1. Salespanel (Sales and Marketing Alignment and Attribution)
We would start this list with our product, Salespanel. From the get-go, Salespanel’s goal has been to be a pluggable software and it plugs into your existing sales and marketing ecosystem. It is a lead identification, tracking, and qualification software that automatically captures your leads from different acquisition channels without any setup (forms, live chat, Calendly, email clients, etc.) and tracks their activities in real-time.
The activity tracking goes in-depth and tracks your leads both before and after sign-up for proper attribution. You will know who your leads are, where they came from, and how they engaged with your website and emails. A lead’s profile, firmographic, and behavioral data can be used to qualify leads using segmentation and lead scoring.
So, how does it work as a CRM module? Salespanel connects with CRMs like Hubspot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive and will automatically sync leads and their data to your CRM right from the acquisition. A lead’s behavior and qualification score are also synced in real-time to help your team stay updated about all lead information without leaving the CRM. This helps them know buyer motivation and prioritize leads with high intent to close more deals.
2. Clearbit Enrichment (Data Enrichment)
Clearbit Enrichment is a lead enrichment product from Clearbit that can add crucial lead data to your records on CRM. Clearbit will transform an email address into a full-fledged contact with details like name, job title, company, company size, revenue, etc. This helps you shorten your forms as the data gets injected directly into your CRM.
This data also helps your sales team segment leads based on demographics and lead characteristics like job role, revenue, industry, or company size. Leads can effectively be segmented and distributed to reps who specialize in each segment.
Clearbit provides highly accurate data and integrates well with CRMs like Salesforce. However, it can be a bit pricey for smaller companies.
3. Zendesk (Support Tracking)
In the current landscape of digital buying, customers for many businesses engage with support both before and after buying. For SaaS businesses, for example, people might need support while they are using product trials. If a lead’s problems are not solved and they have an open support ticket, a sales rep approaching the sale without this knowledge can negatively impact the deal.
This is where a CRM module for the support desk comes into play. Helpdesk products that support CRM integrations work in similar ways. Zendesk integrates with CRMs like Salesforce to sync support tickets with deals or contacts in the CRM. This ensures that sales reps are always aware of open or past support tickets related to any deal.
4. Aircall (CRM Telephony)
This CRM module is useful for companies where sales or account reps communicate with leads and clients over the telephone. A VoIP calling module allows reps to call prospects directly from the CRM and maintain recordings and call logs for each contact.
Aircall is a cloud-calling software that integrates with CRM and support software for seamless communication with prospects and clients. It supports leading CRMs like Salesforce and Hubspot and also integrates with Intercom to connect leads when they interact on your website.
Apart from Aircall, many other telephony tools and native CRM telephony plugins are available. Aircall is highlighted here for its pluggable format that works well with helpdesk tools, live chat tools, and CRMs.
5. PandaDoc (Document Management and eSigning)
When working on deals, sales reps need to manage documents such as proposals, contracts, sales collaterals, and other related files. A CRM module for document management helps track and store these documents within the CRM.
PandaDoc is a tool that supports this process by enabling document storage as well as electronic signing of contracts. This simplifies workflows for both reps and clients and helps close deals faster. PandaDoc integrates with popular CRMs including Pipedrive, Hubspot, and Salesforce. Other tools like DocuSign and Proposify can also be considered for similar functionality.
6. Salespanel Browser Extension / Yesware / Hubspot (Sales Email Tracking)
Tracking email interactions with prospects is essential for sales reps. Automatic syncing of email engagement data and cold email leads into the CRM enhances sales visibility.
There are three distinct functionalities you may require:
Using Salespanel’s browser extension enables tracking of email opens and link clicks from Gmail or Outlook, with data synced to the CRM. Tools like Yesware offer similar functionality. If emails are sent directly from the CRM, the native email tool must be used. For outbound campaigns, Salespanel can be connected to email marketing tools to create deals when leads show interest.
The choice of tool depends on how your sales team prefers to work and what level of CRM integration is required.
7. Mailchimp (Email Marketing Automation)
Email marketing software can integrate with CRMs to automate and personalize communication with prospects. Mailchimp is one of the most commonly used tools for this purpose.
Mailchimp allows businesses to leverage CRM data to trigger campaigns and segment leads. For example, its integration with Pipedrive supports highly personalized email campaigns for high-value deals. With Salesforce, Mailchimp displays lead activity and reports. Across most CRMs, Mailchimp syncs campaign data such as opens and link clicks directly into the CRM.
8. Zoho Books (Accounting)
For enterprise businesses, integrating financial systems with CRM is critical. Zoho Books is a widely used accounting software that works seamlessly with Zoho CRM and also integrates with CRMs like Salesforce.
With Zoho Books, teams can create invoices using CRM data, generate real-time financial reports, and automate accounting processes such as payments and expense management. An accounting module like Zoho Books helps align sales and finance operations, enabling teams to track and manage customer acquisition and revenue-related processes more effectively.