Top Salespeople Are Using These Technologies to Crush Their Quotas (and You Should Too)

The sales technology landscape is rapidly evolving. Each year, dozens of new tools and platforms emerge promising to make sales reps more productive, efficient and successful. But with so many options, it can be difficult to know where to focus.

Fortunately, some new research from LinkedIn provides valuable insights into the specific technologies top sales performers are using to outperform their peers. After surveying over 1,000 sales professionals, LinkedIn found that:

• 98% of top performers (vs. 83% of all reps) say sales technology is "critical" or "extremely critical" to closing deals
• 55% of top performers (vs. 27% of all reps) spend 4+ hours per day using sales technology
• 59% of top performers (vs. 30% of all reps) plan to spend more time using sales technology next year

Clearly, there is a strong correlation between leveraging sales technology and sales success. But not all tools are created equal in terms of driving results. Let‘s dive into the five key technologies top performers rely on most.

1. CRM: The Foundation of Sales Success

Customer relationship management (CRM) software has been the core system for sales teams for over two decades now – and for good reason. CRM acts as the central hub for all customer data, interactions and sales activities.

Consider these findings from LinkedIn‘s research:

• 65% of sales professionals use CRM (the highest of any sales technology)
• 83% of top performers say CRM is "critical" or "extremely critical" to closing deals
• Top performers use CRM 11% more than all other reps

However, just having a CRM is not enough – it‘s how you use it that makes the difference. Among reps who spend 3+ hours per day in CRM, AECF found that:

• 65% more reps achieve quota
• Win rates are 17% higher
• Commissions increase by 24%

The takeaway is clear – using CRM effectively is table stakes for sales success today. Top reps use CRM as their primary workspace for managing all prospect and customer engagement. They log sales activities, track opportunities, analyze pipeline and prioritize tasks all from one central location.

Recommendations:

• Adopt a CRM platform if you haven‘t already (there are good options for every team size and budget)
• Integrate your CRM with email, calendar and other tools to eliminate data entry
• Set aside time blocks to work out of your CRM and manage all deal-related activities
• Analyze CRM data regularly to track progress and identify areas for improvement

2. Sales Engagement: Accelerating Prospects Through the Pipeline

Sales engagement platforms have exploded in popularity as a way to scale and automate communication with prospects. These tools allow reps to reach more people with targeted, multi-touch campaigns across email, phone and social.

The impact has been significant – when it comes to booking meetings, FullFunnel found that reps using engagement platforms see:

• 30% higher reply rates
• 18% more leads
• 16% more opportunities created

Top performing reps are 24% more likely than other reps to use sales engagement tools. And among those top performers, 86% say engagement platforms are "critical" or "extremely critical" to their success.

One reason is the ability to monitor email engagement and prioritize follow up. Did a prospect open a pricing email three times? They‘re likely ready for a call or demo. Did they forward a product overview to other stakeholders? Time to involve them in the conversation.

Popular sales engagement platforms include:

• Outreach
• SalesLoft
• Groove
• VanillaSoft
• Apollo
• Mixmax
• HubSpot Sales Hub

Recommendations:

• Use engagement platforms to execute multi-touch, multi-channel outreach at scale
• Monitor engagement metrics to identify warmest leads and tailor messaging
• Automate low-value activities like scheduling and follow-up reminders
• A/B test different outreach tactics to optimize connect and reply rates

3. Sales Intelligence: Knowing Your Buyer

Would you rather call a prospect and read a generic pitch, or reference specific trigger events, common connections and company initiatives? The latter of course – and that‘s where sales intelligence comes in.

Tools like ZoomInfo, Cognism, LinkedIn Sales Navigator and DiscoverOrg provide on-demand access to prospect and company data like:

• Contact info (direct dials, verified emails, etc.)
• Organizational charts & decision makers
• Firmographics & tech stack
• News & trigger events
• Social & web activity

According to FullFunnel, reps using sales intelligence see a:

• 36% higher connect rate
• 31% higher opportunity creation rate
• 21% higher win rate

It‘s no surprise then that 62% of top performers use sales intelligence weekly or more. By researching and learning about prospects, reps can tailor messaging, build rapport and provide relevant value from the first touch.

Recommendations:

• Integrate sales intelligence into pre-call research and prospect list building
• Use company insights to personalize outreach and demonstrate knowledge
• Search trigger events for timely opportunities to reach out
• Enrich and cleanse CRM data with updated contact info and company details

4. Conversation Intelligence: Analyzing Every Buyer Interaction

Top sales performers know that the key to improvement is in reviewing game tape. Conversation intelligence platforms like Gong, Chorus and SalesLoft allow reps and managers to record, transcribe and analyze sales calls for actionable insights.

Did the rep talk too much relative to the prospect? Did they miss key buying signals? What competitor came up most often? Conversation intelligence can reveal powerful patterns across every sales interaction.

Unsurprisingly, conversation intelligence adoption is highest among top performing reps. FullFunnel found that of high-growth sales teams:

• 26% more are using conversation intelligence
• 85% more reps are recording over half their calls
• Reps are 41% more likely to be held accountable to insights

Recommendations:

• Use conversation intelligence to identify what top reps are doing well on calls
• Analyze at-bats (individually and team-wide) to spot strengths and areas for improvement
• Automate the logging of call notes and next steps to CRM
• Create libraries of top call recordings and snippets for training purposes

5. Video: The New Normal for Remote Selling

In our socially-distanced selling environment, video has become an indispensable tool for connecting with and converting buyers. In fact, 77% of sales leaders told Vidyard that video is equally or more effective than traditional sales calls.

Whether it‘s for 1:1 prospecting videos, product demos, proposal walkthroughs or contract reviews, video allows reps to bring a face-to-face dynamic to every touchpoint.

Video adoption is surging among sales teams. LinkedIn found that since 2019:

• Use of video for sales prospecting has increased 471%
• Use of video for sales meetings has increased 391%
• Use of video for sales training has increased 199%

To stand out and build trust in a remote world, video has become a must-have skill for sellers. Fortunately, more tools are emerging to make video easy to execute:

• Vidyard GoVideo
• Loom
• BombBomb
• Hippo Video
• Dubb
• Wistia Soapbox

Recommendations:

• Incorporate 1:1 prospecting videos into sequences to stand out and show personalization
• Use video for product demos and proposals to guide buyers with visuals
• Augment emails and presentations with micro explainer videos
• Host sales kickoffs, training & team meetings via video for more engaging learning

The Road Ahead

As these findings from LinkedIn illustrate, sales technology has become a primary driver of quota attainment and revenue growth. The highest performing reps are adopting and spending more time in key tools than their counterparts.

But it‘s not just about the tool itself – it‘s how it‘s applied to enable the sales process. Top reps leverage technology with strategic intent. They use it to prioritize efforts, tailor messaging, guide conversations and ultimately hit their number.

If you haven‘t built technology into your sales motion, you‘re at a significant disadvantage to competitors. Don‘t think of these tools as an add-on, but as a multiplier for sales effectiveness.

The good news is there are sales technology solutions for every stage of the sales cycle, all the way from prospecting to close to renewal. While it can seem overwhelming, focus first on your biggest pain points and opportunities.

Where in the sales process do you need the most help being efficient and effective? Is it list building? Prospect outreach? Sales calls? Forecasting? There are tools designed for each.

Once you identify your needs, evaluate options based on factors like:

• Ease of use & adoption
• Integration with existing workflows
• Analytics & reporting capabilities
• Services, support, and training
• References from similar sales teams
• Pricing & contract terms

Piloting a couple tools with a few reps can be a good way to validate before a full rollout. Remember, these tools should enhance, not replace, core selling skills. Coaching and training should reinforce how to apply technology to execute the sales process.

The landscape will continue evolving in the years ahead, with AI and automation playing a larger role from initial outreach to guided selling to predictive forecasting. More tools will focus on sales enablement, coaching, and making complex sales more scientific.

Despite all the change, one thing is certain – the most successful sellers will be adept at leveraging technology as a competitive advantage. They‘ll stay ahead of the curve on emerging tools. And they‘ll align tech to an authentic, value-driven sales approach.

In today‘s world of selling, sticking to traditional methods is no longer an option. Buyers expect sales reps to be digitally savvy in their outreach and interactions. The barrier to entry for quota attainment continues to rise.

How will you ensure you‘re equipped with the technologies to compete and win? Take stock of your current stack and identify opportunities to leverage these high-impact tools. Stay on top of the trends and continually sharpen your technology acumen.

When you combine modern sales technology with timeless sales skills, you‘ll be unstoppable. But it all starts with learning and adopting the tools that today‘s top performers use to crush their quotas. The data doesn‘t lie – sales technology is your gateway to success.