By G. Iuzbashev

| 6 Dec 2024

Call Center

Sales Software for Small Businesses: 11 Tools to Drive Productivity & ROI

Growing businesses often hit a wall when basic tools no longer match their sales ambitions. This is why over 90% of companies with more than 11 employees use sales software.*

This guide evaluates solutions that integrate essential features for teams of 3-50+ employees, focusing on scalability and ROI.

We analyzed platforms across customer relationship management, lead generation, sales automation, communication, analytics, and payment processing.

Our selection criteria prioritized integration capabilities, scalability features, implementation timeline, price-to-value ratio, and user adoption rates.

Ready to build the best tool stack for your business? Read on

Key Takeaways:

Growing sales teams need integrated platforms that streamline workflows while enabling seamless collaboration and automation.
Select software based on integration capabilities, implementation speed, and proven track record of successful adoption across similar-sized companies.
Successful deployment requires robust data synchronization and native integrations to avoid common implementation challenges that hinder business growth.

Why paying extra? Get CloudTalk with a 50% discount!

Sales Software for Small Businesses: 11 Best Platforms

Growing sales teams need specialized tools to boost productivity and close more deals. This roundup examines market-leading platforms that help streamline sales workflows, enhance customer relationships, and drive revenue growth.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM stands out for its robust free tier and seamless marketing integration. The platform helps sales teams track customer interactions while automating repetitive tasks.

Key Features

Contact and deal management with visual sales pipeline
Email tracking and scheduling with templates
Meeting scheduler with calendar integration
Custom fields and properties for lead scoring
Mobile app for on-the-go access

Customer Reviews

4.4/5 ⭐ in G2

The ability to create custom dashboards is something that’s really helpful for me. I can easily create tasks and ensure they are all easily followed up. Also, the number of integrations present makes this an easy choice for all sales CRM.

Avinash S., Sales SDR. Mid-Market

Top Use Cases

Lead nurturing and pipeline management
Sales and marketing alignment
Email campaign tracking
Customer interaction logging

Pricing

Marketing Hub Starter: $15/month/1 user
Starter Customer Platform: $12/month/user
Sales Hub Professional: $90/month/user
Sales Hub Enterprise: $150/month/user

Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM delivers enterprise-grade features at SMB pricing. The platform excels in process automation and multi-channel communication management.

Key Features

AI-powered sales assistant
Territory management
Advanced workflow automation
Built-in telephony
Real-time analytics dashboard

Customer Reviews

4.1/5 ⭐ in G2

The Zoho CRM interface is super easy to use. I can easily customize the dashboard with the most accessed features. I use Zoho CRM to manage my leads and contacts and track sales. I implemented the solution company-wide in less than 15 days as their support team and resources quickly respond to any queries. We have integrated the CRM with Slack and Google Cloud for easy collaboration and reporting. Zoho CRM offers excellent contact management that helps us regularly follow up with potential customers and nurture leads.

Nyjil N., Talent and Technology Strategist. Small-Business

Top Use Cases

Sales process automation
Territory and pipeline management
Multi-channel customer engagement
Performance tracking

Pricing

Standard: $14/user/month
Professional: $23/user/month
Enterprise: $40/user/month
Ultimate: $52/user/month

Lead Generation and Prospecting Tools

Apollo.io

Apollo.io combines a vast B2B database with intelligent prospecting tools, enabling targeted outreach at scale.

Key Features

250M+ contact database
Automated email sequences
LinkedIn integration
Intent data and scoring
Chrome extension

Customer Reviews

4.8/5 ⭐ in G2

I especially appreciate its search filters, which make it easy to narrow down leads based on specific criteria like job titles, location, and company size. Integrating CRM tools like Salesforce and HubSpot is seamless, helping keep data up-to-date across platforms without manual entry. Apollo’s email automation feature is also a great time-saver, enabling personalized outreach at scale and tracking open rates, replies, and follow-ups, making optimizing campaigns based on real data easier.

Natalia B., Marketing Specialist. Mid-Market

Top Use Cases

B2B lead generation
Sales intelligence
Account-based marketing
Email outreach campaigns

Pricing

Free: Basic features
Basic: $49/user/month
Professional: $79/user/month
Organization: $119/user/month

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Sales Navigator unlocks LinkedIn’s professional network for targeted prospecting and relationship building.

Key Features

Advanced lead search filters
Real-time prospect alerts
InMail credits
CRM integration
Lead recommendations

Customer Reviews

4.3/5 ⭐ in G2

It’s a salesperson’s delight. The tool is a core/ must-have for all in a sales team – SDR, AE, AM, and Team leads. The ability to map accounts, see buyer’s intel for your focus accounts, intelligent account maps, and so much more makes a salesperson’s job easy and reduces manual work. Inmails is an added benefit. I use it every day, and it’s my go-to tool for account reach-out.

Nalini K., Sales Manager. Mid-Market

Top Use Cases

Account-based selling
Social selling
Lead research
Competitive intelligence

Pricing

Core: $79.99/user/month
Advanced: $135/user/month
Advanced Plus: $1,600/year

Sales Automation Tools

Pipedrive

With robust sales automation capabilities, Pipedrive focuses on visual pipeline management and deal tracking.

Key Features

Customizable sales pipeline
Email integration
Revenue forecasting
Web forms
Mobile CRM app

Customer Reviews

4.3/5 ⭐ in G2

I have been involved in residential property sales for the past 36 years, before digital technology took over the property industry. I have seen many CRM systems for real estate brokers and estate agents. PipeDrive is one of the most user friendly and adaptable of systems that I have experienced. I use PipeDrive every day, which has improved my work’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Dubai P., Real Estate / Property Consultant. Small-Business

Top Use Cases

Deal management
Sales forecasting
Team collaboration
Activity tracking

Pricing

Essential: $14/user/month
Advanced: $34/user/month
Professional: $49/user/month
Power: $64/user/month
Enterprise: $99/user/month

Outreach

Outreach optimizes sales engagement through AI-powered automation and analytics.

Key Features

AI-powered sequence automation
Conversation intelligence
Team performance analytics
Multi-channel engagement
Buyer sentiment analysis

Customer Reviews

4.3/5 ⭐ in G2

I love that we integrated the Kaia plugin. Being able to record calls and go back and review has helped everyone on our team learn and stay up to date. Additionally, I enjoy the open, click etc. metrics for each email/sequence to help me improve my outreach.

Kelly R., Business Development Associate. Mid-Market

Top Use Cases

Sales engagement
Pipeline acceleration
Team coaching
Revenue forecasting

Pricing

Engage: Custom pricing
Call (Voice package): Custom pricing
Meet: Custom pricing

Communication and Dialer Tools

CloudTalk: AI Call Center Software

CloudTalk leverages AI-powered insights and seamless CRM integration to enhance your sales calls. New users achieve proficiency within 2 hours, while management gains immediate access to actionable analytics.

Key Features

AI call center analytics and coaching
International number coverage
Automated call distribution
Real-time performance dashboards
Power dialer campaigns
Native CRM integrations

Customer Reviews

4.3/5 ⭐ in G2

Call recordings are easy to find, allowing users to quickly access past conversations. This feature is essential for quality assurance, training, and compliance. The ease of accessing and managing call recordings on CloudTalk simplifies follow-ups and allows teams to focus on delivering better service without time wasted on digging through files. WhatsApp Integration is a key feature that we frequently use to contact our customers

Steven M., Sales Manager. Small-Business

Top Use Cases

Outbound sales campaigns
Lead qualification
Customer support
International expansion

Pricing

Lite $19/user/month (Available only for North America)
Essential: $25/user/month
Expert: $50/user/month
Custom: Custom pricing

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Gong

Gong analyzes sales conversations using AI to improve team performance and deal outcomes.

Key Features

AI-powered conversation intelligence
Deal pipeline analytics
Competitor mention tracking
Customer engagement scoring
Team coaching insights

Customer Reviews

4.8/5 ⭐ in G2

Gong has made a huge difference for our sales team. It’s great for reviewing calls, spotting what works, and learning from each other. I love how it highlights things like talk time and objections so we can really understand our calls. Plus, it connects with our CRM so everything’s in one place. It’s been super helpful for improving our approach and closing deals faster.

Cameron H., Senior Account Executive. Mid-Market

Top Use Cases

Sales coaching
Deal risk analysis
Best practice sharing
Revenue intelligence

Pricing

Custom pricing for all plans

Salesforce Sales Cloud

Sales Cloud offers comprehensive sales management with extensive customization options.

Key Features

Account/contact management
Opportunity tracking
Einstein AI insights
Territory management
Mobile app

Customer Reviews

4.4/5 ⭐ in G2

The best thing about the Salesforce Sales cloud is the access to all information regarding accounts in my base. I am able to use this information to engage with my customers, keep track of revenue, look at future opportunities, track meetings and also review my day to day activities. This allows me to provide excellent support to my clients and communicate internally without having to run around to find bits and pieces of information.

Sherahn H., Customer Success Manager. Enterprise

Top Use Cases

Pipeline management
Sales forecasting
Team collaboration
Performance tracking

Pricing

Starter: $25/user/month
Pro: $100/user/month
Enterprise: $165/user/month
Unlimited: $330/user/month
Einstein 1 Sales: $500 user/month

QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online streamlines payment processing and financial tracking for sales teams.

Key Features

Invoice customization
Payment processing
Expense tracking
Sales tax automation
Multi-currency support

Customer Reviews

4/5 ⭐ in G2

I love that quickbooks is extremely user friendly. I love that its easy to sync up bank and credit card transactions. I love how easy it is to implent in our company. Its perfect for daily use.

Billie H., Small Business Owner. Construction

Top Use Cases

Invoice management
Payment processing
Revenue tracking
Financial reporting

Pricing

Simple Start: $10/month
Essentials: $19/month
Plus: $29/month
Advanced: $70/month

FreshBooks

FreshBooks combines invoicing with client management tools for service-based businesses.

Key Features

Time tracking
Project management
Client portal
Double-entry accounting
Recurring invoices

Customer Reviews

4.5/5 ⭐ in G2

I love that this product is easy to set up and use. I have a need to track time to the minute, and this makes it simple. I need to see my reports by time, and be able to separate projects within clients by time. This also allows for easy invoicing and ease of keeping track of those invoices. I don’t need every function under. the sun. What it does, it does well for me at a reasonable price. I’ve had one minor issue to connect with customer support, and they were super responsive. This has been a reliable tool for my business. I use it every day.

Kim I., Founder. Small-Business

Top Use Cases

Service billing
Time tracking
Expense management
Client collaboration

Pricing

Lite: $15/month
Plus: $30/month
Premium: $55/month

Maximize Sales Software ROI Through Strategic Implementation

Less than 40% of companies fully implement CRM systems due to manual data entry burdens and integration challenges*.

Successful deployment requires careful planning and team buy-in. Focus on solutions with automated data capture, native integrations, and intuitive interfaces to avoid common implementation pitfalls.

Start with core functionality and expand systematically. The key to success lies in mapping out your team training timeline, integration requirements, data migration strategy, user adoption metrics, and clear success benchmarks before deployment begins.