If you’re running or managing outbound sales at a small or mid-sized business, you know the drill: leads don’t call themselves, reps burn out dialing all day, and the “productivity tools” you’ve tried so far mostly just add noise. You want to make more calls, get better results, and actually see what works—without babysitting another clunky system. This guide is for you.
Let’s break down where Kixie actually helps, what’s worth your time, and where to be skeptical. No fluff, just what you need to know.
What Is Kixie, Really?
Kixie is a sales calling and texting platform built to slot into your CRM. It automates a lot of the busywork around cold calling, follow-ups, and tracking, so your reps can spend less time clicking around and more time talking to real people.
If you’ve used power dialers, call tracking tools, or automated texting apps before, Kixie is in that ballpark. The difference is, it’s built for smaller teams that don’t have a full-time IT person—or much patience for complicated setups.
Let’s get into the details.
The Real Outbound Sales Problems (And How Kixie Claims to Fix Them)
Before we talk features, let’s be honest about the headaches:
- Reps wasting time on manual dialing, logging, and follow-ups
- Calls slipping through the cracks because nobody tracked them
- No way to measure which campaigns or reps are worth the money
- Leads getting lost between spreadsheets, CRMs, and random sticky notes
Kixie says it addresses all this. Here’s how.
1. Save Time with Power Dialing (But Don’t Expect Miracles)
Kixie’s power dialer is the main attraction. Instead of your reps dialing each number by hand, they can queue up a list (from your CRM or a CSV file) and let Kixie dial for them. When someone picks up, the rep talks; otherwise, it moves to the next.
What works: - Reps can make a lot more calls per hour—think 2–3x, especially if you’re still dialing by hand. - Voicemails can be dropped automatically, so reps don’t have to leave the same message 50 times a day. - Call logging happens automatically in supported CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, etc.), so you don’t end up with missing data.
What to watch out for: - Don’t buy the hype about “10x productivity.” If your reps are already using a decent dialer, gains will be more modest. - Power dialers work best with large, clean lists. If your lists are messy, incomplete, or full of wrong numbers, you’ll waste time anyway. - Some prospects might notice the short delay before the call connects (a common issue with power dialers). It’s minor, but worth knowing.
Pro tip: Don’t just crank up the dialer and hope for the best. Spend time cleaning your call lists, and make sure your reps are prepped with good scripts—or the extra dials won’t help.
2. Built-In SMS: Actually Useful for Follow-Ups
Texting leads isn’t new, but a lot of sales teams still do it from their personal phones, which is a pain to track (and not great for privacy).
Kixie bakes SMS right into its platform. You can send texts individually or as part of an automated sequence—right from your computer, tied to the right contact in your CRM.
What’s good: - Texts get logged automatically, so you finally see the full history in one place. - Multi-touch sequences (call + text + call) can double your response rates, especially with cold leads. - No need to give out personal numbers or juggle multiple devices.
Where to be skeptical: - SMS isn’t magic. Used wrong, you’ll just annoy people or get flagged as spam. Use it for follow-ups or confirmations—not cold outreach—unless you really know what you’re doing. - Carrier filtering is getting stricter. Make sure your texts aren’t too “salesy” or generic.
3. Real CRM Integration: Not Just a Checkbox
A lot of sales tools claim to “integrate” with your CRM, but really just dump in a spreadsheet or give you a clunky browser extension. Kixie does better than most here. It syncs calls, texts, notes, and outcomes right into the lead or deal record in real time.
Supported CRMs include HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Pipedrive, and a few others. You can also use Kixie’s Zapier integration for custom workflows.
What’s legit: - No more double-entry. Reps don’t have to remember to log calls or notes. - You can finally run reports that actually match what happened. - Call outcomes (like “left voicemail” or “connected”) get tracked cleanly.
What’s less impressive: - If you use a less popular CRM, expect more setup work or to rely on Zapier, which can get fiddly. - CRM sync is only as good as your CRM hygiene. If your contacts are a mess, Kixie won’t fix that.
4. Local Presence Numbers: Higher Pickup Rates, But Not a Silver Bullet
Kixie lets you call and text from local area codes, not just your company’s main number. The idea is simple: people are more likely to answer calls from a familiar area code.
Does it work? - For B2C outreach or local businesses, you might see a noticeable lift in pickup rates. - For B2B, it’s hit or miss. Many decision-makers see through it, but some still pick up out of curiosity.
A few caveats: - Overusing local presence can backfire. If someone tries to call you back, it might not ring your main office or assigned rep. - Some spam filters now flag calls from rotating numbers. Keep an eye on your return call volume and reputation.
Bottom line: Use it, but don’t rely on it. If your pitch is weak, a local number won’t save the deal.
5. Reporting and Analytics: Decent, But Don’t Expect Deep Insights
Kixie gives you dashboards to track call volume, answer rates, outcomes, talk time, and more. You can slice by rep, campaign, or timeframe.
What’s helpful: - You can finally see which reps are actually making calls (and which are just busy in Slack). - Basic campaign ROI is trackable—number of calls, connects, appointments set, etc. - Helps with coaching: you can listen to call recordings and spot patterns.
What’s missing: - Don’t expect deep attribution or pipeline analytics. This isn’t Salesforce Einstein. - Complex custom reports will require exporting data or working with your CRM’s reporting tools.
Pro tip: Use Kixie for activity tracking and spot-checking rep performance. For more advanced sales metrics, combine it with your CRM’s reports.
6. Automation: The Good, the Bad, and What to Ignore
Kixie offers some automation (“PowerLists,” auto-SMS, call scheduling) to save time on repetitive tasks.
What’s worth using: - Automated follow-up texts after a missed call or voicemail. - Call scheduling that ties into your CRM or calendar.
What to skip (unless you’re really motivated): - Ultra-complex workflows. If you find yourself mapping out a 12-step sequence, you’re probably overdoing it. - Anything that tries to fully “automate” relationship-building. People can smell it a mile away.
Quick advice: Start with simple automations. Add complexity only if you’re actually seeing results.
7. Setup and Support: Not Painful, But Not Magic Either
Getting up and running with Kixie is faster than most—think an hour or two, not days. Most SMBs can get away without a dedicated admin.
What works: - Chrome extension and web app are straightforward. - Decent onboarding guides and in-app chat support.
Small gotchas: - If you want deep CRM integration or custom automations, budget a little more time for tinkering. - Porting numbers can take a few days. Plan ahead if you’re switching from another provider.
Kixie Pricing: Is It Worth the Money?
Kixie isn’t the cheapest dialer on the market, but it’s not crazy expensive either. You pay per user, per month, with discounts for annual plans. There are extra fees for some advanced features (like local presence or unlimited texting).
Is it worth it? - If your reps are making fewer than 20–30 outbound calls a day, you probably won’t see ROI. - If you’re running a real outbound team and your current process is manual or messy, the time savings alone usually justify the cost. - If you’re already using a modern dialer + CRM setup and just want minor upgrades, Kixie might not move the needle much.
Pro tip: Try it for a month with your most motivated rep. If they don’t make more connects or set more appointments, move on.
What Not to Expect from Kixie
Let’s set some realistic expectations:
- Kixie won’t magically make your reps better at selling. It just helps them spend more time talking to prospects.
- It won’t fix bad lists, stale leads, or weak pitches.
- It doesn’t replace good sales management or training.
But if your team is stuck in spreadsheet hell, or you’re missing calls and losing track of leads, it can save you hours and a lot of hassle.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
If you take nothing else from this, remember: tools like Kixie help only if you know what you actually need. Start with the basics—clean lists, good scripts, and clear goals. Layer on automation and analytics as you go. Don’t get distracted by shiny features.
Test, adjust, and keep the process simple. The best sales teams win because they do the basics well, not because they chase every new app.