AI sales tools can help your SMB streamline processes and gain valuable customer insights.
However, knowing how to use AI in sales and identifying which tools to use can be challenging with so many AI platforms on the market. You need software that aligns with your business needs, processes and goals.
In this article, you’ll discover five top AI sales tools for SMBs. You’ll also gain a deeper understanding of what makes a great AI sales tool and learn best practices for using AI in sales.
How does AI enhance the sales process?
Artificial intelligence (AI) enhances the sales process by automating tasks, improving lead scoring, personalizing outreach and predicting sales trends.
Here’s how AI tools for sales tools encourage these and other benefits:
Optimizing sales prospecting. AI sales tools can uncover new audiences through predictive analytics, social listening and market analysis. Say that you’re selling project management software. If someone posts about struggling with inefficient project management tools on social media, AI can flag them as a potential lead.
Personalizing outreach. AI analyzes customer behavior, preferences and past interactions to create personalized messages. For example, AI can track a prospect’s engagement with previous emails (such as opens, clicks and responses) and tailor the follow-up email accordingly.
Streamlining lead scoring. AI analyzes customer data and prioritizes leads based on their likelihood to convert. Sales reps can then segment customers and nurture leads more effectively.
Enhancing the customer experience. AI gathers real-time insights about customer needs and preferences so you can deliver personalized, timely interactions that guide prospects through the buying journey. AI-powered sales chatbots, for example, can provide tailored responses based on website visitors’ past interactions.
Improving sales forecasting. AI examines historical data and market trends to provide more accurate revenue predictions, enabling better strategic planning and resource allocation. For example, if AI predicts a 20% revenue increase in a sales rep’s territory, the company can allocate more marketing resources to maximize sales.
Making smarter decisions. AI analyzes sales data to identify patterns, trends and growth opportunities. Sales leaders can use these insights to make data-driven decisions, such as allocating more budget to top-performing social media channels.
Adding AI to your sales toolbox can support your sales strategy, helping you find and serve customers and close deals faster.
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5 top AI sales tools for SMBs
A study from revenue intelligence company Gong found that sales teams using AI experienced 29% higher revenue growth in 2024 than those that haven’t implemented AI. Another survey found that salespeople who use AI are 3.7 times more likely to meet quota than those who don’t.
AI undoubtedly provides benefits for sales teams. The challenge is knowing which tools to use in a rapidly growing list of options.
To narrow your search, we’ve collected a list of five of the best AI sales tools specifically for SMBs.
1. Pipedrive: best for managing leads throughout the sales cycle
Pipedrive’s all-in-one sales CRM software uses AI lead generation to simplify lead management. The platform sources, organizes and prioritizes leads from a central location, making it easier for sales teams to monitor and nurture them effectively.
Smaller businesses often face lead management hurdles like identifying an ideal audience, generating high-quality leads and managing a growing lead database.
Pipedrive’s AI features help you overcome these obstacles.
For example, the AI Sales Assistant bot informs sales reps if deals don’t have any activity scheduled, reminding them of an opportunity. Taking action on these opportunities helps sales reps increase their chances of closing more sales.
Note: Pipedrive’s AI Sales Assistant is available on Professional and higher plans. Visit the pricing page for a full breakdown of pricing plans.
The same feature also notifies you of deals in the final stages of the sales pipeline. If a lead is ready to close but hasn’t received a follow-up, the AI sends a reminder to the relevant sales rep. The sales rep can then act quickly to boost sales engagement and finalize the sale.
Pipedrive’s AI Sales Assistant also helps prioritize leads. It predicts a deal’s win probability and recommends the next best actions to help you increase the odds of winning it. These insights allow your sales team to prioritize their time effectively to nurture leads with stronger buying intent.
Note: This Pipedrive feature is currently in beta and available to a limited number of Pipedrive users. Join the Pipedrive Pulse waitlist to turn more leads into real opportunities.
Price:
Essential plans start at $14 per month per user when billed annually. This plan includes AI SmartApp recommendations and AI-powered marketplace search.
Advanced plans start at $49 per month per user, billed annually. They include the same AI features as the Essential plan.
Professional and higher plans start at $69 per month per user when billed annually. These plans include the AI Sales Assistant, AI email summarization and AI email creation.
Free trial: Yes
Ideal users: SMBs looking to optimize lead management and increase conversions
Note: Pipedrive has other AI features that support the sales cycle, including the AI email writer, integration recommendations and marketplace search. Find out more about Pipedrive’s AI CRM.
2. Avoma: best for boosting productivity in client meetings
Avoma is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes and analyzes meetings. The software records the conversation in real time and creates a transcription, freeing you up to focus on the discussion instead of spending time and attention on note-taking.
Manual note-taking can be a distraction and can impact the meeting dynamic. When you’re constantly taking notes, clients might feel that you’re not focused or uninterested in what they’re saying.
Avoma’s transcription lets you stay engaged in the discussion and helps you remember conversations so you can follow up on actions and deliver on promises.
The software also generates smart chapters for key topics in your conversation summaries. These chapters enable your sales teams to quickly filter through the most relevant information, focusing on key points that will help them nurture the lead.
Say a lead mentions challenges with their current tech solution. Avoma’s AI will create a chapter focused on those pain points, allowing the sales rep to revisit the issues and tailor their pitch accordingly.
Price:
$79 per user per month for AI Win-Loss Analysis when billed annually. This plan allows you to identify why you win and lose deals.
$59 per user per month for the AI Meeting Assistant when billed annually. This plan allows you to automate note-taking and scheduling.
$19 per user per month for the Conversation Intelligence when billed annually. This plan allows you to analyze talk patterns and topic intelligence (which creates chapters in your transcripts).
Free trial: Yes
Ideal users: Sales professionals and leaders who want to enhance meeting productivity
3. Gong: best for AI-driven feedback on sales conversations
Gong is a revenue intelligence platform that captures and analyzes customer interactions, helping sales teams better understand customer needs, behavior and intent.
SMBs often struggle to find the time or resources to review sales calls and pinpoint areas of improvement. However, identifying ways to improve sales conversations can greatly impact conversion rates. The more effective your sales calls, the better your chance of closing deals.
Gong’s AI-powered conversation intelligence features help sales teams learn from conversations, showing:
How your customers respond to cold calls
Why they turn down sales
Your most effective sales scripts
Customer feedback about the conversation
This information gives you valuable insights into buyer behaviors and consumers’ responses to your outreach efforts so you can make improvements.
Say a prospect expresses concerns about pricing, but the sales rep’s call script fails to effectively address the objection. Gong analyzes the call and suggests updating the script to emphasize the value proposition when customers question pricing, leading to higher win rates.
Price: Contact Gong directly for a custom quote
Free trial: No, but you can schedule a free demo
Ideal users: Sales managers who want better insight into sales call performance
4. Copy.ai: best for sales copywriting
Copy.ai is an AI-powered tool for writing sales copy for blogs, email sequences, online ads and social media campaigns. The software uses generative AI (machine learning and natural language processing) to create content based on briefs.
The briefs usually outline the following information:
Your target audience
Your key messages
Your desired outcomes
The type of content
The ideal tone of voice
Say you’re creating content for a new product launch. In this use case, your content brief might specify the following:
Target audience – small business owners in the tech industry looking for cost-effective solutions
Key message – highlights the product’s unique value proposition and low-cost monthly payments
Desired outcomes – increase sign-ups
Type of content – social media posts for LinkedIn and Facebook
The tone of voice – friendly but professional
You can also create brief templates to speed up the process. Instead of starting from scratch each time, you can adapt the relevant template.
A study from Constant Contact found that creating content (including writing copy) is one of the most time-consuming manual tasks for 51% of SMBs. For SMBs without a dedicated copywriting team, Copy.ai simplifies content creation.
Price:
An individual can use the free plan with access to limited features (including access to Copy.ai’s Brand Voice feature)
$36 per month when billed annually for an individual with access to more features (like access to the latest large language models)
$186 per month for up to five seats and access to additional features (like workflow builder access)
Free trial: No, but you can schedule a free demo
Ideal users: Sales reps and marketers who don’t have the time to craft high-quality content at scale
5. My AI Front Desk: best for AI-driven call handling and scheduling
My AI Front Desk acts as a virtual assistant for SMBs and startups. It uses conversational AI (known as the AI receptionist) to help sales teams manage incoming calls, book appointments and handle inquiries.
Small teams juggling multiple responsibilities can struggle to manage client calls and schedules, which can lead to missed opportunities, scheduling conflicts or delays in important conversations.
My AI Front Desk handles client call logistics so sales reps can focus on more important sales activities, such as following up with inbound leads and building customer relationships.
The system also uses conversational AI to speak directly to callers. You input all the information it needs to know about your business and services, and it shares relevant information.
Say that a caller calls outside business hours and wants to know more about your product features. If you’ve added the information to the system, the AI receptionist provides users instant access to the information they need, enhancing their experience with quick customer support.
The AI Receptionist can also text custom links to the caller during the conversation. For example, if the caller asks to schedule an appointment, the receptionist can text them your Calendly link.
Price:
The Starter plan starts at $48.75 per month when billed annually. Features include 100+ premium voices.
Upgrade to the Pro plan for $72.75 per month when billed annually to access additional features, like access to 6000+ integrations.
Free trial: Yes
Ideal users: SMBs that want to streamline call scheduling and support phone customers after hours
What makes a great AI sales tool for SMBs?
The best AI features vary depending on your business needs, existing tech stack and target audience. However, there are some staple functionalities to look for in any AI sales platform, including:
Integration with your existing tools. Every tool in your tech stack should work together to minimize inefficiencies and maximize productivity. For example, integrating an AI sales assistant with your CRM automatically syncs customer interactions. As a result, your team always has up-to-date information without switching between apps.
Ease of use. AI tools are most effective when sales teams adopt them quickly and easily. For example, an AI-driven email automation tool with a simple drag-and-drop interface lets reps create personalized campaigns in minutes, boosting adoption and improving sales enablement.
Scalability. AI tools should scale effortlessly to meet new demands as your business grows. For instance, an AI-powered lead-scoring tool should handle increasing data volumes as your customer base grows.
Customizations. Every business has unique sales workflows, customer segments and processes. AI tools with customizable options fit seamlessly into your operations. For example, a customizable AI reporting dashboard lets you track the metrics that matter most to your business so your team can focus on insights that drive results.
These functionalities ensure that the tools can seamlessly integrate into your existing strategy and continue to be used as your company and sales goals evolve.
3 best practices for using AI in sales
Having the right sales tools is only part of the puzzle. To achieve the best results, you must also know how to use them effectively.
Follow these three best practices to make the most out of your AI sales tools.
1. Combine AI with a human approach
AI is most effective when it empowers sales reps. It should support their role and help them achieve sales goals, like increasing conversions or reaching a new audience.
Here’s how to combine both the skills of AI and sales reps:
Use AI for what it’s best at – analyzing large sets of data, gathering insights and making suggestions to improve sales processes
Focus sales reps on things that AI can’t do – like building genuine relationships, understanding emotional cues and navigating complex negotiations
For example, AI might highlight a prospect’s high engagement with content about pricing options. The sales rep who gets this insight might recognize engagement with this topic as a potential sign of budget concerns.
Instead of sending a generic follow-up, the rep can directly call to acknowledge the prospect’s interest, offer flexible pricing solutions and reassure them of the product’s value.
2. Focus on data quality and enrichment
Data integrity is the foundation of effective AI. Inconsistent or outdated information can skew analysis and hinder decision-making.
For example, if your sales CRM contains outdated contact information, AI might identify the wrong decision-maker for email communication.
To maintain accuracy, ensure that CRM and sales databases are clean, standardized and duplicated-free. Here are some ways to approach this:
Perform regular data audits. Schedule routine checks to identify and correct errors, such as outdated contacts, duplicate entries or incomplete records.
Standardize data entry. Implement clear guidelines for data input, including consistent formats for names, sales email campaigns and phone numbers to reduce inconsistencies.
Train team members. Educate sales teams on data entry and management best practices to prevent future errors.
3. Provide sufficient training and support
Effective training ensures the sales team is confident with the software and can use it to its full potential.
Here’s how to support your team:
Host training sessions. Organize a training session to explore the tool’s features in depth. Include Q&A sessions and demonstrations to clarify complex functions.
Provide hands-on training with real-life scenarios. Simulate common sales situations using the AI tool and let reps practice solving real problems. Real-life practice builds confidence and helps them apply the tool to everyday tasks.
Create quick reference materials and FAQs for easy access. Design concise guides and cheat sheets to help sales reps quickly access key information. Store them virtually so reps can refer to them wherever they are.
Getting your employees up to speed on all your tools’ features will make implementing them more efficient and give you a better return on your investment.
Final thoughts
The right AI sales software varies depending on your business needs, sales processes and ideal audience.
Regardless of these concerns, all your AI sales tools should have some key functionalities, including integration with your existing tools, usability, scalability and customization. A good place to start is using a platform like Pipedrive that meets these requirements.
Sign up for a free trial to see how Pipedrive’s AI can improve lead generation, streamline email creation and provide personalized recommendations to improve your tech stack.
