What is sales enablement software?
Sales enablement software is a centralized hub of tools that help salespeople improve their sales performance through content management and delivery, seamless training, engagement tracking, reporting, and more. Features under sales enablement can be embedded in existing systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) software, marketing automation solutions, lead management platforms, and sales intelligence software.
Top sales enablement software
The vast number of solutions with sales enablement functionality makes it challenging to decide which one fits your business. So, we narrowed down the best sales enablement tools to the seven frontrunners with notable use cases.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Best for | Personalized prospecting | Lead nurturing | Tracking content engagement | Sales training | Individual performance analytics | Guided selling | Communication analysis |
| Key features | • Einstein AI • Lead capture • Performance analytic • Mobile app • Native and third-party integrations • Task management |
• Sales sequences • Lead scoring • Performance analytics • Mobile app • Integrations • Sales coaching |
• Content analytics • Guided selling • Mobile presentations • Collaboration tools • Course builder |
• Onboarding and training • Sales materials • Content hub • Skills development • Target coaching |
• Data-drive coaching • Content management • Risk mitigation • Security and compliance • Workflow automation |
• Buyer experience tools • Playbook management • AI insights • Learning formats • Intuitive interface |
• Conversation intelligence • Collaborative learning • Performance insights • Content suggestions • Security and compliance |
| Pricing | Ranges from $25 tp $500 per user/month | Ranges from free to $1500 per user/month | Request pricing | Request pricing | Request pricing | Request pricing | Request pricing |
| Learn More | Try Salesforce Sales Cloud | Try HubSpot Sales Hub | Try Showpad eOSⓇ | Try Mindtickle | try Seismic | Try Highspot | Try Gong |
Salesforce Sales Cloud: Best for Personalized Prospecting
Pros
Cons
Our Rating: 4.55/5
- Einstein AI: Salesforce’s artificial intelligence technology provides data and analytics for effective sales content based on customer activities and interactions.
- Lead capture: This tool cuts the manual work of generating lead data by automatically gathering important details from leads captured through Facebook and Google forms.
- Performance analytics: Using Einstein AI, sales reps and managers can get a sense of their sales performance through customizable dashboards and periodic reports, highlighting areas for improvement.
- Robust mobile app: You can access key Salesforce features through its highly functional mobile app, letting you work on the go (even offline), receive real-time updates, and approve requests, quotes, or deals.
- Numerous integrations: The Salesforce ecosystem is renowned for its native applications corresponding to even the most unique sales enablement needs. Third-party integrations are also available, making the CRM an ultimate sales powerhouse in functionality.
- Task management: Sales managers can leverage sales enablement tools that allow timely assignment of tasks, follow-ups automation, due date setting, and notifications for sales reps.
Starter Suite: $25/user/month
Professional: $80/user/month
Enterprise: $165/user/month
Unlimited: $330/user/month
Unlimited+: $500/user/month
*All plans are billed annually.
Salesforce Sales Cloud sets itself apart from the competition for its robust fundamental and advanced CRM tools. When it comes to sales enablement, this titan software is our top choice for personalized prospecting because of its well-designed set of features for data-driven selling approaches. Its capabilities for AI-assisted content matching, customizable email templates, and targeted campaign management also further empower sales reps.
Although Salesforce belongs to the major league of CRM and sales enablement solutions, it presents transparent pricing plans that appeal beyond enterprises. Small and mid-sized businesses on a budget can access key features that help fuel sales enablement from its Starter Suite for $25 per user/month.
Salesforce gained a 100/100 rating in the security and innovation criterion primarily because of its point-and-click security tools and strategic introduction of new technology, such as its generative and conversational AI for sales reps.
- Pricing: 3.75/5
- Core features: 4.75/5
- Advanced features: 4.5/5
- Usability and interface: 4.06/5
- Support and training: 5/5
- Integration and compatibility: 5/5
- Security and innovation: 5/5
- User scores: 4.37/5
Salesforce is a renowned A-player in CRM and sales excellence platforms, catering primarily to enterprise customers but with brilliant offerings for small and mid-sized businesses as well. It operates as a sales enablement platform in that you can access tools for personalizing lead outreach, content selection, performance analytics, and workflow automation.
While the name Salesforce is established in the industry, its foresight when it comes to technology remains impressive. The provider has continuously incorporated artificial intelligence or AI-powered features with its native and third-party integrations.
The long existence of Einstein AI also entails that Salesforce is leading AI-generative content and intelligent sales assistants, making the entire sales process more streamlined and data-driven.
HubSpot Sales Hub: Best for strategic lead nurturing
Pros
Cons
Our Rating: 4.5/5
- Robust free plan: A sales enablement software with a freemium plan is a steal. But HubSpot goes the extra mile by equipping its zero-cost plan with tools typically found in paid plans from other providers. These include contact management, lead engagement, and email tracking features.
- Sales sequences: Users can send a sequence of scheduled targeted emails designed for lead nurturing and to respond to the contact’s next action.
- Lead scoring: You can assign numerical points to leads based on pre-determined criteria, such as the number of website visits, form submissions, and email opens.
- Content library: You can house sales enablement documents like presentations, email templates, one-pagers, sales playbooks, and other helpful content to drive more sales in your business.
- Sales coaching materials: Sales managers can schedule live coaching straight from the CRM platform. Plus, you can leverage free courses and recognized certification of sales enablement from HubSpot Academy.
Free plan
Free trial
Starter: $18/user/month
Professional: $450/user/month
Enterprise: $1,500/user/month
*Paid plans are billed annually. Monthly billing is also available for a higher cost.
HubSpot boasts an impressive feat in lead nurturing, making it one of our picks for best lead management software. You can customize workflows to include sending personalized emails, assigning numerical values to each lead, setting reminders for sales activities, and tracking key campaign or engagement metrics.
The email sequence, in particular, is a solid attribute for automating sales rep responses based on lead behavior or set triggers. For example, a personalized email will be sent automatically if the lead opens an email or clicks a link.
The provider also gained a solid HubSpot earned 100/100 in our pricing criterion for offering both a free plan and a free trial. Compared to Salesforce (the other provider in the list with transparent pricing), HubSpot provides a less costly base paid plan and scalable options as your business grows.
Pricing: 5/5
Core features: 4.25/5
Advanced features: 4/5
Usability and interface: 4.69/5
Support and training: 4.17/5
Integration and compatibility: 4.69/5
Security and innovation: 4.69/5
User scores: 4.5/5
HubSpot is the only platform in the list with a free plan encompassing the most relevant sales enablement capabilities. It is ideal for businesses wanting to try the solution first before jumping in on a paid plan.
For many users who took this route, committing to HubSpot Sales Hub for their sales enablement tools has been productive, thanks to its solid lead generation and nurturing attributes, like email sequences and lead scoring features. The provider also made a name for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
HubSpot also offers other modules for marketing and customer service. You have the choice of bundling these modules based on preference or subscribing to the CRM Suite to get the best of all modules at a discounted price.
Showpad eOSⓇ: Best for tracking content engagement
Pros
Cons
Our Rating: 4.3/5
- Content engagement reporting: Users can generate reports regarding content usage and performance. You can track key performance indicators (KPIs) like number of views, average view time, downloads, and completion rate.
- Guided selling: Empower your sales team using pre-built templates with dynamic content, sales scenarios, and customer segments. Customize individual sales journeys by rearranging, adding, and removing slides, as well as incorporating interactive features like quizzes, polls, and Q&A sections.
- Data security and compliance: You can control of permissions and restrictions through its granular role-based security and data encryption. Showpad also complies with data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), among others.
- Mobile-friendly sales presentation: Sales reps can show and download presentations from their mobile device. Mobile viewing is optimized through its responsive user interface (UI) and offline access.
- Collaboration capabilities: Showpad has interactive features like content annotations for sales teams to comment and provide direct feedback on the content. You can also share files, integrate with third-party collaboration tools, and visit content history.
- Built-in course builder: Create specific learning topics and a course pathway for training new sales reps and providing professional development opportunities to seasoned sales teams.
- Showpad Content
- Essential
- Plus
- Ultimate
- Showpad Knowledge
- Essential
- Plus
*You’ll have to request pricing for all plans under the Showpad Content and Showpad Knowledge categories.
Analyzing content engagement can improve your content personalization and influence your overall sales strategy as such data drives better lead targeting.
Showpad prides itself on providing toolsets for gathering insights on customer interactions with content. These capabilities identify which content sells best to each customer through their viewing habits, time spent, and other metrics.
Showpad also excels in centralizing sales content, like video presentations, product sheets, and brochures. In fact, it gained a rating of 90 from this evaluation for its advanced features for personalization and customer engagement tools. You can also expect collaboration straight from the platform through content annotation and external tools.
- Pricing: 2.81/5
- Core features: 4.25/5
- Advanced features: 4.5/5
- Usability and interface: 4.38/5
- Support and training: 4.58/5
- Integration and compatibility: 4.69/5
- Security and innovation: 4.69/5
- User scores: 4.47/5
*Plans are based on annual billing. Monthly billing is also available at a higher cost.
Showpad Enablement Operating SystemⓇ strengthens lead targeting and streamlines buyer’s experience by utilizing relevant data such as content usage and customer engagement. Touted as a true sales enablement solution, Showpad has a stretch of features for content management, personalized presentations, performance analytics, etc.
You can integrate the platform with CRM systems like Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics. Plus, you can connect the platform to productivity tools and marketing automation software, making it a centralized sales and marketing solution.
Mindtickle: Best for sales training
Pros
Cons
Our Rating: 4.02/5
- Sales training and onboarding: New sales reps can take comprehensive training and onboarding through Mindtickle’s microlearning modules, simulations, and gamification. The sales readiness assessment also ensures that customer-facing teams are equipped with product knowledge and skills before diving into real-world sales activities.
- Standardized sales materials: Create and store uniform sales materials to build a single source of truth for reps. They can access this vault during training sessions and actual sales activities in the field.
- Sales content hub: You can place and organize training materials for sales, like presentations and videos, in one space, making it accessible to the entire sales team.
- Tools for ongoing skills development: Mindtickle has much to offer when it comes to personalized learning pathways, covering spaced repetition techniques to reinforce concept-learning intervals.
- Target coaching: Sales managers can provide continuous coaching through regular performance assessments and reviews of real-life sales interactions
- Request demo and customized pricing
Mindtickle excels as a sales enablement platform for sales training, empowering salespeople on a progressive trajectory.
The solution deviates businesses from traditional, complex professional development pathways. It does so by streamlining onboarding, unifying brand messaging, and refining skills, such as presentation and negotiation.
With a whopping rating of 95 in the core features criterion, Mindtickle sticks out for its modern training capabilities and methods. Its integration with CRM and other sales tools and its built-in communication channels make it a strong option for a centralized sales platform.
- Pricing: 1.25/5
- Core features: 4.75/5
- Advanced features: 3.25/5
- Usability and interface: 5/5
- Support and training: 3.75/5
- Integration and compatibility: 4.38/5
- Security and innovation: 5/5
- User scores: 4.8/5
A crucial part of sales enablement is setting a solid training path for new salespeople and warranting continuous learning opportunities for the rest of the sales teams. In these areas, Mindtickle stands as an excellent choice for its built-in modules and sales onboarding programs.
Although you won’t see Mindtickle’s pricing plans online, they do offer customized, negotiable pricing based on your business needs and sales team size. In addition, return on investment (ROI) is often channeled through sales skills development that goes beyond textbook techniques, including communicating unique value propositions and handling objections.
Seismic Enablement Cloud™: Best for sales team performance analytics
Pros
Cons
Our Rating: 3.98/5
- Data-driven coaching: Sales managers can leverage Seismic’s tools for collecting various data points for content usage, simulation grades, completion rates, and CRM data.
- Content management: Seismic has features for tagging and categorizing content which simplifies organization and retrieval of in-context content recommendations.
- Risk mitigation: Functionalities for reducing the likelihood of non-compliant content distribution, outdated or inaccurate content, data breach, and other sales enablement risks are available in Seismic.
- Data security and compliance: Users can protect data through industry-standard encryption, restricted access control, regular security audits, and adherence to various compliance certifications.
- Content workflow automation: Sales teams can put task assignments for content creation, editing, optimization, and publishing in auto-pilot. Automation also extends to analytics and reporting, triggered notifications, and approval processes.
- Request a demo and customized pricing
Seismic is a solid pick for a sales enablement solution with comprehensive tools for analyzing and improving sales team performance. Sales managers and leaders can track content usage per rep through metrics, such as content downloads, views, and engagement time.
Compared to other providers in this list, Seismic goes on top when it comes to content-specific analytics, governance and compliance, as well as content management with version control and authoring tools.
With a rating of 80 over 100 in the advanced features criterion, Seismic positions itself as a front-runner in content analytics with its extended use of AI and machine learning capabilities. Coupled with tools for risk mitigation, Seismic offers end-to-end content governance from creation to distribution.
- Pricing: 1.25/5
- Core features: 4.5/5
- Advanced features: 4.5/5
- Usability and interface: 4.06/5
- Support and training: 4.17/5
- Integration and compatibility: 4.38/5
- Security and innovation: 4.38/5
- User scores: 4.63/5
Read More: 6 Sales Commission Software Tools for Big Payouts
Seismic, through its Enablement Cloud, lives up to its name by offering groundbreaking capabilities in digital content management and sales process optimization. By using granular performance analytics, sales teams improve their skills and drive more revenue through data-driven insights for personalized sales approaches.
Dubbed a modern sales enablement platform, Seismic covers onboarding, coaching, content governance, buyer engagement analysis, and more. It leverages automation and machine learning models. It also integrates with other sales and productivity tools.
Highspot: Best for guided selling
Pros
Cons
Our Rating: 3.86/5
- Personalized buyer experience tools: Highspot has features for tailoring buyer experience based on qualification criteria and business needs. Its digital sales rooms, for example, are standout virtual spaces promoting engagement and personalized product and proposal presentations.
- Playbook management: You can create, update, and share a standard sales playbook directly from the platform using SmartPages, complete with guided instructions and realistic sales scenarios.
- Ai-powered recommendations: Highspot does not shy away from using artificial intelligence to identify relevant content that matches a lead, prospect, or customer based on their interactions and behavior. This capability allows sales reps to save time by doing manual research in their content storage.
- Multiple learning formats: Sales reps can boost sales mastery by choosing the education format and pathway that best matches their learning style, be it self-paced modules or instructor-led courses.
- Easy-to-use interface: A vital feature of Highspot is its intuitive user interface. The layout and key elements of the platforms are straightforward and organized in a way that is easy to follow.
- Request customized pricing
If you’re looking for a sales enablement platform with a flare for dynamic selling pathways, you can never go wrong with Highspot. This provider positions itself high when it comes to AI-powered features, from content selection to tracking and analytics.
More importantly, Highspot is an authority in guided selling by streamlining sales protocols with data-driven flexibility for personalized buyer engagement. Although other sales enablement platforms like Salesforce Sales Cloud and HubSpot Sales Hub offer sales automation, Highspot still has more technology-forward tools for guided selling.
In our evaluation, Highspot shines best in support and training with an impressive score of 92 out of 100, partly for its training resources, including the SmartPages for interactive sales playbooks. Its usability and UX also gained 87.50 for its simple yet efficient interface design.
- Pricing: 1.25/5
- Core features: 4.25/5
- Advanced features: 4.25/5
- Usability and interface: 4.38/5
- Support and training: 4.58/5
- Integration and compatibility: 3.13/5
- Security and innovation: 4.38/5
- User scores: 4.63/5
Highspot is on a mission to fuse artificial intelligence with sales expertise efficiently. This powerful sales enablement app is best known for its AI-powered sales content management and delivery.
The platform also has top-notch personalization capabilities, diverse learning formats for sales training, interactive virtual spaces, and solid coaching tools. You can also integrate other sales tools, such as CRM software and marketing automation solutions, to further empower your sales teams.
Gong: Best for communication analysis
Pros
Cons
Our Rating: 3.73/5
- Customer interaction analysis: Gong can collect conversations from different communication channels, such as emails, video conferences, and calls, to analyze buyer behavior and intent.
- Performance insights: Sales managers can access individual rep performance based on their interactions with customers, feedback, and other metrics. Based on these datasets, managers can customize their coaching approach.
- Collaborative learning: Gong promotes peer-to-peer learning through knowledge-sharing spaces, call recording examples, and more.
- Automated sales content suggestions: Users can leverage AI-driven speech analytics to identify customer sentiments and recommended content to move leads in the pipeline and reinforce effective nurturing strategies.
- Solid compliance and security: The platform provides granular access controls and encryption to protect specific data. It is also compliant with standard security and compliance standards.
- Request customized pricing
Gong takes the lead in conversation intelligence, empowering sales teams to uncover valuable insights in personalizing sales strategies based on specific tools like transcription, emotional tone detection, and silence analysis.
Using advanced AI models, it maintains a great reputation in data accuracy and in-depth analysis of conversation dynamics. For these reasons and more, Gong earned 100/100 in our innovation features criterion.
In addition, Gong also strictly adheres to standard security and compliance requirements, which is highly critical, if you consider the types and amount of data generated from its AI-powered analytics. Sales teams can also take advantage of tools for effective sales coaching and seamless training.
- Pricing: 1.25/5
- Core features: 3/5
- Advanced features: 4/5
- Usability and interface: 4.69/5
- Support and training: 3.33/5
- Integration and compatibility: 3.75/5
- Security and innovation: 5/5
- User scores: 4.8/5
Read more: What Is RCM Software?
Gong is a revenue intelligence platform with superior tools for capturing valuable information from customer interactions. These capabilities cover conversation data and behavior patterns.
Its use of automation and artificial intelligence in analyzing actionable insights streamlines coaching and increases sales effectiveness. Users can also store all sorts of sales content in one vault and activate automated sharing of recommended content.
Find your new Sales Enablement software
Key components of sales enablement software
A sales enablement solution covers multiple functionalities, from content delivery, sales training, performance improvement, and personalized buyer’s journey. In some cases, a stand-alone product may not be enough.
But with the rapid development of machine learning, AI, and seamless integrations of external tools, you can create a unified system for sales improvement. In doing so, you must secure these vital components of effective sales enablement software.
- Content management
Focusing on content governance, the features included in this area range from a centralized repository of sales and marketing content pieces, and authoring tools to collaboration attributes, and automated workflows. Users can also leverage capabilities for multi-channel distribution, tracking and analytics, and customization.
- Learning management system (LMS)
A sales enablement platform with a built-in learning management system can streamline the onboarding of new sales reps and the ongoing training process of the entire sales team. Sales managers can consolidate modules, video instructions, assessments, and other learning materials in one space.
- Individual performance tracker
Performance analytics for sales reps outlines key metrics such as customer satisfaction, engagement activities, and win/loss data. This component fuels data-driven coaching and personalized improvement plans.
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
A CRM software facilitates the sales process and enablement from end-to-end by providing tools for lead generation, contact management, visual pipelines, proposal management, and customer nurturing efforts.
- Sales intelligence
Accurate insights on revenue, sales forecasts, and goal attainment, whether on an individual or business scale, influence the overall performance of the sales teams. Sales intelligence tools in a sales enablement system utilize AI for data accuracy and next-action recommendations.
- Marketing automation
The marketing features of sales enablement work hand-in-hand with sales tools. For example, email automation, chatbots, and content distribution based on behavioral data can help increase conversion rates and close deals.
Benefits of using sales enablement tools
Revenue opportunities have never been so widespread until the emergence of sales tools.
The HubSpot 2024 Sales Trend Report says that 79% of sales professionals consider sales enablement content a vital part of their sales strategy, allowing them to win more deals. This data is no surprise, considering a top-tier sales enablement platform can streamline your sales and marketing efforts end-to-end.
A robust solution equips sales reps with tools that could reduce administrative tasks and automate critical sales processes such as lead generation and qualification. Simply put, it allows sales teams to perform at their peak by eliminating unnecessary complications and letting them allocate the majority of their time to sales-related activities.
Below are some of the most notable benefits of leveraging the top sales enablement tools.
- Simplifies complex, time-consuming tasks
- Boosts the performance of sales teams
- Allows strategic development of sales training programs
- Fuels sales and marketing alignment
- Helps develop personalization approach in lead management
Choosing the best sales enablement software solution
An effective sales enablement software may encompass all crucial components of the platform. However, it can also underscore one functionality but still provide a way to create a unified sales operation system through add-ons and third-party integrations.
If you want a solution that serves as a one-stop shop for sales enablement with personalized prospecting tools, Salesforce Sales Cloud is your match. If you value lead nurturing the most, go for HubSpot Sales Hub, as it provides robust, targeted communication capabilities.
On the other hand, you might prioritize continuous sales training and coaching in your sales enablement strategies. In that case, choose Mindtickle or Highspot.
Keep in mind that selecting the best sales enablement software for your business depends on which area you’d like to focus more on, your existing sales tools, and performance improvement goals.
FAQs
