7 Free Tools To Empower Your Sales Team

Today’s consumer has access to a wealth of information to support buying decisions and shorten the sales process. Thankfully sales professionals have countless tools and resources available to them in order to stay organized and in constant communication with potential customers. However many of these tools can be expensive and are only accessible to larger companies and organizations.

Below are seven free tools that are sure to help you or your sales team contact more people and close more deals. These tools ensure that your team is always following up with new prospects and are prepared for all meetings. Whether you are a start-up and beginning the sales process from scratch or an established and seasoned sales professional, these tools will make you a rock star in the eyes of your clients and coworkers.

 1. Boomerang

Image courtesy of Gabriola Graphics

Tired of sending emails late into the night and not receiving the responses you need? Boomerang is a free app that allows you to write an email now and schedule it to be sent automatically at the perfect time. The app also has a feature that will remind you to follow up with people that have not replied to your emails.

Keep in mind that according to a 2014 study by MailChimp, emails sent at 11am have the highest open rates. Watch your open rates soar as you use Boomerang to send emails at the most optimal times of the day.

 2. Sidekick

Image courtesy of Yanado.com

One of the most frustrating aspects of prospecting for new business is sending hundreds of emails without knowing if the person receiving them is even opening them. Now you will be notified instantly when someone opens your emails as well as how many times they are read. Use this information to track your email open rates and continuously craft better emails.

Sidekick allows you to understand how many times prospects are engaging with your emails and how often. Use the app for your next planned event to ensure the right people see invitations.

 3. Sunrise

Sunrise is a great free alternative to many other calendar applications and allows you to consolidate all of your events, meetings, and appointments into one easy-to-use interface. Whether you are planning your upcoming sales calls or your next big vacation, Sunrise will keep you on time and organized while on the go.

Sunrise is a free calendar made for Exchange, Google Calendar and iCloud. Sunrise also connects with all of your favorite apps like Facebook, Evernote, Foursquare, TripIt, Todoist, Trello and more to make sure you’re always up to date with all the events happening in your life.

Sunrise also has a feature called Meet, the fastest way to schedule a one-to-one on the go. Meet is a keyboard that lets you select available time slots in your calendar without leaving the app you’re in and send them to anyone through a simple link. Sunrise also automatically syncs between your phone, tablet and computer, so you can access your calendar from anywhere.Makes Mail

4. Makes Mail

Image courtesy of MakesMail.com

Makes Mail is your own email detective, providing you with anyone’s company email address instantly. Simply input the full name and website of the person you are trying to reach and Makes Mail does the rest by providing you with an email address. Use this tool to establish contact with hard-to-reach executives and business owners.

Makes Mail works by pinging the server of person you wish to email. The server responds with the correct structure of the email address based on your input of the person’s first and last name.

5. Charlie

Image courtesy of Charlie App

If Makes Mail is your personal detective, then the Charlie app is your personal assistant. Charlie combs through 100’s of sources and automatically sends you a one-pager on everyone you are going to meet with, before you see them. Charlie syncs with your calendar to automatically research people you are going to meet with and provides you with information about their company, personal interests, and professional responsibilities. Charlie allows you to find a common bond with prospects before all of your meetings.

Charlie uses social media outlets and news sources to provide a comprehensive summary about the person you are meeting with as well as their company. Stay up to date on any awards or recognitions they have received using your summary from Charlie.

  6. Time Trade

Image courtesy of TimeTrade.com

Constantly sending emails and leaving voicemails to arrange the next meeting is a huge drain on salespeople’s time and confidence. What if you could securely share your calendar with people so they can pick an open meeting time that works for both of you without all of the hassle? Time Trade syncs with your Outlook, iCal, or Google Calendar so that people can book appointments at their convenience and you never have to worry about double booking. Time Trade also only shows your open meeting times and keeps your other scheduled meetings private. 

7. Full Contact Plugin for Gmail

Image courtesy of Full Contact

Full Contact is a plugin for Gmail that provides you with insightful information about your Gmail contacts and is fully accessible from your inbox. Full Contact consolidates the information from your address book to your inbox to provide you with information about your contacts instantly. You can learn more about your contacts by opening a thread or hovering over the contact to see a full profile, including photos, job title, location, and social links. Quickly search your entire address book by scrolling through your contacts’ latest tweets, to keep up with their activity. You can also save time by editing contacts from your inbox and quickly adding and favoriting contacts. All updates sync to any connected devices and provide you with detailed information about the contact’s company size, demographics, and history.

Full Contact provides you with context surrounding the person you are contacting as well as their company so your emails will always be relatable and relevant.