As a sales leader, you‘re always looking for ways to enable your team to work smarter, engage customers more effectively, and ultimately close more deals faster. With the wealth of sales technologies available today, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That‘s why we‘ve curated this list of the 31 most impactful tools for B2B sales teams to consider adopting in 2024.
But before we dive in, let‘s set the stage. The B2B sales technology landscape has exploded in recent years, with an estimated 1,200+ solutions on the market. The average sales organization now uses 10 different tools, with many deploying upwards of 20. And these aren‘t just "nice-to-haves" – sales teams that leverage technology effectively have a 79% higher win rate compared to laggards.
As you build your sales tech stack for 2024, it‘s crucial to focus on tools that deliver in three key areas:
- Productivity: Automating manual tasks and streamlining workflows so reps can spend more time selling
- Engagement: Enabling personalized, multi-channel outreach to connect with buyers on their terms
- Insights: Surfacing actionable data to help reps identify the right targets, prioritize efforts, and forecast accurately
With that framework in mind, let‘s explore the essential categories of B2B sales tools and some of the standout solutions in each.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
The CRM is the beating heart of your sales tech stack, housing all of your customer data and interactions in one centralized system. It‘s the foundation upon which all other tools are built. When evaluating CRMs, look for:
- Ease of use and mobile access to drive rep adoption
- Customization options to match your unique sales process
- Robust reporting to track pipeline health and rep activity
- Seamless integration with your other key tools
Our Top CRM Picks for 2024
| Tool | Key Differentiator | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Sales Cloud | Customizable platform with extensive ecosystem of apps | $25-$300/user/month | Large enterprises with complex sales processes |
| HubSpot CRM | All-in-one platform with free CRM at the core | Free-$1200/month (Sales Hub) | SMBs seeking inbound marketing and sales alignment |
| Pipedrive | Intuitive, visual pipeline management | $14.90-$99/user/month | SMBs with linear deal flow and focus on rep activity |
| Freshsales | Built-in phone, email, chat for high-velocity prospecting | $29-$125/user/month | Scaling teams needing an affordable all-in-one |
One CRM trend to watch in 2024 is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities like predictive lead scoring, intelligent opportunity insights, and automated data capture. Salesforce has been a pioneer here with Einstein, and other vendors are rapidly following suit. AI-powered CRMs can help reps zero in on the deals most likely to convert while minimizing tedious data entry.
Sales Engagement
Once your customer data is centralized in a CRM, the next step is implementing tools to help reps efficiently engage those contacts through personalized outreach across multiple channels. Sales engagement platforms have become a "must-have" for many B2B teams looking to build pipeline at scale. Key capabilities to look for include:
- Multi-channel sequences (email, phone, social, text)
- Personalization fields and dynamic content
- Activity logging synced to your CRM
- AI-powered optimizations for send time, content, etc.
Our Top Sales Engagement Picks for 2024
| Tool | Key Differentiator | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outreach | Advanced sequence building and AI-optimized timing | $100-$150/user/month | High-velocity SMB and mid-market teams |
| SalesLoft | Ease of use and fast onboarding | $125/user/month | Teams using Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics |
| Groove | Salesforce-native solution with advanced activity capture | $25-$110/user/month | Salesforce-centric sales orgs |
| Mixmax | One-click personalization and in-email lead enrichment | $24-$65/user/month | SMBs seeking affordable all-in-one |
Forward-thinking sales orgs in 2024 will leverage AI-powered tools to dynamically personalize outreach at scale based on prior engagement data, intent signals, and lookalike modeling. They‘ll also increasingly experiment with emerging channels like personalized video, chatbots, and social audio (e.g. "Clubhouse for Sales") to break through the noise and meet buyers where they are.
Sales Intelligence
Reps can‘t effectively prospect without understanding key details about their target accounts and buyers. Sales intelligence solutions aggregate data from across the web to build comprehensive profiles that teams can use for segmentation and personalization. Must-have capabilities include:
- Accurate, up-to-date contact and company data
- Detailed firmographics and technographics
- Buyer intent signals and surge alerts
- Direct integrations with CRM and sales engagement tools
Our Top Sales Intelligence Picks for 2024
| Tool | Key Differentiator | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZoomInfo | Comprehensive B2B database with 100M+ contacts | $3000-$25,000+/year | Fast-growing teams looking to scale outbound |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | Leverages LinkedIn network for warm intros | $79.99-$149.99/user/month | Social sellers targeting personas active on LinkedIn |
| Clearbit | Data enrichment API to power personalization | $199+/month | Teams with development resources to leverage data |
| LeadIQ | Prospecting workflow with human-in-the-loop validation | $60-$995/user/month | SDR teams conducting high-volume outbound |
In 2024, expect to see wider adoption of intent data and predictive scoring to help reps prioritize accounts showing active research and buying behavior. Real-time conversation intelligence that analyzes sales calls to surface customer needs will also become more widely accessible. And more teams will leverage data enrichment to hyper-personalize websites, chatbots, and other owned channels.
Sales Content Management
Content is the fuel that drives effective sales conversations, yet 60% of content created by marketing goes unused by sales. Sales content solutions aim to bridge that gap by making it easy for reps to find, personalize, and track relevant assets. Look for capabilities like:
- Central library with smart search and filtering
- Customizable templates and quick assembly
- Real-time collaboration and approvals
- Detailed content engagement analytics
Our Top Sales Content Picks for 2024
| Tool | Key Differentiator | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highspot | AI-powered content recommendations | Custom pricing | Large sales teams with diverse content needs |
| Showpad | Offline access and intuitive UX | $35-$100/user/month | Dispersed field sales and partner channels |
| Seismic | Personalized interactive content | Custom pricing | Complex enterprise sales with long cycles |
| ClearSlide | Robust sales content analytics | $35-$95/user/month | Metrics-driven teams focused on content ROI |
Forward-looking teams in 2024 will increasingly leverage AI to dynamically assemble hyper-relevant content hubs customized for each buyer interaction. Interactive content like assessments, ROI calculators, and 3D product tours will become more sophisticated. And real-time buyer engagement signals will trigger next-best-action recommendations to help reps deliver the perfect follow up.
Sales Forecasting & Pipeline Management
Accurately projecting future revenue has always been equal parts art and science for sales leaders. Fortunately, a new crop of AI-powered forecasting tools are helping to take the guesswork out of calling the number. Core capabilities to look for include:
- Activity-based models using real-time CRM data
- Deal health scoring with historical comparisons
- Scenario modeling to pressure test commits
- Pacing and pipeline coverage alerts
Our Top Sales Forecasting Picks for 2024
| Tool | Key Differentiator | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clari | Connected revenue operations platform | $1000s-$10,000s/month | Forecasting as a team sport across sales, success & finance |
| InsightSquared | Flexible, visual analytics across the funnel | $75-$150/user/month | SMB teams needing to level up reporting |
| Aviso | Time series forecasting informed by historical win rates | $60-$130/user/month | Enterprise orgs managing complex sales cycles |
| People.AI | Automated activity capture for forecast hygiene | Custom pricing | Eliminating spreadsheets and manual rollups |
In 2024, machine learning will increasingly be applied to every aspect of the forecasting process, from deal scoring to pipeline inspection to executive roll-ups. More teams will adopt a continuous forecasting mindset, using AI-powered insights to proactively coach reps and drive better deal hygiene. Advancements in anomaly detection and natural language processing will help flag at-risk deals and suggest corrective actions.
Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ)
For companies with complex product configurations and pricing structures, CPQ solutions are essential for speeding up sales cycles while protecting margins. They enable reps to quickly generate error-free quotes that comply with your unique business rules. Must-have CPQ capabilities include:
- Guided selling with dynamic product configuration
- Flexible pricing and discounting controls
- Automated approvals with an audit trail
- Self-service eCommerce portal for customers
Our Top CPQ Picks for 2024
| Tool | Key Differentiator | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce CPQ | Native to Salesforce CRM | $75+/user/month | Salesforce customers with complex catalogs |
| Oracle CPQ | Robust configuration visualization | $150-$400/user/month | Large enterprises with engineer-to-order products |
| Tacton | Powerful constraint-based configuration | Custom pricing | Manufacturing firms with intricate product rules |
| Apttus | End-to-end quote-to-cash solution | Custom pricing | High-volume B2B sales needing deep ERP integration |
Looking ahead to 2024, AI-driven guided selling will become more sophisticated, with recs based on deal parameters, customer fit, and firmographics. AR/VR product visualization will enter the mainstream for large ticket items. On the back end, blockchain-based smart contracts may start to automate performance-based pricing and revenue recognition in certain industries.
Key Takeaways
As a sales leader, investing in the right tools can make the difference between hitting your number and missing the mark. But with so many options, it‘s important to stay focused on the solutions that will drive measurable results for your team. As you evaluate your tech stack for 2024, keep these best practices in mind:
- Define your requirements based on sales maturity, process complexity, and integration needs
- Prioritize data integrity and avoid tools that will create information silos
- Consider TCO including implementation, training, and change management
- Maximize adoption by involving reps early and communicating a clear vision
- Measure impact by tracking leading indicators and tying usage to revenue
With the right tools in place, your sales team will be equipped to delight customers, crush quotas, and accelerate revenue growth in 2024 and beyond. At a minimum, every high-performing B2B sales org should have a:
- CRM to centralize customer data and interactions
- Sales engagement platform to scale personalized outbound
- Sales intelligence solution to identify target accounts
- Sales content hub to arm reps with compelling assets
- Forecasting tool to predict revenue with confidence
- CPQ solution to streamline complex deal configurations
While the sales tech landscape will continue to evolve and AI will unlock even more potential, never lose sight of the fundamentals. Ultimately, successful selling is still about establishing trust, understanding needs, and communicating value. The best tools in the world can‘t replace the human touch.
We hope this guide has given you a solid foundation to build a winning sales tech stack for 2024. Remember, technology is just an enabler – it‘s your people that will always be the most valuable "tool" in your revenue engine. Here‘s to your success!
