Sales

Sales enablement helps improve sales processes, and ultimately increases revenue and productivity by equipping sales teams with the right tools, knowledge, and processes to sell more effectively. To do so, you must keep up with the latest data and insights related to this function, allowing you to properly train and guide your reps. In this article, we dive into 22 sales enablement statistics you need to know in 2023. Sales Enablement Adoption Statistics When you invest in sales enablement tools, ensure the new technology is rolled out across your team or company and that the reps will really utilize it. The following statistics serve as your reference for sales enablement software market size, estimated budget for enablement, and its impact on buyer engagement. 1. In the past five years, there has been a 343% increase in the adoption of the sales enablement function. Takeaway: Companies are realizing the business value of sales enablement, as reflected by the staggering growth of the sales enablement software market. To increase the adoption of your sales enablement investment, launch a formal onboarding campaign and lead by example by personally showing your reps how to use new sales technology. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 2. 62% of companies have a dedicated sales enablement person, program, or function in place, while 25% still have no plans for one. Takeaway: Most sales organizations already have a dedicated enablement program, and only a quarter still has none. In addition, only 13% are planning to initiate an enablement program next year. If you belong to the latter, it may be time to assess your company’s need for an enablement function. If you already have one, make sure that you regularly evaluate and improve your program. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 3. 66% of companies have allotted a budget for sales enablement & 30% of those budgets are greater than $100,000 per year. Takeaway: More than a third of sales organizations still do not have an allocated budget for enablement. If your company belongs to this group, you can use the data in the same report as a reference for when you start planning for an enablement budget. You can follow the $100,000 annual budget or allocate either a higher or lower number, depending on the size and needs of your company. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 4. Teams with sales enablement techniques in place for more than two years are 48% more likely to experience high buyer engagement. Takeaway: Enablement supports sales teams’ efforts in cultivating and optimizing customer interactions. Its profound impact on buyer engagement is backed by data. This should serve as a solid motivation for sales companies to initiate an enablement process or maintain the one they currently have in place. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) Sales Enablement Impact on Win Rates Statistics Win rates represent the percentage of deals sales reps close in a given reporting period. Higher win rates are one of the benefits of sales enablement. The following sales enablement stats show how equipping your reps with the proper knowledge, skills, and tools can contribute to their increase in sales. 5. Practitioners who leverage a sales enablement platform for their sales teams report win rates that are 7% higher than those who do not. Takeaway: A 7% difference in win rates may seem like a small number, but it reflects the significant impact of enablement on reps' ability to close deals successfully. It also indicates the effectiveness of your sales messaging. Higher win rates mean more sales for your company. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 6. Enablement teams that focus on enhancing the customer experience have a 4% higher win rate than those that do not. Takeaway: You can improve customer experience by enabling post-sales roles and responsibilities. These include account management, onboarding, implementation, integration, and training on new product features. Working on these functions helps you improve your win rate. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) Sales Enablement Internal Drivers Statistics Sales organizations and teams encounter friction brought about by factors such as evolving market conditions and buyer expectations. Take note of the sales enablement stats below to anticipate your reps' challenges. That way, you will be better prepared to deal with these issues as they arise. 7. The top sales challenges sales organizations face are competitive pressure (60%) & time to sell (36%). Takeaway: Aside from competitive pressure and time to sell, businesses also face other challenges, such as customer retention, talent acquisition, new buyers, and ineffective sales content. These internal drivers often compound to make selling more difficult for reps. Knowing what problems to expect along the way helps you be one step ahead and develop strategies to address them in advance. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 8. Sales organizations are 25% more likely to engage in formal collaboration if they focus on broadening existing customer penetration. Takeaway: Expanding your customer base should be one of your top goals for sales enablement, as this will bring in more revenue. With this goal in mind, your company’s sales and marketing alignment should help make your deal and lead management processes smoother. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) Sales Enablement Revenue Performance Statistics The dynamics of sales have certainly changed in light of the pandemic and lockdowns that happened in the last couple of years. The sales enablement market has grown, and many businesses have adopted remote sales strategies. Take a look at the data below to appreciate the impact of enablement technology on the revenue performance of sales teams. 9. 64% of sales leaders who transitioned to remote sales in 2020 met or exceeded revenue targets, while 50% of those did not make a transition. Takeaway: During the wave of lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, sales leaders whose teams typically sold in the field were presented with a choice to enable remote work. Those who switched to hybrid or fully remote sales hit or exceeded their revenue targets. This signals a shift in how businesses will structure sales teams from this point forward. (Source: HubSpot) 10. The majority (65%) of sales leaders who outperformed revenue targets have an established sales enablement function. Takeaway: A dedicated enablement team is a crucial factor in the success of a sales organization. It is not just a center for rep support but also a proactive team that improves your team’s productivity. (Source: HubSpot) 11. 61% of overperforming leaders use CRM software to automate parts of their sales process vs 46% of underperforming leaders. Takeaway: Automating parts of the sales management process using customer relationship management (CRM) software like helps boost your team’s performance. This allows reps to focus more on selling activities instead of spending time doing repetitive tasks. (Source: HubSpot) Sales Enablement Tools Statistics Virtual selling has drastically transformed the dynamics of sales. Companies that adopted this trend early were technologically ready when the pandemic limited face-to-face meetings. More businesses are investing in technology to support their reps in remote selling activities. Below are a few sales enablement stats that point you to the most crucial tools and automations for sellers. 12. Sales leaders consider video conferencing software (47.99%) & CRM systems (13.67%) the most essential tools for success. Takeaway: In survey, most sales leaders ranked video conferencing software and CRMs as the most important tools for remote selling. Next in rank are sales intelligence (7.77%) and e-signature and document tracking (7.77%). Team leaders need to leverage these technologies to help their sales teams succeed. (Source: HubSpot) 13. The top sales processes that organizations are automating are meeting scheduling (42%) & content automation (40%). Takeaway: Sales leaders are trying to automate meeting scheduling and content automation first. These are followed by quote generation, meeting follow-ups, rep assignments, and lead scoring. Using a CRM like for automation improves sales rep productivity. It also helps companies save valuable time and money by reducing the need to perform tasks manually. (Source: HubSpot) 14. 54% of sellers say sales tools enable them to build trust & close deals with buyers. Takeaway: Before COVID-19 shook the world, sellers established trust with buyers during face-to-face meetings, trade shows, and dinners. Now, more sellers are leveraging sales technology to understand what their potential customers need. For example, you could use automatic profile enrichment to gain information about leads. This helps you anticipate their needs and objections before interacting with them. (Source: LinkedIn) Sales Enablement Content Statistics There are various types of content salespeople use to address prospects’ concerns, answer questions about their product or service, and convert prospects into customers. Enablement personnel is tasked with creating these materials for the sales team. Check out the data below to see which are the most commonly used and the most effective. 15. The top enablement content leaders create for remote sales teams are email templates (53%) & call scripts (39%). Takeaway: Based on report, enablement personnel now prioritize creating email templates and call scripts for their sales teams. Next on the list are pre-call checklists, product demos, customer testimonials, messaging templates, case studies, and informative blog posts. These guide what type of content you should create to enable remote selling for your team. (Source: HubSpot) 16. Weekly check-ins (68%) & call listening (34%) are the most effective sales coaching methods. Takeaway: When mapping out your sales team training and coaching plan, include weekly check-ins and call listening. Other coaching methods you could incorporate are call shadowing and email reviews. (Source: HubSpot) Sales Enablement Team Statistics Enablement has grown in popularity in the last few years as more companies realize its value. Take a look at the stats below to see if your own team is at par with the trend and to know its impact on quota attainment. 17. Sales enablement teams with over six members have increased by 63% year-over-year to nearly 50%. Takeaway: The size of sales enablement teams has grown over the last year. Some companies started with just a single team member assigned to this function and now have a team with over six members. This growth only shows that an increasing number of sales organizations are seeing the benefits of an enablement program. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 18. Sales enablement teams with at least six members report a 14% higher quota attainment than teams with fewer members. Takeaway: The size of a sales enablement team also impacts business results. If you want a higher percentage of quota attainment, you may want to add more members to your enablement team. Of course, you must consider your team’s budget before doing this. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) Sales Enablement Talent Management Statistics Enablement can help a sales organization develop the right talent, make onboarding more efficient, and increase rep engagement. Read the statistics below to see the impact of enablement on talent management. There is also data on the latest trends in performance metrics for salespeople. 19. Sales organizations that use enablement in their sales training efforts are 10% more likely to have high rep engagement. Takeaway: Use enablement during training, talent development, and onboarding sessions to prepare your sales reps for success. This helps empower them to constantly align their efforts with your company’s sales priorities. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 20. Sales organizations that utilize enablement in the talent management process have 32% less difficulty hiring top talent. Takeaway: Enablement can help improve your talent acquisition process. You can partner with human resources staff to help identify top sales talent. This practice can help you set up your reps for sales enablement success right from the beginning of their career with your company. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 21. When enablement is involved in reps' onboarding, the likelihood of experiencing high sales rep ramp time decreases by 26%. Takeaway: Onboarding programs led by enablement minimizes the time it takes for reps to become productive. Leveraging sales onboarding tools can also improve the overall onboarding experience of reps. All these factors contribute to the accelerated success of sales reps. (Source: Sales Enablement Pro) 22. The top metrics used to measure rep performance are activity quantity (37%) & customer satisfaction (33%). Takeaway: In 2020, the top metrics used to measure salesperson performance were individual quota, team quota attainment, customer satisfaction, and customer retention. In 2021, the pandemic caused a shift in the top performance metrics. Sellers are now investing more in retaining their customers and keeping them happy. Some send sales enablement survey questions to customers to learn what they like and need. (Source: LinkedIn) Bottom Line Sales organizations can see continued improvement in their business outcomes by implementing strategies based on sales enablement statistics. You can refer to the data in this article when mapping out your sales plan to increase rep engagement and consistent sales performance. Businesses need to be updated with the latest enablement trends to ensure they deliver impactful business results.

Account management customer relationship management (CRM) software lets businesses assist and engage clients after they’ve undergone the sales process and become closed business deals. Commonly used in business-to-business (B2B) sales, the best account management software offers features that allow users to communicate with contacts through phone or email and set up appointments. It also needs to store product catalogs, be able to manage invoices, and track previous account activity. We evaluated dozens of account management software products to oversee, support, and upsell current business clients. Based on our evaluation, the seven CRMs for account management include: Best overall: Best phone system: Best for overseeing account management teams: Best for CRM customization: Best case management features: Best product catalog features: Best free account management software: Best Account Management Software Compared *Based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for slightly higher rates. Zendesk Sell: Best Overall Account Management CRM Zendesk Sell Monthly Pricing (per User) at a Glance* Team: $19 Growth: $49 Professional: $99 Enterprise: $150 Free trial: 14 days *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Discover the best use cases and robust feature set of this platform in our full Zendesk Sell review. Freshsales: Best for Its Built-in Telephone Freshsales Monthly Pricing (per User) at a Glance* Free: Unlimited users Growth: $15 Pro: $39 Enterprise: $69 Free trial: 21 days Add-ons: Configure, Price, Quote: $19 per user, monthly for quote document templates, invoicing, and document activity tracking Additional bot sessions: $75 for 1,000 bot sessions per month for automated customer or lead support *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Explore the features of this CRM platform to determine if it’s the right solution for your business in our comprehensive Freshsales review. Maximizer CRM: Best for Running Account Management Operations Maximizer CRM Monthly Pricing (per User) at a Glance* Base Edition**: Starts at $55 (three-user minimum) Sales Leader Edition**: Starts at $75 (five-user minimum) Free trial: 30 days *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. **Prices indicated are just estimated starting prices—other taxes and fees may apply once subscribed. Zoho CRM: Best for Account Management System Customization Zoho CRM Monthly Pricing (per User) at a Glance* Free: Up to three users Standard: $14 Professional: $23 Enterprise: $40 Ultimate: $52 Free trial: 15 days Additional plans: Bigin: $7 for basic sales pipeline management Zoho CRM Plus: $57 for added help desk, email and social media marketing, survey, and analytics functions *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Learn more about this comprehensive sales management platform in our detailed Zoho CRM review. Salesforce Essentials: Best for Case Management Features Salesforce Essentials Monthly Pricing (per User) at a Glance* Salesforce Essentials: $25 Free trial: 30 days Add-ons: Sales Dialer: $5 for a built-in dialer with click-to-dial and call logging CPQ and Billing: $75 for price and quoting tools Social Intelligence: $25 for social media data collection and sharing Sales Cloud Einstein: $50 for AI analytics and automation Pardot: $1,250 per month for marketing and lead generation automaton Partner Relationship Management: $25 per user or $10 per login, per month for partner oversight features *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Dive into this platform’s rich feature set for small businesses in our full Salesforce Essentials review. Apptivo: Best for Product Catalog Management Appivo Monthly Pricing (per User) at a Glance* Lite: $8 Premium: $12 Ultimate: $20 Enterprise: Contact for pricing Free trial: 30 days *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Interested in learning more about this software? Head over to our comprehensive Apptivo review. Bitrix24: Best Free Account Management Software Bitrix24 Monthly Pricing at a Glance* Free: Unlimited users Basic: $46 (up to five users) Standard: $87 (up to 50 users) Professional: $175 (up to 100 users) Enterprise: $325 (up to 250 users) Free trial: 30 days *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly and quarterly billing is also available for a higher cost. Learn more about this platform’s full feature set in our comprehensive Bitrix24 review. How We Evaluated the Best Account Management Systems To determine the best account management system, we evaluated the specific features relevant to assisting business clients, communication with account points of contact, and tracking activity. A product catalog built into the CRM, for instance, helps account managers efficiently help a client navigate through various product or service offerings and monitor purchases to include on invoices. We also looked at other critical product attributes, including price, ease of use, and customer support. We found to be the best overall account management CRM system. It offers end-to-end account management solutions for activity tracking, communicating with clients through phone, email, and text, and data management. The system also includes a products and price books tool that lets users store product or service information to pull for upselling sales deals and when helping clients. Finally, Zendesk Sell is an easy-to-use platform offering multi-channel customer service for user assistance. The tabs below offer insight into our evaluation process of the best account management CRMs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is account management software? Account management software is a platform, usually a CRM system or equivalent solution, used to communicate with business contacts and assist clients in finding products, services, or other solution needs. It also helps oversee transactions with a business account through billing, invoicing, quoting, and purchase order features. Account management software is most commonly used by business-to-business (B2B) organizations to help support business customers and track account activity. Why should you use an account management system? An account management system helps account managers stay organized and more productive. It has capabilities, such as data enrichment, activity tracking, and product catalogs, specifically built to help them perform better and provide excellent support to their clients. Without those built-in features, account management teams must manually update client data, monitor prior communications and purchase history, and seek out product information from another source—ultimately taking more time away from other tasks and being more prone to error. Which is the best free account management software? Many account management CRMs on this list, including and , offer a free-forever plan that gives users access to certain features at no cost. , however, offers the best free account management solution. Its free plan supports unlimited users and comes with account management features, including contact management, product catalogs, and client activity planning. Bottom Line Account management CRM software helps account managers and businesses stay engaged with clients, assist their needs, and keep organized contact data and account activity history. While is our pick for the best overall account management software, other systems could better fit your business depending on features or product attribute needs. , for example, stands out for its solid system customization, while offers a free, built-in phone system.

Customer relationship management (CRM) software for the hospitality industry helps hotels, bed and breakfast homes, restaurants, and event venues market operate their businesses. Hospitality CRM systems come equipped with features for obtaining online customer reviews and guest surveys, scheduling reservations, and deploying automated marketing campaigns. The best leisure and hospitality software includes those capabilities and other essential CRM features. We evaluated dozens of hospitality CRM systems small businesses can use and identified the top six providers: Best overall: Best for hotel operations management: Best free hospitality CRM: Best for Salesforce users: Best event management system: Best hotel marketing software: Best CRM Software for the Hospitality Industry Compared *Based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for slightly higher rates. Revinate: Best Overall Hospitality & Hotel CRM Software What Users Say About Revinate Online reviews show users particularly like the audience segmentation and email marketing features for creating email campaigns. They also feel that managing guest reviews is simple and helps grow their business. However, one issue is users dislike the reporting features—indicating that while useful, some features are not intuitive to operate. Guestware: Best for Managing Hotel Operations Guestware Pricing at a Glance* Guestware Select: $112 to $513 per month Guestware Suite: $200 to $775 per month Guestware Plus: Contact for pricing *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. The monthly cost is based on the number of rooms in the hotel, ranging from 50 to 500 rooms. Freshsales: Best Free Hospitality CRM Freshsales Pricing at a Glance* Free: Unlimited users for basic CRM features Growth: $15 per user, per month Pro: $39 per user, per month Enterprise: $69 per user, per month Free trial: 21 days Add-ons: Configure, Price, Quote: $19 per user, monthly for quote document templates, invoicing synced to deals, and document activity tracking Additional bot sessions: $75 for 1,000 bot sessions per month for automated customer or lead support *Pricing is based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Want to learn more? Check out our Freshsales CRM review with deep insights on product features, usability, pricing, and best-for circumstances. Hapiguest: Best for Salesforce Users Hapiguest Pricing at a Glance* Hapiguest subscription: Starts at $4.80 per room, per year Implementation costs: $5,000 for optional implementation services Free trial: 30 days *Pricing does not include costs required to subscribe to Salesforce Cloud products. Tripleseat: Best for Events Management What Users Say About Tripleseat The most consistent positive attribute users describe in the reviews is the platform's usability. Most users say customizing and setting up the CRM and operating the CRM tools and functions is highly intuitive. As for the negatives, users feel the financial and payment processing features tend to be glitchy and that communicating internally through the platform is often difficult. eInsight Hotel CRM by Cendyn: Best for Hotel Marketing Features What Users Say About eInsight CRM Users of eInsight CRM love the email designer and marking tools—saying they are simple to use through its drag-and-drop functionality and intuitive system for setting up email automation triggers. Some users, however, struggle with customer loyalty management features, specifically when managing personalized guest data and trying to engage customers. How We Evaluated the Best CRM for Hotels & Hospitality Businesses To determine the best hospitality CRMs, we evaluated the specific features within the platform helpful in managing and marketing a hotel or other hospitality-style service. For instance, reputation management and customer feedback features let hotels easily obtain online customer reviews that could interest potential customers to book a location. Additionally, we assessed product attributes such as price, support availability, and what users say about each product. We found to be the best CRM software for hotels. It offers sophisticated features, including reputation management and an AI text messaging system for automated marketing, upselling, and supporting hotel customers. Additionally, there are omnichannel communication options that use customer data to deliver personalized campaigns and enrich guest profiles. Finally, Revinate offers a call center service that accepts room reservations using their agents when a hotel becomes overflowed or unavailable. The tabs below provide insight into our evaluation process of the best CRM software for the hospitality industry: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is a hotel & hospitality CRM? A CRM for hotels and hospitality businesses, such as restaurants, event venues, or caterers, is a platform that helps improve sales and marketing activities, operations, and the guest experience. For example, it would contain tools to help book reservations, maintain the facilities, obtain customer online reviews and feedback, and create personalized automated marketing campaigns. While a generic CRM system, such as , can be customized into a hospitality CRM, most hotel and hospitality software products are industry-specific. In other words, they are designed by the provider to offer features for the particular vertical it serves. What are the benefits of using a hospitality CRM system? While you can use a generic CRM and customize it into a hospitality CRM, that can take time and doesn’t guarantee the features will adequately meet your unique needs. Hospitality CRMs have features, like reputation and reservation management, and data fields within the system that are specifically useful for a hospitality business. By keeping all workflows and data in one system, you can stay better organized and keep sales, marketing, and operations activity all on one interface. Bottom Line Hospitality and hotel CRMs are industry-specific platforms that let users manage reservations, events, guests, customer service, and marketing campaigns in one system. While was our pick for the best overall CRM for hotel businesses, other products on this list could be better suited for your business, depending on your needs. , for instance, is the most cost-friendly CRM solution, while is better suited for other verticals within the hospitality space, such as restaurants and event planners.

Customer service analytics involves analyzing customer behavioral data and using it to discover actionable insights. This data gives you an understanding of your customer’s needs and expectations. Analytics also serve as a basis for improving service strategies, enhancing the customer experience, and increasing customer retention and loyalty. In this article, we break down the definition of customer service analytics, detail its benefits to a business, and share popular tools. Types of Customer Service Analytics Customer service teams use a combination of KPIs to measure the quality of their performance and identify areas of improvement. The information is also used to make decisions about staff schedules. For instance, if the metrics indicate a high volume of support requests during the weekend, the team manager might decide to add more staff on duty on those days. Both qualitative and quantitative data are needed to get a clear picture of their customers’ sentiments. Some business surveys ask their customers to rate their level of satisfaction with the support team and a follow-up explanation of why they gave such a rating. Below are some of the common customer service metrics businesses use to assess customer service performance: The Importance of Customer Service Analytics Customer service analytics gives business owners an accurate picture of the quality of their service. When used effectively, it can have a massive impact on improving an organization’s customer service activities, which could have positive benefits for business performance. It could also greatly contribute to exceeding and managing customer expectations as far as providing support is concerned. It can show granular details like a particular customer’s purchasing behavior, which agents can use to personalize servicing and offer products that are most likely to sell based on their interests. More than 70% of consumers believe companies should understand their history, so they don’t have to repeat themselves all the time. On the other hand, 68% of customers reported they will spend more money with a brand that treats them like an individual. Understanding trends like the duration of resolution or types of cases being raised can also provide insights into areas that businesses need to improve on. For example, it can provide insights into the lack of manpower if cases take a while to resolve or point to a particular issue if a specific concern keeps popping up from various customers. These insights are crucial as 76% of customers say they would switch to a competitor due to poor customer service experiences. Customer Service Analytics Use Cases Businesses need customer service data analytics to evaluate the quality of support provided to customers and other key stakeholders. The data you collect helps identify tactics working well and pinpoint issues you can improve upon. Below are some of the most important use cases of customer support analytics. How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Supports Customer Service Analytics When it comes to processing customer service analytics and turning them into actionable insights, using AI can prove useful since it provides recommendations based on actual data. Hence, AI-powered and machine-learning tools uncover valuable, real-time insights that formulate new business strategies and design better customer experiences. You can predict customer behavior based on previous actions, making your team better equipped to assist them in the future. Examples of Customer Service Analytics Tools There are different types of customer service analytics tools and software. Some of them are integrated into help desk software, while others come in the form of business intelligence platforms. Click on the tabs below to see examples of customer analytics example tools. Bottom Line Customer service analytics provide businesses with actionable insights on their support reps’ performance and customers’ needs. An effective customer service platform like Freshdesk offers built-in help desk analytics tools, helping you determine areas of improvement in both agent performance and customer experience. Sign up for free Support Desk plan or try out its omnichannel support package for 21 days at no cost.

Cold emails are marketing emails you send customers who have no previous connection with your brand to build a relationship with them. Success with cold emails hinges on your ability to entice the recipient to open and read your message and respond positively to your call to action (CTA). In this article, we explore how to write a cold email, including researching your prospect, designing your email title, pitching your value proposition, and crafting an enticing CTA. Cold Email Template Writing a cold email might not appeal to businesses that would rather approach warm leads. However, reaching out to people without a relationship with your brand can also yield great results. To write an effective cold email, download our free cold emailing template below: Here are the six steps to learning how to write a cold email for business as part of your lead generation strategy. We also included parts of cold email examples you can customize and make your own. 1. Research Your Prospect Studies show at least 50% of prospects being pursued by sales teams aren’t a good fit for that business. Before drafting an email message, research the leads you want to target. This helps ensure the prospect is a sound candidate for your offerings and that you have some contextual information to use in your email message. During the research phase, find any information about the lead that allows you to connect. Common examples include going to the same university, knowing some of the same people, working in the same industry, or being fans of the same sports teams. If you’re a business-to-business (B2B) seller targeting other organizations, make sure part of your research includes identifying the best person in an organization to reach out to. Simple Google searches and company websites can provide this information, and sometimes even have contact details. You can also use profiles to find the right person or a tool that offers lead data services, such as to acquire up-to-date email addresses. 2. Determine the Objective of Your Email You can use cold emailing to generate leads, qualify them, or both. Therefore, before crafting a cold email, identify a specific outcome you want to achieve due to sending the cold email introduction. This objective will influence your email’s subject line, introduction, value proposition pitch, and call to action. For instance, you may do a cold emailing campaign to create awareness about your business, which could be measured based on clicks through to your website or direct replies. You could be attempting to set up product demos, which would be measured by the number of appointments set. Your goal may be to qualify a lead by offering to send pricing, which would then be measured by the number of business proposals requested. 3. Design an Intriguing Subject Line The subject line is the first thing a lead sees once you’ve sent a cold email—whether or not they end up opening it. Additionally, 69% of email recipients report emails as spam solely based on the subject line, so it’s crucial to diligently craft this aspect of an email message. An excellent way to draw the recipient into opening the message is by mentioning something personal or familiar in the subject line. For instance, if you offer something time-limited, you can create urgency in the subject line. It is easier to catch the reader’s attention if you use their name in the title. For example, “[Contact name], Your Special VIP Deal From Us Ends Tomorrow.” There’s also the option to use questions in subject lines that look like they need to be answered by the recipient. Examples of this include “[Contact Name], Do You Want to Pay Less for Legal Services?” 4. Connect With Your Opening Line Assuming your subject line intrigued the lead to open the message, you are ready to attempt to complete your cold email objective. This starts with making a personal connection in the opening line of the message. Here is when the prospect research you did earlier comes in handy. Start your email by establishing trust through a connection or relevant observation. This can be anything from citing a mutual connection with another person or organization, complimenting them on something they recently won or created, highlighting a recent event applicable to them, or pointing out you’re both from the same area. The purpose is to show you care about the relationship aspect of sales and not just the revenue. Below are examples of some of the different ways you can connect with a lead in the opening line of an email: Citing mutual connection: Hi [Contact name], I saw your business is also a member of [organization name], so I wanted to reach out personally. Complimenting the recipient: Hi [Contact name], I couldn’t help but notice your company recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, so kudos on your success! Highlighting a recent event: Hi [Contact name], as you may have seen in the news, [industry] businesses like yours could be seeing a huge compliance change, so I wanted to be sure to connect with you personally. 5. Pitch Your Value Proposition After the personalized introduction in your cold email, present what your business offers. The key here is to be brief and to the point by only using a few sentences to communicate your offer’s value and an opportunity to highlight your business’ unique selling proposition. This should address both the challenges the lead faces and how your solution can help. Let’s take a personalized cold email example that would follow the second opening line connection example in the section above: "Anyway, I’ll be brief and to the point. We help small accounting businesses like yours improve client service and productivity through our unique software, which combines client management with bookkeeping automation. Is improving your operational productivity through process automation something you are interested in?" Notice that a question is used in this part of the email. Questions posed that have obvious answers are a great way to keep the recipient interested. In this scenario, of course, the person wants to improve operational productivity and automate when possible. Ending with a question is a perfect segue into the call to action. 6. Close With a Call to Action The final step is where you’ll prompt the lead to fulfill your objective. A positive response could be taking the next step by setting up an appointment or taking advantage of a free trial or demo offer. It could also be responding to your email or even remaining in the sales funnel as a new lead to be nurtured (vs opting out of your sales process in some way). Continuing with the example we started in the sections above, let’s assume that the objective is to schedule a product demonstration. Your call to action could look something like this: "I’d love to arrange a 15-minute product demo to show you the features of our software and answer any questions you have. When is a good time for us to connect in the next two weeks?" The call to action needs to include the next step and a command to get to that next step. For example, “Arrange a 15-minute product demonstration” is the next step. Meanwhile, “When is a good time for us to connect in the next two weeks?” is the command for the recipient to get to that step. If the call to action is initiated, the lead has moved to the next stage of your sales pipeline. Cold Email vs Cold Calling Writing a cold email that gauges the recipient’s interest is similar to writing a cold calling script in that the primary message will vary depending on your objective. There are also more similarities, such as trying to make a personal connection, pitching your value, and providing a specific call to action. In the case of cold emailing, you have the benefit of not needing to worry about improvisation (such as overcoming objections on cold calls). Plus, the message can be viewed, retained, and re-read by the lead at any time. The downside, however, is you don’t usually have the opportunity to get an immediate response, and there’s no guarantee a recipient will open, read, or consider your message. Best Tools for Cold Email Marketing In addition to helping your sales team craft cold email templates, those in sales management positions can also offer tools and resources to assist with cold email marketing campaigns. Sales enablement tools range in capabilities from expediting the cold emailing process or organizing information for cold email campaigns to sources for obtaining prospect email data. Interesting Cold Emailing Stats You Need to Know While there are times when cold calling may be the better play, ample evidence exists to support the effectiveness of using cold emails to engage prospects. This includes sending a series of emails over time to capture a lead’s attention or induce message recall and encourage them to take action. Below we share some of the most interesting statistics on cold emailing: 53% of marketers say email is the most effective channel for early-stage lead generation. Reply rates for sending one to three email sequences is 9%, while sequences of four to seven emails show 27% reply rates. There are some basic ways to increase the success of cold email campaigns. Some of them come down to best practices for business emails, while others (like the best day or time to send) may vary based on your industry or customer personas: Monday has the highest email open rate at 22%, while Tuesday has the highest click-through rate at 2.4%. 50% of emails contain 300 words or less, which makes sense since customers receive a lot of emails; hence, the more concise and straight to the point, the better. In addition to the basics, personalization also improves engagement, such as software that personalizes the subject line and greeting in an email with the recipient’s first name. Advanced personalization tactics are even more effective, such as content tailored based on interests, industry, or details you may have gained when obtaining lead lists, such as the software or vendors they use: Effective email copies generate an average open rate of 26% or higher. Campaigns with advanced personalization have 17% response rates. Choose quality over quantity when it comes to cold email prospecting. Segmentation is a critical factor in email marketing at every stage of the buying process, including lead generation: Those who segment email campaigns by demographics and behaviors see a 760% increase in revenue compared to those who don’t segment. Carefully choosing the right prospects helps boost reply rates—campaigns with over 1,000 prospects show reply rates of 2% compared to 40% reply rates for campaigns of one to 100. Bottom Line Learning how to write an excellent cold email allows you to introduce your business to prospects without having to immediately handle objections or unexpected responses. Creating compelling, personalized cold emails starts with proper research, setting objectives, and a subject line that interests your prospects. After that, success comes down to proper messaging and investing in the right tools to organize the process and make it more efficient―which ultimately helps sales reps close more deals and increase revenue.

Sales certifications verify that a sales rep, manager, or someone in a supportive sales role thoroughly understands a sales-related topic, such as a selling technique, framework, software tool, or sales strategy. Obtaining a sales certification from an accredited institution, like a professional association or well-known software provider, enhances individual knowledge of sales skills for better performance. Plus, it helps set candidates apart for job openings, promotions, and pay raises. Here are nine of the best sales certification courses you can obtain to accelerate your career, improve performance, and enhance the value you offer to your organization: Best Sales Certification Programs at a Glance 1. HubSpot Inbound Sales Certification Best for: Sales reps who want to improve their sales prospecting and lead qualification techniques Cost: Free Course structure: Five self-paced lessons and subsequent quizzes, along with 22 videos totaling three hours and 12 minutes Main topics: Sales presentations, running sales calls, lead qualification and prioritization, and identifying top prospects The inbound sales certification is one of the many certifications available on the customer relationship management (CRM) software provider’s website. The course primarily covers early sales pipeline management and how to properly prospect and qualify new leads. Like many other HubSpot certifications, the inbound sales certificate is free to obtain, and the modules can be completed in one sitting. 2. Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) Best for: Sales reps and managers looking to improve individual or team sales performance. Cost: $695 Course structure: Six-week (45 days) certification online course modules plus a final exam Main topics: Overcoming objections, creating solid sales habits, closing deals, and shortening sales cycles Offered by the , the CPSP sales certificate is an excellent option for anyone simply looking to enhance their own sales performance or an entire team’s. The courses dive into communication techniques, the stages of the buying process, and the habits of the top 1% of salespeople that can be employed to improve production. CPSP is designed to boost the confidence of reps and managers and implement proper behaviors that help top performers stand out. 3. Certified Sales Executive (CSE) Best for: Sales leaders looking to boost team production, collaboration, and goal attainment Cost: $989 Course structure: 15 chapters of self-paced video training, reviews, and a final exam Main topics: Sales and marketing strategies, goal management, team building, sales knowledge attainment, sales management responsibilities, and sales rep motivation CSE is administered and verified by . As the name suggests, they offer courses and sales certificates specifically for those in sales leadership roles. CSE participants can expect to learn all about overseeing the sales function of a business, as well as managing sales teams in terms of recruiting talent, fostering communication, motivating reps, and attaining sales goals. There are also chapters on leveraging technology and customer knowledge to improve performance. 4. SPIN Selling Certification Best for: Business-to-business (B2B) sales reps and account managers who want to close more deals by better understanding customer needs to propose and provide the proper solutions Cost: Must contact for pricing Course structure: Flexible options including a seven-week class in a virtual or in-person environment or options for self-paced, online modules and content Main topics: The SPIN selling technique and sales methodology and how it can be applied to real-life scenarios. The Situation, Problem, Implication, and Needs (SPIN) selling technique was developed in the late 1980s and focuses on the customer’s buying process to help understand their needs before selling a solution. , a sales, negotiation, and communication consulting firm, administers the SPIN selling certification after completing a seven-week course or self-paced modules. While all sales reps can gain value from the SPIN methodology, B2B roles, mainly account executives, can gain value from this sales certificate program to shorten the already long B2B sales cycle. 5. RISE UP Customer Service & Sales Specialist Certification Best for: Customer service and sales reps of retail businesses Cost: $125 Course structure: 14 total hours of self-paced videos, interactive online modules, and self-check quizzes Main topics: Retail customer lifecycles, assessing customer needs, customer engagement, and constructing retail sales resumes provides certifications and courses for numerous retail functions through their RISE Up program, including supply chain management, operations, and inventory. Additionally, they offer the retail sales certification titled Customer Service and Sales Certified Specialist. This online, low-cost sales certification is designed for retail business customer-facing positions. It covers concepts to understand your customer and products, as well as adequately communicating with them to satisfy their needs and close sales transactions. 6. Certified Professional Sales Leader (CPSL) Best for: Sales executives and business owners seeking to increase organizational revenue Cost: $795 Course structure: Six-week (45 days) certification course of online modules, plus a final exam Main topics: Building successful habits of a sales team, enabling sales reps with the proper tools and resources, and boosting performance through leading by example Also administered by the NASP, sales leaders, including sales managers, vice presidents, directors, and even small business owners, can get value from the . The courses deeply cover how to reinforce positive behaviors of reps for better performance, improve internal communication, provide reps with the right resources to succeed, and avoid outdated leadership styles. Ultimately, CPSL is one of the best sales certification courses for growing leadership skills and increasing your organization’s revenue potential. 7. Certified Salesforce Administrator Best for: Technology developers, CRM administrators, and sales enablement specialists Cost: $200 Course structure: Approximately 69 hours of self-paced course modules, an exam preparation course, and a final exam Main topics: Salesforce CRM system configuration, user management, and Salesforce CRM features This resume-boosting accreditation is both a top sales certification and one of our picks for best CRM certifications. It focuses on the technology side of a sales operation, specifically when using and managing Salesforce’s CRM platform. is one of the most sought-out certifications by recruiters for developers and system administrators because of its technical complexity. Participants learn everything they need to know about setting up , overseeing users and access, and operating all the modules within the platform. 8. Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP) Best for: Inside sales reps who want to better understand all the components of the sales process Cost: $875 for America Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP) members and $1,020 for non-members Course structure: 11 chapters of self-paced, online modules and videos, plus an exam totaling roughly eight to 12 weeks Main topics: Prospecting, lead qualification, handling objections, sales presentations, communication channels, and account management The offer an end-to-end curriculum that helps new and intermediate inside reps understand the entire sales process. It covers the beginning stages of a sales cycle, like researching and planning sales calls, as well as elements of the discovery, qualification, and sales presentation stages. Additionally, participants learn about handling objections, closing the deal, staying engaged with customers, and finally, territory and account management. 9. HubSpot Revenue Operations Certification Best for: Revenue operations managers and reps Cost: Free Course structure: Nine online modules and quizzes, along with 32 videos totaling six hours and 17 minutes. Main topics: Understanding revenue operations, managing service level agreements (SLA), mapping the sales process, managing revenue operations systems and resources, hiring and structuring your team This certification is relatively new and meant to adhere to a new organizational trend where companies combine sales, marketing, and customer success teams into a revenue operations (RevOps) function. The online program covers everything from building the RevOps team and resources to managing the day-to-day and aligning strategies. Like other courses, users can obtain the revenue operations sales certificate online for free. Benefits of Sales Certification Programs (& Stats) Taking learning courses and obtaining certifications for yourself and sponsoring company-wide training programs for your reps offers objective benefits to both employees and employers. Some of these include: Yields better individual performance and quota attainment: While multiple factors go into how a sales rep will perform, 58% of sales leaders believe sales industry knowledge can be obtained through training and certifications, which is a crucial indicator of a rep’s success. Forty-three percent also believe training is a significant factor in hitting sales targets. Improves employee retention: Sponsoring certification and training programs is a vital indicator of whether a rep stays with a company. Forty-seven percent of account executives have left an organization due to a lack of training opportunities. Faster career growth: Modern sales training and certifications offer better chances for promotions. One 2020 survey showed graduates of sales programs have a 50% faster career growth rate than non-graduates. Sources: Spekit Sales Education Foundation Bottom Line Enrolling in courses and training programs to obtain a sales certificate puts you in a better position to improve job performance, earn a promotion, and increase your compensation. Our picks for the best sales certifications serve as a guide to help employees within all sales functions. Many roles, including inside sales reps, account executives, customer success managers, and sales leaders, can use certifications to strengthen their skills and improve their qualifications for career growth.

Sales forecasting provides an estimate of the revenue your business expects to generate and the number of customers it will serve during a specific time period. These estimates may come from analyzing historical trends, forecasting opportunity conversions, or relying on your team’s existing sales knowledge. Sales forecasting enables you to better plan for budgetary needs and business growth. While many customer relationship management (CRM) software products offer built-in forecasting tools, your CRM might not, or your business may not yet be using formal CRM software. In either case, here are two free sales forecast templates you can download to create a one-year or multi-year report: Methods of Sales Forecasting Forecasting entails inputting factors into an equation to output a sales estimate. Depending on which sales forecasting method you use, internal factors such as past sales, current opportunities, and marketing campaigns influence the estimates produced. There are also external factors to consider, like the economic climate, market competition, and seasonality. The primary sales forecasting methods include historical trends analysis, conversion-based forecasting, and sales rep knowledge. How to Perform a Forecast in 5 Easy Steps Much of the process of estimating future revenue is taking the information you already know (historical sales, typical conversion rates, or expected deal values) and incorporating it into a mathematical formula. Once you have a formula, all you need to do is plug and play with different numeric factors to produce revenue calculations. Benefits of Sales Forecasting Estimated revenue predictions are important to incorporate in your sales plan for your business to grow. The insights sales forecasting provides offer tremendous value in budgeting, offering employee incentives, and scaling a business. Some of the main benefits of calculating future sales include: Having accurate data to back hiring requests or expand locations Being able to create a realistic framework for salary increase or bonuses Attaining a realistic overview of your year-on-year performance Being aware if you need to look for more business or clients to hit targets Being able to determine a healthy spending capacity Having proof for commercial lending underwriting Developing a sales forecast also allows you to be more realistic with your goals and have visibility if you need to exert more effort in converting leads to sales to reach your revenue targets. In fact, according to popularly reported figures, 97% of companies that implemented sophisticated forecasting processes achieved their quotas; only 55% of companies that didn’t use strong forecasting processes hit their goals. Meanwhile, those that leveraged a structured forecasting process increased their win rates by 25%. Forecasting in Sales Best Practices Forecasting sales offers a lot of advantages—especially in providing businesses with accurate visibility of their upcoming business performance. However, it must be done correctly to reap the benefits. Below we share some best practices sales teams should observe when doing sales forecasts. Have a proper and consistent forecasting system: Having an established system in place ensures that you process the correct data, while using the same system consistently will help provide more accurate forecasts based. Use current and updated sales data: Make sure that you are using only the most updated data. For example, regularly updating your pipeline and opportunities lessens the instances of overestimating your incoming revenues. Put proper team collaboration in place: Team collaboration is always ideal when doing forecasts as there are areas that one team member can spot which others may not. Having the sales team manager review forecasts also increases the chances of correctness and accuracy. Complement software usage with human knowledge: While forecasting sales lessens instances of inaccuracy, having an actual sales agent review and interpret the data gives businesses a more holistic and realistic view of their sales forecasts. Bottom Line Forecasting sales involves taking data you already possess and calculating a future outcome. These estimates are particularly useful for spending and growth planning. Businesses often use a CRM system to make revenue predictions as it’s already storing historical sales data and conversion rates. For those without a CRM, download and use our free templates or step-by-step process to perform your forecast.

White label customer relationship management (CRM) software is highly customizable and can be rebranded with your company’s logo, domain, and brand palette. It is often used for reselling, mostly by software or business consulting firms, and for developing an organization-specific CRM platform for a particular operation. The best white label CRMs will allow simple customization for modules that cover numerous business functions, including sales, marketing, and customer service. We evaluated dozens of white label CRM systems teams use widely and came up with the top eight providers: Best overall: Best choice for the finance industry: Best for end-to-end process automation: Best option for all-in-one business management:  (formally GreenRope) Best value: Best open source system: Best for CRM vendors: Best marketing white label CRM: Best White Label CRM Software Compared *Based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for slightly higher rates. ActiveCampaign: Best Overall White Label CRM ActiveCampaign Pricing at a Glance* Lite: $29 per month (up to one user) Plus: $49 per month (up to three users) Professional: $149 per month (up to five users) Enterprise: Contact for pricing (up to 10 users) Partner Program: 20-30% commissions (including recurring revenue), 25-55% plan discount depending on account volume Free trial: 14 days *Pricing is based on annual billing. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Pricing is based on the number of contacts stored. The prices shown are for 1,000 contacts. SalesPype: Best for the Finance Industry SalesPype Pricing at a Glance* Fully Loaded: $79 per month plus $25 per user, per month Enterprise: $2,499 per year White Label CRM (Annual): $2,499 per year (unlimited users) White Label CRM (Semi-annual): $1,300 per semi-year (unlimited users) White Label CRM (Quarterly): $685 per quarter (unlimited users) White Label Partnership Program: 40% commission for both SalesPype standard and white label accounts Free trial: 14 days *White label CRM includes additional costs for texting, voicemail, and additional domains. Soffront: Best for End-to-End Automation Soffront Pricing at a Glance Free CRM: Basic features only Marketing and Sales Software: Starts at $49 per user, per month CRM Software: Starts at $65 per user, per month Partner Programs Referral Partner: 20% commission on resale revenue Business Partner Program: 20% commission but costs $300 per month White-Labeled Program: 20% commission but requires a $2,000 upfront payment CompleteCRM: Best All-in-One Business Management System CompleteCRM Pricing at a Glance* Single White Label Account: $499 setup fee White Label: $599 per month Essentials: $5,000 setup fee Complete: $10,000 setup fee Free trial: 14 days *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. Bitrix24: Best for Price Value Bitrix24 Pricing at a Glance* Free: Unlimited users Basic: $46 per month (up to five users) Standard: $87 per month (up to 50 users) Professional: $175 per month (up to 100 users) Enterprise: $325 (up to 250 users) Partner Program: 50% commission from resale plus 100% commission from value-added services. Free trial: 30 days *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly and quarterly billing are also available for a higher cost. Learn more about Bitrix24 and all its excellent sales and marketing features by checking out our Bitrix24 review. You’ll get detailed insights on all the modules plus pricing, platform usability, and best-for use-case scenarios. OroCRM: Best Open Source CRM Vendasta: Best for Wholesaling Capabilities Vendasta Pricing at a Glance* Free: Limited features and users Essentials: $299 per month (up to two users) Professional: $599 per month (up to five users) Premium: $1,299 per month (up to 10 users) Custom: $2,499 per month Vendor Platform Cultivate: $499 per month Campaign: $999 per month Conquer: $2,499 per month *Pricing is based on annual billing. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost, as well as two-year and three-year billing for lower prices. AllClients: Best for White Label Marketing Solutions AllClients Pricing at a Glance* Starter: $29 per month (one user) Standard: $41 per month (up to two users) Professional: $66 per month (up to five users) Free trial: 14 days *Pricing based on annual billing; monthly billing is also available for a higher cost. White Label Partner Programs Refer-a-friend: $5 discount for friend and $5 monthly discount for referrer Affiliate Program: 20% commission on resales White Label Enterprise: Upfront fee to resell under a business’ own name and brand How We Evaluated the Best White Label CRMs To determine the best white label CRM systems, we evaluated the specific features within the platform, such as marketing automation, integration options, and reporting tools. We also looked at the level of customization and rebranding a reseller could complete when white labeling the CRM. Finally, we evaluated partnership programs in terms of commission opportunities along with other critical product attributes such as price and customer support. We found ActiveCampaign to be the best overall white label CRM. Not only does it come with excellent automation features such as drip email campaigns, lead scoring, and predictive sending, but it also supplies excellent white labeling capabilities. Developers, for instance, can insert custom logos and brand colors, and make the CRM accessible through custom URLs and HTML links. The tabs below offer insight into our evaluation process of the best white label CRMs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is a white label CRM? A white label CRM is a generic platform developed by a provider that lets businesses create a branded CRM for themselves or for reselling to other businesses. They are highly customizable in terms of data fields, features, and branding, and often are used to supplement marketing or sales consulting services to add more value to clients. What are the benefits & challenges of using a white label CRM? The main benefit of using a white label CRM is that you can customize the system to fully meet your unique business and data needs. Additionally, the CRM can be rebranded for your business and other organizations—letting you resell a CRM as part of a consulting or agency business. If you are a reseller as part of a marketing agency or sales consultant, you could generate additional revenue from commissions by the developer. One major challenge with white label CRMs, as you can see based on this buyer guide, is that most of them are pretty expensive since the developer is allowing you to rebrand them for other purposes. Another issue is that you have to design each white label CRM before you or a client can use the features. This can take a lot of time and effort, particularly if you don’t have the skills or experience to create a CRM system. What are the main features found in a white label CRM? What makes white label CRMs stand out compared to traditional CRM products is the customization and option for resale. For instance, most white label marketing platforms and sales systems let users add their own logos, brand palettes, automations, integrations, data fields, and other tailorable components of a CRM. Also, because of the use-case of white label CRM is for agencies to resell it, the provider often has a structured partner program that pays commissions and provides resources to the agencies. What’s the difference between a white label & an open source CRM? While both types of CRMs are highly customizable, there are a few differences between white label and open source CRMs, such as regarding rebranding abilities. White label implies the provider allows the product to be rebranded for reselling purposes. Additionally, most white label systems use low-code solutions, such as drag-and-drop functionality, the ability to upload logos like a file, and simple copywriting to enter information into the interface. An open source CRM, on the other hand, does not imply businesses can rebrand them for resale. Also, it refers to the specific CRM software code that is openly available for configuration and programming. Because it's referring to the code, open source is usually more complex and requires programmers and development/operations (DevOps) teams to tailor the CRM to their organization's needs. Bottom Line White label CRMs let organizations easily create a branded CRM with their data and functionality requirements. Agencies and businesses can also use white label elements, such as branding capabilities, to develop and resell a CRM system that meets their client needs. While ActiveCampaign is our pick for the best white label CRM, other products on this list may be the best for your business in terms of pricing or functionality attributes.