. Scalability to grow with your business

As your business expands, your sales automation tool should be able to handle the increasing volume and complexity. Look for a platform with flexible pricing plans and the ability to add more users, features, and capacity as needed. This makes sure the sales automation tools support your growth, rather than holding you back.

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Top 15 sales automation tools in 2024

Now that you understand the benefits and essential features of sales automation tools, it is time to reveal our top picks. Selecting the right tool is key to getting the most out of your investment. Here is our curated list of the top 15 sales automation tools to streamline your workflow in 2024:

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1. Oliv

Oliv is an AI-powered sales assistant designed to help sales teams with day-to-day tasks as well as bigger sales goals. It simplifies many of the repetitive yet crucial aspects of the sales process, giving reps more time to focus on building relationships and closing deals. Oliv also integrates with popular CRMs to streamline data entry and keep everything organized for sales managers. 

Features:

• Real-time call guidance with objection-handling suggestions
• Automated pre-meeting prospect research 
• Meeting notes generation and task reminders
• AI-powered personalized email follow-ups
• Seamless CRM integration for data accuracy

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2. Woodpecker

Woodpecker specializes in cold email outreach and follow-up automation. It is great for sending personalized, targeted email campaigns at scale. With features like A/B testing and detailed analytics, Woodpecker helps optimize email campaigns for maximum open rates and conversions.

Features:

• Advanced email personalization with custom fields
• Automatic follow-up sequences based on prospect behavior
• A/B testing for subject lines and message content
• In-depth email campaign analytics
• Integration with popular CRMs

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3. SalesBlink

SalesBlink focuses on sales prospecting, offering tools to help you find qualified leads and build targeted lists easily. With a strong emphasis on data accuracy and deliverability monitoring, SalesBlink makes sure you are reaching the right people with your sales outreach.

Features:

• Accurate B2B contact information and company data
• Email verification tools to minimize bounce rates
• LinkedIn outreach automation
• Built-in sales analytics for campaign tracking
• CRM integrations

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4. Cognism

Cognism is a lead generation platform that provides verified contact information and helps you enrich existing prospect data. It uses multiple sources to get highly accurate and compliant data, allowing sales teams to have more meaningful conversations.

Features:

• Global B2B contact database (with phone numbers and emails)
• Intent data to spot actively engaged prospects
• Tech stack identification for tailored sales pitches
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration
• Compliance with GDPR and other data regulations

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5. Lemlist

Lemlist makes cold outreach fun and effective. It focuses on personalization and creativity within your email campaigns for maximum engagement. With features like image embedding and dynamic variables, Lemlist helps you stand out in a crowded inbox to generate genuine leads.

Features:

• Image and video personalization within emails
• Highly customizable email templates
• Automated follow-ups and A/B testing capabilities
• Warm-up tools to improve deliverability
• Sales performance analytics

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6. Clari

Clari is a revenue operations platform that relies heavily on AI for sales forecasting and analytics. It uses machine learning to analyze trends, predict outcomes, and recommend actions to help you close more deals. Clari’s focus on deal visibility and pipeline management is a great fit for enterprise teams and complex sales processes.

Features:

• AI-powered sales forecasting with high accuracy
• Deal risk identification and proactive alerts
• Activity tracking and in-depth sales analytics
• Collaborative sales planning tools
• Integration with CRMs, communication platforms, and more

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7. EngageBay

EngageBay is an all-in-one, affordable solution for marketing, sales, and customer support. Its sales automation features are user-friendly and well-suited for small businesses and growing teams looking for a comprehensive but budget-friendly solution.

Features:

• Multi-channel automation (email, SMS, social media)
• Lead scoring and contact management
• Visual deal pipeline and sales forecasting
• Built-in live chat and helpdesk functionality
• Marketing automation features for lead nurturing

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8. HubSpot Sales Hub

HubSpot offers a suite of sales tools within its Sales Hub, part of the larger all-in-one platform. With a focus on inbound marketing and lead generation, HubSpot Sales Hub is known for its ease of use and seamless integration with the company’s other hubs.

Features:

• Free CRM and email marketing capabilities
• Meeting scheduling and quote generation tools
• Sales sequences and task automation
• Detailed reporting and analytics dashboard
• Tight integration with HubSpot’s other products

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9. Outreach.io

Outreach.io is a leading sales engagement platform that helps you connect with prospects across multiple channels. It offers top-notch automation workflows, advanced analytics, and AI-powered insights to drive efficiency in outbound sales outreach.

Features:

• Multi-channel outreach (email, phone, SMS, and social media)
• Rules-based sequences and intelligent task routing
• AI guidance on call scripts and email content
• A/B testing and optimization tools
• Comprehensive reporting and team performance tracking

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10. Growbots

Growbots is one of the best outbound sales automation tools. It helps teams build targeted prospect lists, personalize cold email sequences, and automate follow-up tasks. This is a good option for teams who want to streamline their outreach process without a complex setup.

Features:

• Chrome extension for prospecting and list-building
• Multi-step email sequences with triggers
• Personalized email templates and A/B testing
• Built-in analytics and reporting
• Integrates with popular CRMs and sales tools

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11. 6 sense

6sense is an account-based revenue platform that uses AI to identify high-intent prospects and predict buying signals. It focuses on aligning sales and marketing teams, allowing for highly targeted outreach and personalized campaigns for better sales performance.

Features:

• Intent data gathering and analysis
• AI-powered lead scoring and prioritization
• Account-based marketing tools 
• Sales intelligence and buyer insights
• Integration with existing sales and marketing platforms

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12. Mailshake

Mailshake is another of the most used sales automation tools for cold email outreach and sales engagement. It simplifies sending personalized emails, automating follow-ups, and tracking results. Mailshake’s strength lies in its user-friendliness and focus on core email automation features.

Features:

• Straightforward email sequence creation with personalization
• Automated follow-ups and task management
• A/B testing and campaign performance analytics
• Phone and social media outreach capabilities
• Integrations with popular CRMs

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13. LeadSquared

LeadSquared is a sales execution and marketing automation platform that helps capture leads from multiple sources, nurture them through the funnel, and track the entire sales journey. Its combination of features makes it a versatile option for teams looking to streamline their overall sales and marketing processes.

Features:

• Lead capture and lead qualification
• Marketing automation for email campaigns and drip sequences
• Sales pipeline management and task automation
• Built-in analytics and reporting tools
• Website visitor tracking and lead scoring

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14. Clearbit

Clearbit specializes in data enrichment, helping sales teams get accurate and up-to-date information about leads and companies. This allows you to personalize your outreach, target the right contacts, and tailor your sales pitch effectively.

Features:

• Real-time company and contact data enrichment
• Technographic data to identify technologies used by prospects
• Lead scoring and segmentation tools
• Integration with various sales and marketing platforms
• Lead discovery and prospecting features

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15. VanillaSoft

VanillaSoft focuses on inside sales and telesales teams. Its features, such as progressive dialing, lead routing, and queue-based call management, help optimize call efficiency and close more deals by phone.

Features:

• Advanced telephony features (click-to-call and power dialer)
• Lead scoring and prioritization
• Automated appointment setting and reminders
• Call recording and analytics
• Integration with existing sales and marketing technologies

These are the 15 best sales automation tools with a varied range of capabilities and offerings. Make sure you know the exact features your sales team needs to get the most out of your pick. 

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Get more out of your sales automation software

Sales automation tools simplify your day-to-day tasks and help you achieve your bigger sales goals, but only if you choose the right ones and make the most of them. Remember the following, and you will be well on your way to boosting your ROI while saving valuable time:

• Target your biggest bottlenecks and pain points
• Balance budget with the expected impact
• Pick features that matter most to your team
• Prioritize user-friendly sales automation tools
• Look for integration with your existing tech stack

Learning how to use sales automation tools might take some time, but it is worth the hours spent. They can help bring out the best out of every member of your sales team. To learn more about how Oliv can automate your sales process, book a free demo with us.

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