You’ve probably heard sales described as a “numbers game.”
And that’s true—for the most part.
As with any numbers game, one of the best ways to improve your sales performance is to increase the volume of your prospecting activities: sending more cold emails, making more cold calls, following up on every connection you make.
But volume is only half of the equation. The true key to successful sales is striking a balance between quantity and quality.
In other words, efficient prospecting isn’t about blasting your outreach campaign to every possible email address you can find. Instead, it’s about identifying the right prospects, verifying your contact data, and then intentionally pitching your offer to your best-fit leads.
By improving the quality of your prospecting data, you can stack the odds in your favor. And one of the smartest ways to do so is by leveraging the best sales tools for the job.
More specifically, by using sales intelligence tools to build a high-quality, targeted list of leads who are most likely to become customers.
What Are Sales Intelligence Tools?
Sales intelligence tools are platforms and apps that use technology to sift through large amounts of data to identify patterns, relevant information, and insights to help drive sales.
Not only do sales intelligence tools save you time and effort, but it enables you to work smarter by focusing only on high-quality leads with the greatest chance of converting.
Put simply, sales intelligence can help you make smarter decisions throughout the sales process—and ultimately help you win more deals.
Why Sales Intelligence Matters More than Ever
Increasingly, more sales teams are recognizing the value of sales tools for lead generation and prospecting. According to LinkedIn’s The State of Sales Report 2021, 77% of sales professionals say their sales org plans to invest “significantly more” or “more” in sales intelligence tools.
Why is the use of sales intelligence on the rise? The right technology allows you to:
- Learn about your customers and identify best-fit leads more easily, quickly, and accurately.
- Focus sales activities on sales-ready leads (and waste less time chasing dead-ends).
- Remove friction from the sales process caused by outdated or incomplete data.
The increasing adoption of sales intelligence tech has only been accelerated by the pandemic and the need to move traditionally in-person sales activities to the digital space.
To keep up with the competition, salespeople need to know what sales intelligence tools can do for them, the best options available, and how to choose the right fit.
The Best Sales Intelligence Tools for Prospecting in 2021
If you want to find the right sales intelligence solutions for yourself or your sales and marketing teams, you’ve come to the right place. These are our picks for the best sales intelligence tools for prospecting, including a mix of free and paid tools geared towards SMBs and small companies.
Ready to start selling smarter? These are the sales intelligence tools you should consider adding to your sales stack:
Datanyze: The Best Sales Intelligence Tool for Prospecting on LinkedIn
What It Does
The easy-to-use Datanyze Chrome Extension allows you to find the contact information on LinkedIn, so you can quickly build a targeted list based on factors like job title and company. Datanyze focuses on ethically-sourced, accurate B2B data, including email addresses, direct-dial phone numbers, and other details about your prospects and their companies.
Why You’ll Love It
It’s a quick and affordable option for sales teams that want to see results. Plus, it’s scalable and lets you access contact details in bulk—which saves you even more time for a faster prospecting process than ever.
Learn more about Datanyze features here.
Pricing Information
Here’s how Datanyze pricing plans work:
- Nyze Lite is the free trial version of Datanyze. You’ll get 10 free credits per month, so you can see exactly how it works before you commit.
- Upgrading to Nyze Pro gives you 90 credits per month and early access to new features for only $39/month (billed annually).
Bombora: The Best Sales Intelligence Tool for Prospecting by Sales Behaviour
What It Does
This prospecting tool helps teams identify new leads based on online behavior. By providing information on what companies are searching for online, Bombora helps identify sales-ready prospects who have already started their buyer’s journey.
Why Sales Teams Like It
Bombora helps sales teams understand buyer intent so they can prioritize leads most likely to be interested in their offer. Combined with the right sales process and contact verification process, this tool can increase sales velocity.
Pricing Information
- Bombora offers a free trial for new customers.
- No pricing information is listed for paid plans—which means users must contact the company to find out what they can expect to pay.
UpLead: The Best Sales Intelligence Tool for Building Targeted Lists
What It Does
This sales intelligence tool gives sales teams the ability to search for prospects and filter results by over 50 different characteristics. This includes the lead’s job title and company information, like size, location, and revenue data.
Why Sales Teams Like It
The search options allow sales teams to find a specific type of prospect, so they can spend less time searching for the perfect leads manually.
Pricing Information
- There’s a free trial for new customers.
- Paid plans range from $74/month to $299/month.
Additional Sales Intelligence Tools to Consider
DiscoverOrg
DiscoverOrg is a B2B sales intelligence company that cross-references buying signals, ideal customer profiles, and contact data to source high-quality leads. Sales reps can use this tool to speed up lead gen, build contact lists, and access insights about your potential customers.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
This is a fantastic tool for anyone who does sales prospecting on LinkedIn. Since it’s built by the social platform itself, Sales Navigator makes it simple to search for prospects based on job title and duties—so you can quickly create a target list of decision-makers.
Vainu
Vainu uses technology to find patterns in large amounts of data. The tool collects information about a prospect’s company and distills it into meaningful takeaways. This allows sales teams to find out what they need to know more quickly than sifting through information manually.
Leadfeeder
This sales intelligence tool helps you learn more about your website traffic—including where they’re coming from, what they’re searching for, and other details that can help you better identify qualified leads.
How to Choose the Right Sales Intelligence Tool for You
When it comes to choosing a sales intelligence tool for your sales team, what are the most important factors to keep in mind? If you still don’t know which solution is best for you, these are the green flags to look for.
Data Quality (Breadth & Accuracy)
The value of any sales intelligence tool is tied directly to the quality of its data. Remember, the best sales teams focus on quantity and quality—which means both data breadth and accuracy are crucial to upping your prospecting game.
Questions to ask:
- Where is data sourced from and how is it validated?
- Is the contact data ethically sourced?
- What data points are provided (contact data, demographics, firmographics, technographics, etc.)?
We understand the importance of knowing your data is vetted, safe, and compliant. That’s why Datanyze uses a combination of machine learning and human research to secure reliable data from trusted partners.
100% Compliance
Another crucial factor to consider when choosing a sales intelligence platform is data compliance.
Questions to Ask:
- Is the data compliant with GDPR?
- What about CCPA regulations?
Datanyze is committed to sourcing and securing data that is ethically sourced, safe, and aligned with all laws and regulations, including GDPR and CCPA.
Smooth Integrations
Your sales intelligence tools should integrate with other platforms your team is already using, like your CRM or sales automation. Before purchasing any new tools, review your existing sales stack to ensure there are no compatibility issues with your current workflow.
Questions to Ask
- Does it integrate with the other platforms your sales team is already using?
- Can you export the sales data easily?
For example, with Datanyze, you can seamlessly manage, segment, and export your contact lists.
Scalability
You need a sales intelligence tool that not only provides valuable insights but also has the power to do so at scale. Especially if you’re part of a fast-growing startup or high-revenue sales team.
Questions to Ask
- Does it work well with batches of data?
- Can it keep up with your sales team’s needs as you grow?
Datanyze makes it easy to search and connect with high-quality leads at scale. With the Datanyze Chrome Extension, you can capture contact details in bulk—so you get prospect email addresses and phone numbers faster than ever.
A Free Trial
This is an obvious one—any SaaS product worth its salt will let you take it for a spin before you buy. So, if you’re still on the fence about which sales intelligence software is ideal for your team, why not test drive a few of the top contenders?
Have you signed up for your free Datanyze trial yet? Get started with Nyze Lite today to see if it’s what you’ve been looking for!
