The Internet is full of tools forautomating a wide range of tasks. Prospecting is no exception. There are many software packages available to simplify sales prospecting. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Not sure which one to choose? In this guide, discover an overview of the best prospecting software.
What is digital prospecting software?
Generating leads on the Internet is easy, but managing them efficiently is more difficult. Equipping yourself with digital prospecting software is essential to facilitate sales prospecting management.
Prospecting software simplifies the digitization of sales processes. It automates the time-consuming and repetitive tasks of everyday life: history of current operations, reminder of next actions to be taken, creation of a new lead, access to the exchange with the prospect, etc.
It's essential to choose the right tool for the size of your business. For a VSE or SME with a small sales team, simple but effective software is ideal. It will free up the sales team's time, without getting in the way. On the other hand, a large group can use more complex and costly software.
It's important to distinguish between digital prospecting software and CRM. The first difference is that the scope of a Customer Relationship Management is broader. It includes support, marketing, customer management and even administration.
What's more, it's aimed exclusively at the sales team. Prospecting software can be likened to a prospect relationship management or pre-CRM tool. A deal is closed and a prospect becomes a customer? His information is sent directly to the company's CRM. The two programs are therefore linked.
Why use prospecting software?
Discover the strengths and weaknesses of sales prospecting software for your business.
The 3 major advantages of prospecting tools
Prospecting software is useful for salespeople, to improve their efficiency, and for managers, to better supervise their teams.
Equipping yourself with a digital prospecting tool means greater productivity. By automating time-consuming, repetitive actions, you reduce the number of low value-added tasks. You have more time to devote to high value-added missions: customer meetings, negotiations, etc. With the right software, you no longer need to manage prospecting with paper notes, Excel spreadsheets or post-it notes. When you open the software in the morning, you know exactly which prospects you need to follow up.
Multi-channel prospecting softwareoptimizes the creation of a segmented, scored database. All your contact information is stored in one place. It's easily accessible by your entire sales team. So there's no risk of missing out on key information.
Another advantage is that when a sales rep leaves the company, you don't lose any customer information. In multi-channel prospecting software, you have direct access to the history of exchanges you've had with each prospect. If the solution offers an application, your sales reps can even access the data on the move. This is ideal if they're not sedentary.
The 3 main drawbacks of prospecting tools
Even though digital prospecting software has many advantages, there are a few points to bear in mind.
Costs vary widely from one software package to another. In general, prices range from 10 to 150 euros per user per month.
Before you buy, make sure you compare solutions. Choose one that suits your objectives, but also your budget. Take a close look at their features, so you can choose the one that offers the best value for money.
As with any new software, teams need time to get used to the system. In-house training on the tool can help them to do this, especially if their digital skills are limited. It also encourages the sales force to endorse the solution.
Finally, try to strike the right balance between efficiency and complexity. Take stock of your sales team's needs. Some software packages offer the latest advanced features, but these won't necessarily meet your sales team's expectations. Above all, the tool must enable them to be more efficient, so concentrate on the essential functions.
The different functions of prospecting software
Discover the essential features of digital prospecting software:
- Mass mailing ;
- Dashboard, reporting with statistics ;
- CRM integration ;
- VoIP technology ;
- Recording telephone calls ;
- Automated contact ;
- Behavior analysis, responses ;
- Customized onboarding ;
- Search for leads ;
- Chatbot and online messaging ;
- Help with scripting (telephone prospecting) ;
- Automated data entry to qualify prospects.
Features can be divided into four main categories:
- Managing "cold" and "hot" prospects. Here, the aim is to identify and qualify prospects. If relevant, it's then possible to transform them into "hot" prospects, then into opportunities. A prospecting tool allows you to separate leads, track their evolution, and better manage your sales funnel.
- Sales follow-up management. The higher the volume of leads to be processed, the easier it is to lose track... Multi-channel prospecting software prevents you from forgetting to follow up contacts. In just a few clicks, sales reps can create follow-up messages, synchronized with their diaries.
- The sales pipeline. Digital prospecting software must faithfully reproduce the sales process. The different stages of the pipeline correspond to those traversed by the leads, from qualification to closing. At a glance, you can see the status of all current prospects. Depending on the urgency of the situation, you can concentrate on cold or hot leads.
- Monitoring sales activity. Multi-channel prospecting software provides access to statistics and dashboards. The manager has an overall view of the sales team's activity and performance, as well as future results.
What are the most popular tools on the market?
Discover our top 15 digital prospecting software products, along with a price comparison.
| Multi-channel prospecting software | Solution price |
| HubSpot | The basic version is free. Paid versions offer additional features. |
| The limited version is available free of charge. A Premium version is also available for a fee. | |
| Aircall | The Essentials package costs 30 euros per month per user. The Professional package costs 50 euros. Aircall also offers the possibility of requesting a personalized quote. |
| Gong | The price depends on the license you choose. |
| Salesforce | Prices vary from product to product. For example, Sales Cloud Essentials costs 25 euros per user per month. |
| GetQuanty | Prices range from 330 to 1,925 euros per month. |
| Sellsy | Custom quotes by appointment. |
| Hunter.io | From 0 to 399 euros per month. |
| Karlia | From €14.90 to €39.90 per user per month. |
| Bob le Bot | Rates vary according to the size and use of the conversational agent. |
| MaProspection | Quotation on request. |
| Overloop | From 39 to 499 euros per month, depending on the number of credits. |
| Tilkee | Profesionnal license at 39 euros per month per user. Enterprise + license at 49 euros per month per user. |
| ZoomInfo | Price on request. |
| Tradefest | Free registration. |
Summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular tools on the market
Focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the 3 best sales prospecting tools.
HubSpot
| Forces | Weaknesses |
| Intuitive interface, mobile application ;Notification system to simplify team work ;Free all-in-one tool ;Accounting with other platforms. | Limited functionality in the free version ;Time to adapt to the software's full potential ;Low-performance mailing tool ;No flexible subscription payment. |
| Forces | Weaknesses |
| User base of over 600 million professionals ;Advanced search features to find prospects ;Efficient notification system. | Exclusively B2B oriented.Pay-per-use features.Time-consuming account maintenance on the professional social network. |
Aircall
| Forces | Weaknesses |
| Useful for cold calling tasks ;Recording calls ;Contacting a minimum number of prospects in a minimum amount of time ;Automatically recording contact information in the CRM. | Focused on outbound campaigns.call quality not always good.annual invoicing only. |
The different uses of a prospecting tool
Digital prospecting software can be used to :
- Commercial canvassing;
- Recruiting ;
- Finding and maintaining partnerships;
- Ask customers for feedback.
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Our solutions take the hassle out of learning how to use the software. Our digital conquest experts take charge of the entire process: consulting, creation, distribution and optimization.
