It additionally presents highly effective filters that allow you to slender down prospects primarily based on trade, firm measurement, job title, and even intent-based information. It comes with LinkedIn integration, so discovering and reaching out to the best shopper is fairly environment friendly.
Apollo.io additionally excels in e mail outreaches. It would not simply present verified emails; it additionally helps personalize and schedule outreach campaigns. The built-in sequencing instrument signifies that I haven’t got to depend on a number of instruments for chilly emails. And one of the best half? It tracks all the pieces. I can see when somebody opens an e mail or clicks a hyperlink.
Whereas Apollo.io places you on the market and bolsters your outreach, there are additionally just a few downsides. Whereas it presents all {that a} gross sales workforce wants, the pricing is a little bit tough. The credit score system for e mail lookups and LinkedIn extensions signifies that you need to be strategic in regards to the credit. I want there have been extra versatile pricing choices for cell quantity entry – it feels a bit steep for unbiased customers.
One other factor that G2 customers talked about was the dearth of lead textual content messaging skills. With so many gross sales groups incorporating SMS into outreach technique, it seems like Apollo.io ought to have capitalized right here as properly. And in case you are on a lower-tier plan, some restrictions, just like the 25-emails-per-day restrict, will be irritating.
Total, in case you are in search of a viable outreach and e mail advertising answer, then it is best to select Apollo.io because it has one of the best in-house options for you.
What I like about Apollo.io:
- I cherished the built-in granular analytics for e mail outreaches; the stories had been correct and to the purpose.
- I additionally appreciated how Apollo.io helps establish excellent shopper profile (ICP) utilizing numerous filters like Income, Job titles, opponents, and many others.
What do G2 Customers like about Apollo.io:
“Inside solely two months have already got pushed new enterprise. It slotted into my workflow very simply and was an instantly impactful addition. The entire data could be very searchable and actionable. I’ve used this each day, and workforce members are additionally keen to make use of it for his or her workflows. My firm appreciates that it implements properly with salesforce and different applications, as we glance to deploy at scale throughout the group it’s going to make this course of simpler.”
– Apollo.io Evaluation, Joey L.
What I dislike about Apollo.io:
- I seen that typically, even “verified emails” bounce or are invalid, which signifies that the e-mail data requires some work.
- I discovered that Apollo.io will be inconsistent in offering information accuracy, significantly with job data and titles, affecting marketing campaign high quality.
What do G2 customers dislike about Apollo.io:
“It would not deal with all use instances for present contacts/clients – a number of the contact assortment automation is proscribed, comparable to pulling related contacts to approaching alternatives that we might like to make use of to automate speaking upcoming renewals.”
– Apollo.io Evaluation, Lachlan C.
5. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a gross sales engagement platform that builds customized e mail outreach and drip campaigns and improves conversion metrics, all from a unified platform.
It presents a definite degree of management and customization for e mail advertising, buyer segmentation, and CRM automation, which is one thing I have not seen on many platforms.
One factor I completely love is how versatile the automation builder is. Whether or not I’m setting a easy welcome sequence or a posh multi-setup workflow, it automates follow-ups and notifications primarily based on previous actions.
The automation flowchart makes it simple to visualise the place every contact is within the funnel. With integrations into instruments like ClickFunnels, Kajabi, and EverWebinar, it turns into a powerhouse for managing buyer journeys.
ActiveCampaign additionally does a strong job of giving me information relating to open charges, click-through charges, and automation efficiency. The truth that I can preview emails inside the automation workflow prevents me from juggling between a number of platforms.
Whereas most individuals know ActiveCampaign as an e mail advertising instrument, the built-in CRM is surprisingly highly effective. It permits for detailed contact monitoring, deal pipelines, and automatic lead scoring, making managing gross sales funnels seamless.
Nonetheless, every instrument has its drawbacks, and ActiveCampaign can enhance in some methods. The interface, whereas highly effective, can really feel a bit clunky, particularly for freshmen. A ton of performance is packed into the platform, which may typically really feel a little bit overwhelming.
In case you are simply beginning out with ActiveCampaign, anticipate a studying curve on methods to use it correctly. Additionally, buyer assist will be hit and miss.
Some G2 customers really feel that ActiveCampaign can work on the branding on varieties and emails within the Lite model. It’s kind of limiting in case you attempt to maintain all the pieces clear {and professional} with the lite model. Whereas importing contacts is usually easy, I’ve run into points the place clean fields overwrite present information, which requires guide enhancing.
That stated, ActiveCampaign is an end-to-end automation and marketing campaign administration platform that improves gross sales engagement and lead administration workflows and integrates gross sales and advertising operations.
What I like about ActiveCampaign:
- I cherished the client assist workforce at ActiveCampaign. They’re extremely quick and prioritize your queries.
- I additionally appreciated the simple and intuitive e mail codecs that generate chilly emails with out disrupting the automation workflow.
What do G2 Customers like about ActiveCampaign:
“ActiveCampaign is an unimaginable platform that could be very simple to make use of. It has a number of capabilities for automated journeys and one-off eDMs. I additionally love that we will save our Outlook emails with supporters on AC so the entire workforce is aware of what’s occurring.
There’s additionally superb buyer assist that we will use at any time when we’d like it (not that we’d like it usually). I exploit ActiveCampaign each single day at work and can proceed to take action!”
– ActiveCampaign Evaluation, Cassie F.
What I dislike about ActiveCampaign:
- I had some issue dealing with a number of automation as a result of I used to be confused, and I could not take note of the impact on the client.
- The stories function is a bit obscure till you actually study the platform or attend a tutorial.
What do G2 customers dislike about ActiveCampaign:
“I believe they’re weakest in gross sales/shopper follow-up instruments. Managing Offers and actions with contacts (making calls, sending emails, and many others) is sort of cumbersome, and having good visibility of what’s occurring is tough.
I additionally assume the best way of dealing with contact lists and unsubscribes isn’t optimum, and the automations lack some primary functionalities (e.g., updating contact/deal data with dynamic values).
– ActiveCampaign Evaluation, Felipe S.
6. Immediately
Immediately presents a lead era and advertising platform to personalize engagement, run advertising campaigns, and keep energetic in gross sales communication.
Establishing Immediately was very simple. It is not nearly blasting emails; it ensures they land the place they’re alleged to, i.e., in inboxes and never spam folders.
Immediately’s backend optimization is proficient in dealing with e mail followups and warmups, and I noticed a noticeable charge of distinction between it and different platforms.
What I really like most about Immediately is the built-in analytics. I get a transparent view of how my campaigns are performing, who’s opening, who’s clicking, and who’s ghosting me. It is like having an insights dashboard that truly offers me actionable information.
It additionally has a really streamlined strategy to marketing campaign administration and lead attribution. I can simply arrange sequences, tweak followups, replace or modify content material, and automate all the pieces, which saves me a ridiculous period of time.
Additionally, the assist workforce is extremely top-notch—responsive, useful, and really understands their very own product (which is not all the time the case with SaaS assist groups).
Nonetheless, there have been a few misses as properly. Whereas Immediately does combine with some instruments, I want they’d develop their integration choices. I would love deeper connections past the standard options or transfers with CRM platforms.
Some G2 customers weren’t proud of their tagging system. Whereas it really works, they nonetheless really feel there may be a fair higher method to handle and arrange my leads. I additionally felt that marketing campaign filtering might be a little bit higher as typically all I would like is to have a transparent and uninterrupted view of my marketing campaign metrics.
Total, Immediately is likely one of the most adaptive and workable gross sales engagement instruments. It may well pivot your offers in the direction of conversion and maintain monitor of latest and present advertising campaigns.
What I like about Immediately:
- I like how responsive and well-organized the UI/UX is, with many easy-to-understand options and self-explanatory elements.
- It additionally made launching an e mail marketing campaign simple and easy for me as a result of it presents “done-for-you” e mail accounts, saving me plenty of time.
What do G2 Customers like about Immediately:
“Plain and easy, the #1 within the outreach sport. I’ve been learning chilly outbound reachouts for the previous 12 months, and each single highway I took to find data about this matter led me to Immediately. They’ve a revolutionary instrument that simply constantly retains rising. I additionally need to point out their buyer assist, because it actually is likely one of the most responsive groups on the market. I log into my account each single day and am consistently in search of methods to enhance, for which they’ve additionally supplied materials. Its interface is tremendous simple to make use of; anybody might use it.”
– Immediately Evaluation, George N.
What I dislike about Immediately:
- I want I might filter leads inside campaigns higher for extra focused and fast prospecting and segmentation.
- I couldn’t discover plenty of details about when precisely the emails would exit throughout my early days, which created a little bit confusion.
What do G2 customers dislike about Immediately:
“I want there have been extra superior customization choices to tailor the platform to particular wants. Sometimes, I discover that some options lack the flexibleness I’m in search of. Moreover, enhancing the reporting and analytics part with extra detailed insights would assist fine-tune my campaigns even additional. Additionally, please replace the app. Make it extra feature-rich.”
– Immediately Evaluation, Jordan M.
7. Salesloft
Salesloft supplies built-in multi-channel advertising options and AI automation to empower gross sales and advertising groups to handle leads higher and enhance their income.
After spending a while evaluating Salesloft, I’ve to confess that it has some severe plusses. At its core, Salesloft is an outbound advertising and gross sales instrument that permits your client-facing groups to construction and arrange gross sales accounts. It additionally helped me handle cadences.
I now not have to fret about setting follow-ups or updating lead levels. Salesloft retains all the pieces organized and automates outreach and shopper nudges. The AI simply works in tandem with all of the operations. It predicts when my prospects are most probably to interact and even suggests e mail templates primarily based on previous interactions.
I actually respect how properly it integrates with Salesforce. With the sync, it’s simpler for me to view all my actions in a single place and take care of gross sales queries neatly. The superior analytics dashboard supplies insightful metrics like open charges, click on charges, or name conversion to investigate what’s working and what’s not.
Having stated that, it’s not all the time up and up. Establishing Salesloft was a little bit complicated. The interface is not all the time as intuitive as I would like, and I discovered myself clicking via a number of menus simply to tweak cadences.
Additionally, whereas the AI-driven suggestions are useful, they don’t seem to be all the time spot on. Generally, the suggestions did not make a lot sense for the gross sales prospect.
However, having stated that, Salesloft caters to varied gross sales groups and supplies data-driven and customized account-based automation to drive fast gross sales progress.
What I like about Salesloft:
- I cherished the way it allowed me to start out work every single day with a transparent set of duties and objectives to assist me keep up to date.
- I discovered that it seamlessly syncs with Salesforce and supplies customized shortcuts to simplify outreach and enhance productiveness.
What do G2 Customers like about Salesloft:
“I completely love cadences and the way simple it’s to create them for focused use and constant messaging. I am not essentially the most organized particular person, so making certain I’m making outreaches with correct spacing and messaging is superb. Having the ability to hear again to my calls was one thing I by no means thought can be so useful from each an information perspective but additionally from a training perspective. The analytics is simply the correct amount, exhibiting you ways your efforts stack up towards your friends. Perception into cadence efficiency comparable to variety of views, clicks or replies, and prospects exhibiting curiosity.”
– Salesloft Evaluation, Kevin S.
What I dislike about Salesloft:
- I want there have been extra exhaustive design layouts and e mail templates on Salesloft to personalize emails higher.
- I did not discover it intuitive or user-friendly, particularly at first. The setup course of took plenty of time.
What do G2 customers dislike about Salesloft:
“It has considerably improved our gross sales course of by serving to us have interaction with prospects extra effectively. I like that the platform is easy, and the cell app and browser extension are very useful in monitoring notifications and updates. Additionally they seamlessly combine with different instruments like Gmail, LinkedIn, and ZoomInfo.”
– SalesLoft Evaluation, Clifford T.
8. Clari
Clari is a income era instrument that gives a hen s-eye view of energetic gross sales pipelines, predictive analytics, and gross sales patterns and traits to capitalize on received offers.
In case you scramble via spreadsheets and second-guess your efforts, Clari is an having an AI-powered gross sales coach that personalizes interactions. It helped me remove the guesswork out of forecasting and crunch numbers in actual time, so I do know which offers are shifting, which of them are caught, and which of them are more likely to shut.
One of many issues I really like most about Clari is that it integrates with Salesforce. It pulls in information mechanically, cleans up inconsistencies, and updates CRM effortlessly.
Clari units gross sales automation in order that I haven’t got to spend time mindlessly updating lead levels or partaking in guide CRM exercise. That drives my focus to precise promoting. The system additionally proactively nudges me about deal dangers and AI-driven gross sales projections and even suggests subsequent steps primarily based on previous interactions.
I additionally need to spotlight Clari’s “forecasting engine” that improves the likelihood of scoring a deal. It simply would not present me what’s occurring now- it predicts the place my numbers are headed primarily based on historic information and present deal exercise.
I may also see my complete income funnel at a look, from the early levels to closed offers. Clari additionally supplies correct contact data drilled all the way down to essentially the most granular degree. And in case you work on a management workforce that consistently asks for up to date projections, Clari presents a one-view analytical dashboard for you.
Some G2 customers talked about that whereas the sync with Salesforce is usually strong, it may well typically be a bit sluggish. In case you want real-time updates on each little change, it’d take a while.
Additionally, I want the stories had been a bit extra customizable in order that they may match my workflows. And whereas the AI insights are nice, it will be even higher if Clari supplied extra prescriptive suggestions relatively than simply pointing to duties.
All in all, Clari is a strong income administration and gross sales engagement platform that displays your lead era workflows and offers you a prediction for income progress.
What I like about Clari:
- I like that I can create and ship 1000’s of emails in bulk every single day and that Groove assist is all the time there to reply rapid queries.
- I did not have a tough time understanding and studying Clari because it was extraordinarily user-friendly and intuitive.
What do G2 Customers like about Clari:
“I like how Clari integrates with Salesforce and makes updating and managing my offers simple. The chance grid is especially helpful as a result of it places all the important thing data I would like proper in entrance of me. I can replace fields like shut dates and subsequent steps instantly in Clari, and it syncs again to Salesforce, which saves me plenty of time. The power to configure the columns and views to match my workflow can be a giant plus. It helps me prioritize my duties and keep organized.”
– Clari Evaluation, John D.
What I dislike about Clari:
- I struggled a bit to handle the Clari utility throughout all merchandise and obtained a little bit misplaced within the course of.
- Whereas the analytics are top-notch, some extra customization or personalization would have helped me higher.
What do G2 customers dislike about Clari:
“What I discover least useful is that a number of the options which are reported do not truly inform me the place that data is coming from. I.e. The place my weighted quantity is coming from or how it’s being calculated can be useful. I want I might additionally apply the identical subsequent motion to a number of workflows as an alternative of manually coming into it in.”
– Clari Evaluation, Jezni W.
9. FlashIntel
FlashIntel is a conversational AI agentic instrument that streamlines gross sales discussions, resolves ad-hoc shopper queries, and extracts legitimate information factors from gross sales conversations to gauge the potential of the lead. It additionally helps obtain round 30% buyer retention.
One of many standout options for me is Flashinfo, which is their gross sales intelligence platform that makes prospecting simple. Their information accuracy has ridiculously improved over time, and it permits me to drag correct lead data for nurturing.
With only a few clicks, I can pull enriched, high-quality, verified data for distinguished decision-makers. It additionally integrates properly with a number of CRMs, although I discovered that some integrations want a little bit of guide tweaking.
One of many key differentiators can be AI-powered lead scoring. FlashIntel helps prioritize leads primarily based on actual engagement metrics, which signifies that I haven’t got to waste time chasing low-quality prospects.
One other function, e mail automation, and deliverability monitoring are additionally tremendous useful. It is like having an AI gross sales assistant working within the background who is aware of when to ship which e mail and personalizes the response whereas logging the variety of delivered emails.
However FlashIntel lacks a little bit when it comes to offering outdated contact data. Generally, I extract inaccurate particulars a couple of contact that deteriorate the probabilities of a lead response or future conversion.
One other facet that FlashIntel can enhance is its pricing. As I glanced on the pricing, I seen that it seems extra appropriate for enterprises than small companies. This will create finances issues for early adopters or small enterprise homeowners with restricted income.
Total, FlashIntel automates shopper queries and gross sales objections, integrates with CRM, and presents customized content material creation instruments to simplify the lead journey.
What I like about Flashintel:
- I’m in awe of the auto-dialer, which made my job simpler by permitting me to dial 10 numbers in a single go.
- Essentially the most spectacular half for me is how seamlessly it built-in with a number of content material administration methods (CMS) and improved effectivity.
What do G2 Customers like about Flashintel:
“This program is the proper answer for gross sales and advertising people because it accommodates all the capabilities {that a} gross sales and advertising geek requires. That is the rationale why I like this platform lots and subscribed to it myself. The shopper assist can be good, which additional makes issues simpler. I built-in it into my CMS, which was a piece of a few seconds.”
– FlashIntel Evaluation, Maxwell L.
What I dislike about Flashintel:
- I felt like information within the platform must be extra particular and focused in the direction of area of interest entrepreneurs.
- I noticed a discrepancy within the contact particulars (like e mail data) that seemed to be incorrect.
What do G2 customers dislike about FlashIntel:
“Inaccurate prospect information poses a considerable situation for me as a marketer. Even verified information will be riddled with errors, which is unsatisfying. They actually need to replace the information nearly twice every week.”
– FlashIntel Evaluation, Jennifer N.
10. Bigin by Zoho CRM
Bigin by Zoho CRM is a start-to-end gross sales enablement platform that helps your gross sales workforce to onboard, nurture and convert leads.
What instantly offered me was drag-and-drop pipeline administration. It was easy and intuitive and let me monitor my offers with none fuss. I’ve additionally used different CRMs which are fairly chaotic and require plenty of time, however Bigin contradicts that.
Plus, the Bigin cell app was excellent in perform. My workforce was up and operating in minutes and began managing and shutting gross sales accounts with ease.
One factor I really like, and that’s simple, is automated workflows. Establishing stage automation for our gross sales pipeline saved us plenty of guide work. The system mechanically strikes leads ahead primarily based on particular situations of lead high quality.
As a result of Bigin integrates so properly with different Zoho merchandise, it suits neatly into the prevailing ecosystem with out inflicting too many complications.
Regardless of how agile and sales-friendly Bigin is, it does have some drawbacks. Some G2 customers struggled with reporting and analytics options. I want the report era course of was a bit smoother, however it takes extra effort than it ought to.
Integration with third-party instruments is proscribed. For instance, integration doesn’t generate native Fb leads, which is annoying in case you spend money on Fb advertisements to generate leads.
Whereas the automation is nice, it lacks if/else conditional logic to set situations on e mail triggers and supply a great buyer expertise.
Additional, the pricing is a bit steep. In case you are simply beginning out, you may really feel a little bit restricted. However upgrading to a better plan unlocks premium options that automate end-to-end lead nurturing.
Total, Bigin by Zoho helps construct customized advertising automation pipelines to your gross sales and advertising groups to enhance buyer contact base from a number of platforms
What I like about Bigin by Zoho CRM:
- I really like the simple to arrange and visually interesting person interface, which saves time.
- I additionally respect the seamless integration with different apps that come inside the Zoho suite to streamline on-line operations.
What do G2 Customers like about Bigin by Zoho CRM:
“Simple to make use of and implement for an accountant like me; in case you are new to utilizing CRMs like I used to be, Bigin is the place to start with. It simply integrates with my Zoho books and has excellent options contemplating small companies. The app is sweet, want of buyer Assist has not arised but. Tons of movies and notes on the web on methods to implement and many others.”
– Bigin by Zoho CRM Evaluation, CA Jatin S.
What I dislike about Bigin by Zoho CRM:
- I really feel to entry extra premium options, I require a plan improve that may be a little costly.
- I seen that Bigin covers the wants of small companies however is a bit primary for mid- to enterprise-size companies.
What do G2 customers dislike about Bigin by Zoho CRM:
“Most options my workforce requires can be found on the specific (lowest tier) subscription. Nonetheless, sure helpful options comparable to date/time triggered automation and 10+ customized fields on pipeline data are solely obtainable within the subsequent tier (premier). You could shortly end up paying double in subscription prices to accomodate for enterprise necessities – nonetheless nonetheless reasonably priced in comparison with alternate options.”
– Bigin by Zoho Evaluation, Naz H.
Finest Gross sales engagement software program: Continuously requested questions (FAQs)
1. What’s the distinction between a CRM platform and a gross sales engagement platform?
The primary distinction between a CRM and a gross sales engagement is that the previous is used to retailer, seize, and handle leads, whereas the latter is deployed to run advertising campaigns, multi-channel outreaches, and drive pipeline visibility. With a CRM, you’ll be able to replace lead particulars, combine contact with name monitoring software program, or retailer inbound leads.
However with SEP, you’ll be able to re-engage chilly leads or have a greater view of the lead database to personalize engagement efforts.
2. That are one of the best gross sales enablement platforms?
One of the best gross sales engagement platforms embody Outreach, Salesloft, and Apollo.io, that are recognized for his or her AI-driven automation, multi-channel outreach, and CRM integrations. HubSpot Gross sales Hub additionally presents user-friendly choices, whereas Groove presents a sales-enablement native platform to drive extra pipeline administration and persistently monitor SDR efficiency.
3. Is Hubspot a gross sales engagement platform?
HubSpot is primarily a gross sales platform, however HubSpot Gross sales Hub consists of gross sales engagement options like e mail sequences, name monitoring, cadences, multi-channel outreach, and marketing campaign optimization that scale your income potential and supply a data-driven method to enhance conversions.
4. What are one of the best free gross sales engagement platforms?
It consists of Apollo.io (freemium plan) for multi-channel outreach, HubSpot Gross sales Hub (free tier) for primary e mail monitoring and automation, and Mixmax (free model) for e mail engagement. Whereas they aren’t feature-extensive, they supply options to enhance gross sales cadences for brand new or small companies.
5. How does gross sales engagement software program combine with my present CRM and tech stack?
Gross sales engagement software program can seamlessly combine together with your present CRM cloud and tech stack by way of an utility programming interface (API) connector. Most gross sales engagement platforms supply native integrations with CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Pipedrive. Customers ought to search for a bidirectional sync ( circulate of leads by way of ERP connector and lead monitoring by way of CRM) to attest that the information is transferred easily.
6. What AI-driven capabilities does the SEP supply for e mail and name automation?
The gross sales engagement platform presents AI-based automation that automates e mail supply primarily based on the lead stage within the buy journey. It additionally extracts key insights from buyer calls and associates the information with CRM accounts for real-time accountability and lead standing adjustments, bettering reps’ efficiency.
7. How does the gross sales engagement instrument deal with multi-channel engagement whereas making certain compliance?
Most gross sales engagement instruments assist emails, SMS, LinkedIn, and chat inside a unified interface. These instruments adjust to the GDPR, HIPAA, TCPA, and CAN-SPAM by offering opt-out administration, consent monitoring, and dynamic e mail monitoring. These protocols be certain that the information stays secure and compliant.
Cross the (deal) bridge
Having a transparent perception into your prospect’s curiosity degree is crucial in a gross sales journey. Earlier than SEP, CRM software program was only a tedious medium for guide duties and didn’t open any room for alternative. Had I witnessed the revolution of a gross sales engagement platform, I’d have experimented with a myriad of gross sales strategies and gross sales communication methods and improved the output of my efforts.
Utilizing these instruments, I’m satisfied that correct SEP software program, together with CRM, is the final word highway to conversion. When you find yourself able to determine which software program to spend money on, examine my two cents to refine your strategy.
Check with my peer’s evaluation of the finest AI gross sales assistants to make use of environment friendly AI promoting strategies and optimize productiveness in 2025.