Software for Every Step of the Sales Process
The right sales tools can go a long way toward bolstering the bottom line, particularly in a tough business climate. Here are four new applications that can help you set prices, make pitches, and chase down leads.
Proposable.com
This online software helps users create Web-based sales proposals and send a private URL to prospective clients. The software comes with templates and lets you easily embed videos and pictures. It also lets you see when a prospect opens a file and for how long.
COST: $19 to $79 a month after a 30-day free trial
SalesForce Chatter
A Facebook for sales teams, Chatter has a secure, simple interface that lets colleagues post, share, and comment on things such as PowerPoint presentations and invoices. You can also add a widget to monitor tweets of clients and co-workers.
COST: Currently in free beta testing
Sybase Mobile Sales
This customer relationship management app gives users mobile access to data in their SAP accounts, including sales leads. It works on iPhones and Windows Mobile phones; a version for BlackBerrys is due this year.
COST: $15 a month per user or $405 for a perpetual license
Mimiran Sales Compass
Mimiran's pricing analytics software lets you plug in historical pricing data and competitors' rates to generate a scatter chart showing pricing sweet spots and comparisons. The company recently launched a free version of the app.
COST: $99 a month for the first user, then $49 a month per person
