When we talk about business scaling, it is primarily related to increasing the number of customers. That is, the quality of work of the sales department is one of the critical factors that help the business grow.
For your salespeople to fulfill the set plan and achieve more significant results, it is worth providing them with the necessary tools. Including the right sales management software and tools. How to choose it and what we recommend, based on our own experience, read on.
We have identified 5 criteria to focus on when choosing software for your business. After all, every business is unique, so certain universal solutions for all areas do not exist. Firstly, analyze your current situation and set a goal for further development. What are your priorities? Be guided by your needs when choosing products.
One of the most important criteria is how well the programs and software tools you select can scale with you and meet your needs.
Are there multiple packages with different features depending on the size of the business and the number of employees using them? How well can the program meet the needs of an actively developing company?
Try to evaluate how convenient and easy to use specific programs are before purchasing them. User reviews and ratings on marketplaces will help you with this. Compare programs from different developers, and watch video reviews.
The best way is to try the demo version if the developer provides this option. A 7 or 14-day trial period will give you a full understanding of how well the app meets the needs of your sales team. And you can rate its simplicity of use.
The development company’s reputation and the security of the programs you plan to work with is other important indicator, especially for programs that collect and process personal data.
How reliable is their protection? Will the company help you qualitatively in case of problems and malfunctions in the software?
Each program should not only perform specific functions with relevant sales data but also improve and optimize your sales process as a whole.
For example, to facilitate the work of sales managers, automate the routine, improve the quality of customer service, and reduce time or money spent by sales professionals on processing applications and contacting consumers.
When choosing a sales management software option, ask yourself: “How will these software options improve my sales process?”.
It is essential to consider all possible expenses that await you in the future. For example, with multiple service packages, how much money will you spend upgrading to a larger package to meet your scaling needs? Are there any additional costs for installation, consulting, or program support?
Next, let’s consider the main categories of applications most often used by sales teams in their work. We used some of them at Ring.io at the beginning of our business growth, and some of them we still use today.
The critical program for comfortable work is CRM. Sometimes a good one is enough for those businesses just starting to work, but if you are already scaling, pay attention to those options with a wide selection of integrations with other applications and better contact management. In addition, it is worth carefully analyzing which needs of your sales managers can be maximally satisfied thanks to CRM.
Since we developed software that integrates with CRM, we studied the features of different platforms. And here are our Top 3.
According to Business News Daily, it is the best CRM software for small businesses, and that is why:
If your team works remotely, choose this CRM system. Its functionality is selected to facilitate and optimize work and automate routine tasks. The AI assistant is available only on the Enterprise plan and above.
Generally, Zoho offers four pricing plans: Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. This allows small businesses and large corporations to work with it, which means the platform has a high scalability rate.
CRM is represented on many marketplaces and has high user ratings already. There is a 30-day trial period. Prices vary from $0 to $52 per user per month, depending on the chosen plan, so that everyone can select a convenient option for themselves.
The advantage of this CRM platform is the number and quality of integrations with other applications and extensions. For example, do you plan to scale your business and improve the sales performance management process? With HubSpot, you’re sure to find the right tech stack.
There is a free version that you can use, storing up to 1 million contacts. Some functionality is also limited, but it is enough to meet basic needs.
What are the possibilities for scaling a small business?
Depending on the programs you want to connect additionally, the price varies from $40 to $3200 per month. So, you can avoid overpaying for something you don’t need and choose your most comfortable plan.
This is the platform used by our team at Ring.io.
The Asana interface is intuitive. Projects are stored in groups (and portfolios), so you can keep track of all the work to be done, share information and collaborate to achieve a goal.
Another advantage of Asana is that it is integrated with many CRMs, including HubSpot, Zoho, and Salesforce.
There is a free plan, but with certain functional limitations. You can also try a 30-day trial period of full use and then switch to paid one.
Asana Premium costs $10.99 per user per month when billed once a year and $13.49 when billed once a month. Asana Business Edition is priced at $24.99 per user per month when billed annually and $30.49 monthly. Therefore, the program has unlimited possibilities for scaling your business because the price depends only on the number of users.
If you and the team can discuss individual projects and clients in Asana, then in Slack, any other internal communication can take place – planned meetings, brainstorms, training, etc. In addition, the application provides unlimited opportunities for any communication format – text, audio, or video.
There is a free basic version, but with somewhat limited functionality. Then there are three paid tariffs:
Slack, like Asana, integrates with the CRM systems we recommended above.
It is very similar in functionality to Canva but with a broader selection of templates and tools for creating professional presentations. In addition, you can create high-quality infographics, interactive charts, and other visual graphics. For this, it is enough to choose the desired format and template or use your company’s brand design.
The interface is easy to use. Visme’s graphic library includes thousands of free icons, illustrations, stock photos, videos, 3D graphics, audio clips, charts, and graphs to include in your presentations.
What is the price tag of Visme?
There is a free version with a limit of 3 projects but without any time limits. Next, you can choose one of the following plans:
Among other document management programs, M-Files stands out for its ease of use: simple, user-friendly interface, intuitive functions, convenient search, fast copying, and document sending.
If you have not used applications of this type before, you do not have to spend time on special training to start working with M-Files.
Standard M-Files implementations typically cost around $7,000 – $15,000, depending on the project’s scope and the number of users.
As you can see, there will be no monthly fee – you pay once and forever, but the price will depend on the number of users and the amount of data needed to store your documents. That is, it will be possible to gradually pay extra and expand the program’s capabilities depending on your business’s needs.
You can decide whether to purchase after the 30-day trial period.
This is an application from the developers of the Square payment system, with which they are perfectly integrated. There is also integration with Instagram and Google, which allows you to advertise your services with the possibility of immediately making an appointment or consultation. Data about it will be directly entered into your Google calendar.
It is also convenient that there is a mobile application for Android and iOS so that you can access it anytime.
The terms of payment are also attractive. After all, you pay not for each user but for the location where the connection is made. That is, if all your employees work in the office, you can choose a free plan and use it for an unlimited time.
There are also Plus and Premium plans if you need to connect more than 1 location and additional features (automatic meeting reminders, custom permissions, resource management, multiple wage rates). Their prices are $29 and $69 per monthly location, respectively.
Phone calls remain the traditional way of doing customer relationships and client communications. It’s the fastest way to get an almost instant answer on whether the person is ready to move further down your sales funnel or needs more information.
Integration with your sales CRM system is critical when choosing telephony for your sales department. After all, all the data on each client is here and must be updated regularly. If this does not happen automatically, sales reps will spend much time entering information into the CRM.
This criterion is fully satisfied by the extension for Google Chrome from Ring.io because it integrates with all the most famous CRMs: Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, Zendesk, and Pipedrive. You will be able to call your customers and communicate via video, leave voice messages, train your salespeople, and analyze the quality of their work.
How reliable is our software?
In our opinion, the most important things are the user experience and the quality of service support we provide our customers. Ring.io was named Best Ease of Use by Capterra and Best Customer Support by Software Advice in 2022.
But there is nothing better than your own user experience. You can take advantage of the 14-day free access to understand how well the application meets the needs of your business.
The further price of services depends on the CRM system to which you integrate telephony – from $69 to $109 per user per month. This includes 15 basic features and our daily technical and service support—no restrictions on the number or duration of calls. So, the price only depends on the scale of your business, so you don’t have to overpay.
Of course, tons of other software tools, apps, and platforms in every category compete with each other in this sales management software game. So which ones will you choose? And which ones do you already use from those we suggested in this article?
See what separates you from the world-class sales leaders and get the short-cut to becoming one.
Ring.io's Call Logging feature allows you to map call data to any field in your CRM, including custom objects. It enables you to update CRM fields with call dispositions while on the call, ensuring real-time data accuracy. Plus, with RingInsights, you gain instant insights into your call data, helping you better understand your team's performance. This integration not only saves time but also provides a more accurate and detailed record of your team’s interactions. Whether it's tracking average call length, call outcomes, or call time, you get a complete and nuanced view of your team's calling activities.
Experience the dynamic duo of sales success with Ring.io and Hubspot. Together, they weave a symphony of customization, creating an unrivaled sales engagement platform and CRM pair to turbocharge your sales triumphs.
Channels are not created equally. You might discover that one is working better for your prospects or customers than other. We hand-picked channels and their combinations to deliver the percentage of engagement you can close your quota with.
