Ever felt like you’re spinning your wheels trying to find the right leads for your HVAC business? You’re not alone. Today’s market is extremely competitive, and it’s not just about working hard anymore. You must work smarter.
This is where sales intelligence software can make all the difference. But what exactly is it, how much does it cost, and how can it transform your sales process?
In this article, we will explore the best sales intelligence tools for HVAC contractors to help them identify prospects, convert leads, and close sales more effectively.
What is Sales Intelligence Software?
If you’re a sports fan, you’re probably familiar with your favorite player’s stats. Batting averages, shooting percentages, or shots on goal, just to name a few. These stats act like a scorecard telling how a player will likely perform in any given situation.
Sales intelligence is effectively the same thing for your prospects and customers.
Like the game stats on your favorite player, sales intelligence solutions use artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and intent data to tell salespeople exactly what current and potential customers need, when they need it, and how to approach them by tracking their online activity.
Definition and Benefits
In other words, sales intelligence software is like having a super-smart assistant who’s always on the job. Incredibly, it’s even better than that—it’s like having a whole research team at your fingertips! By analyzing human behaviors (known as behavioral economics), intelligence tools for sales empower the teams using them to understand their prospects and close more deals faster.
They collect information by gathering unique bites of data, analyzing and “enriching” (making it more accurate) it, and turning that data into actionable insights that help you hit your quarterly goals and fine-tune your sales processes.
So, what can this digital assistant wizardly magic artificial intelligence stuff do for you? Here’s a snapshot:
Find qualified accounts that are actually worth your time.
Identify new leads automatically (yes, while you sleep!).
Streamline your tech stack so you’re not juggling a dozen different unrelated tools.
Track company buying signals so you know when a prospect is ready to make a move.
Find and engage with decision-makers, cutting through the corporate maze.
Sales intelligence platforms like Convex are designed just for HVAC contracts, helping you connect with the right person at the right time and with the perfect message.
Sales Intelligence Platform Features
There are currently more than 285+ sales intelligence tools on the market today- 90% of them will not be relevant to your business due to a few key factors.
Business Size: If you’re a small to medium-sized business, you’ll want to eliminate any dedicated enterprise level tools as their pricing and features won’t work well with your sales workflows.
Target Market: Many sales intelligence solutions have a specialty. For example, Cognism focussed on GDPR compliance, making it perfect for those selling in European countries and Convex focuses on properties, making it perfect for those who sell to anyone with a commercial building. This is something to consider when choosing the right tools for your business.
Tools and Integrations: If your current workflows are effective, you’ll want to add a sales intelligence option to your tech stack, not rebuild the entire sales workflow. This is where tools that work well with your current tech stack really come in handy, making transitions a lot smoother and keeping your productivity on track.
These are the primary considerations to decide which tools best fit your business, now, what features should you look at? Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of what a comprehensive sales intelligence solution should offer.
As you evaluate these tools, we’ll cover the most relevant items that you should be looking for in a sales intelligence platform. Here are some key features that’ll make your life easier and your sales numbers higher.
Key Features to Look for:
Contact data: Regularly updated, best in class, secure contact data to be more specific.
Imagine having a constantly updated Rolodex of every potential customer in your area. Good sales intelligence software does that. It indexes public and private company and prospect data, giving you the most up-to-date contact information and insights. No more wasting time chasing down outdated phone numbers or email addresses!
Lead builder: This is vital. How do you know who’s in market? who’s interested? and who to talk to. This is where lead-finding and list-building intelligence tools can powerfully impact sales.
I’m going to use a corny analogy here, but if you’ve ever wished you could wave a magic wand and have a list of perfect prospects appear, using buying signals to create an ideal customer profile (ICP) list is pretty close. It lets you easily compile a list of targets to prospect, based on criteria you set, who’ve already shown interest in purchasing.
Or, to use another corny analogy – it’s like having a personal matchmaker for your business.
Data cleaning: We’ll discuss this a bit more in the next section, so I won’t belabor the point here, but dirty data is about as useful as a broken thermostat. Even if your system is functional, you can’t control the temperature.
Sales intelligence software offers data enrichment tools to ensure your prospect data is accurate data and up-to-date.
Lead scoring: Not all leads are created equal. Some are ready to buy, and some aren’t even looking for your solution. Sales intent data, buying signals, signal strength, and lead scoring are all features offered by the top tools that allow you deep insights into the quality of the lead.
These features work in different ways for different tools, but in general they use AI or ML to evaluate leads based on configurable rules and rank them in order of highest likelihood to purchase. It’s like having a crystal ball that tells you where to focus your energy on the best opportunities.
Integration with CRM: We already alluded to this in this section but your sales intelligence software should play nice with your CRM system.
The entire customer lifecycle should take place within a few key tools – generally a lead generation, prospecting, or sales intelligence platform, a CRM, and potentially some marketing automation tools. These integrations should be well-optimized and provide contextual information about contacts right where you need them and when you need them.
Sales Intelligence Data
Now, let’s talk about the fuel that powers these amazing sales intelligence solutions – data. But not just any data. We’re talking about the kind of information that can give you an X-ray vision of your market and your prospects.
Types of Data and Insights
Property Intelligence data: Since the vast majority of HVAC systems are attached to some kind of property, property intelligence data will be key to understanding the needs of your customer. This includes ownership, tenant, and management contact information as well as permit history, and other details that are relevant to the building.
Firmographic data: This is the who, what, and where of your prospects. It includes company size, industry, location, and job function. It’s like having a detailed map of your target market. This firmographic data is crucial for B2B sales intelligence, helping you target the right companies and decision-makers.
Technographic data: Want to know what kind of HVAC system a company is currently using? This data tells you about technology usage, software, and hardware. It’s like being able to peek into a building’s mechanical room before you even step foot inside.
Intent data: This is the gold mine. It shows you buying signals, signal strength, research behavior, and purchase intent. It’s like being able to read your prospects’ minds and know when they’re ready to buy.
Contact data: No more playing phone tag or sending emails into the void. This includes email addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles. It’s like having a direct line to decision-makers.
Company data: Stay ahead of the curve with information on financials, news, and industry trends. It’s like having a time machine that lets you see where a company is headed.
So those are the types of data and how they can help you accelerate sales, now, lets talk about the tools themselves.
Top 7 Sales Intelligence Tools for 2024
As I mentioned in the introduction, there are more than 285 sales intelligence tools on the market today, and while 20+ of them are awesome tools, we’re going to zero in on the best 5- 7 sales intelligence tools that will truly make a difference for HVAC contractors like you.
1. Convex
If you’re in HVAC, Convex should be at the top of your list. Why? Because it was built from the ground up with field sales teams in mind- (but we’re Convex, so we may be just a bit biased).
Rated 4.7/5 ⭐️ on Capterra, Convex offers a powerful combo of sales and property intelligence, buying signals, and AI-powered outreach that can totally transform your sales process.
Convex’s features are designed to make life easier for sales reps, helping them identify leads and close deals more efficiently. But here’s the kicker – it’s so easy to use, lead generation only takes 3- 5 minutes and four steps:
Log in to Convex and check out the Signals category. This is where you’ll find Convex’s proprietary buyer intent data, showing you who’s ready to buy in your market.
Search for what you need – whether it’s a property type (like a hospital or restaurant), contact name, job title, account name, property address, or tenants.
With just two clicks, you can use Generative AI (trained on those buying signals and your own company and contact data) to send a personalized email or draft a script for a phone call.
Set up an automated follow-up or reminder, or add the lead to your pipeline.
Convex was built for commercial services business and that isn’t just HVAC – it’s also great for electrical and lighting, generators, roofing, elevators, waste management, commercial cleaning and janitorial, and more.
It offers a complete suite of sales prospecting tools that find leads, enrich data, map sales routes, and integrate with the best follow-up tools on the market.
2. Cognism
Next up is Cognism, and let me tell you, it’s a powerhouse. It’s like having a direct line to your ideal clients, complete with phone-verified mobile numbers, direct dials, and business emails. But here’s what really sets Cognism apart – it’s not just about quantity, it’s about quality. We’re talking high-quality B2B data that follows stringent privacy protocols and is compliant with GDPR. In today’s world of data breaches and privacy concerns, that’s worth its weight in gold. Cognism’s high-quality data is invaluable for both sales and marketing teams, enabling them to target the right prospects and improve their outreach efforts.
3. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “LinkedIn? Isn’t that just for job hunting?” Think again! LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a sales intelligence tool that takes LinkedIn to a whole new level. Imagine being able to narrow down your search based on industry, location, company size, job title, and more. That’s what Sales Navigator offers. It’s like having a super-powered LinkedIn account that’s laser-focused on helping you find the right prospects. Just keep in mind that some of the really cool features are only available on the Advanced and Advanced Plus plans. But trust me, if you’re serious about B2B sales, it’s worth considering. LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s advanced search capabilities are a game-changer for sales reps, helping them find and connect with the right prospects.
4. HubSpot Sales Hub
HubSpot is like the Swiss Army knife of sales tools. It’s not just a sales automation tool – it’s also a customer relationship management (CRM) system designed specifically for sales teams. Think about it – managing your sales pipeline, automating sales tasks, and tracking customer interactions all in one place. Sounds pretty sweet, right? It’s like having your own personal sales assistant, working 24/7 to keep you organized and on top of your game. HubSpot Sales Hub’s comprehensive features make it an essential tool for both sales and marketing teams, helping them streamline their processes and improve collaboration.
5. Datanyze
Datanyze is a robust sales intelligence solution that helps you reach your prospects more effectively. But it doesn’t stop there. Datanyze offers a whole range of tools, including lead generation, enrichment, and analytics. It’s like having a whole team of data scientists working around the clock to help you optimize your sales and marketing strategies.
6. Apollo.io
Apollo.io is gaining traction as a versatile sales intelligence platform that empowers sales teams with a rich contacts database combined with advanced engagement features. With over 265 million verified contacts, users can discover and connect with decision-makers swiftly. Apollo’s intuitive interface helps sales professionals streamline their workflow by offering automated email sequences, CRM integrations, and real-time analytics. Its robust search capabilities enable users to filter through potential leads based on specific criteria, ensuring that outreach efforts target the right audience effectively. Additionally, the platform’s insights on company attributes and buying signals further enhance lead qualification, making it a valuable asset in any sales strategy.
7. Lusha
Finally, there’s Lusha, a tool that’s all about simplifying the process of building meaningful connections. Lusha provides access to accurate B2B contact data, including phone numbers and email addresses, sourced directly from professionals in various industries. Its browser extension allows users to grab contact details instantly while browsing LinkedIn or other platforms, making it a seamless addition to your sales toolkit. This helps sales reps reach out to potential clients quickly and effectively without the usual legwork involved in finding direct contacts. Lusha’s commitment to data compliance also ensures that users can engage with prospects while respecting privacy regulations. Integrating Lusha into your sales strategy can enhance your outreach efforts and foster strong relationships with key decision-makers.
Conclusion
We’ve covered a lot of ground, but let’s pause and recap. Sales intelligence tools are vital for businesses aiming to accelerate growth and enhance profitability. When picking the right one for you, check out features like lead generation, automated outreach, signal strength, and analytics, as these tools will have the most impact on sales.
Sales intelligence software is a superpower for your sales team.
Remember, in the world of HVAC sales, knowledge truly is power. Salespeople who have access to these tools can outpace the competition and win deals by identifying what customers want and need and tailoring their approach accordingly.
Don’t let outdated sales tactics prevent you from reaching your full potential.
But don’t just take my word for it. Try it out for yourself and see the difference it can make. Trust me, once you experience the power of sales intelligence firsthand, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. So what are you waiting for? Schedule your demo of Convex today to see how sales intelligence solutions can transform your lead generation, streamline your sales funnel, and accelerate revenue for your business.
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