If you’re running a B2B sales team, you know the promise: “Our sales engagement platform will double your pipeline!” But let’s get real—there’s no silver bullet. Choosing the right tool is a pain. This guide is for team leads, founders, and sales ops folks who want to cut through the noise, pick what works, and avoid buyer’s remorse (and endless demo calls).
Here’s how to actually choose the best B2B sales engagement platform for your team, with a straight-shooting comparison of Saleshandy versus the rest.
1. Get Clear on What Matters for Your Team
Before you click another “Book a Demo” button, step back. Every sales tool claims to “boost productivity” and “automate outreach,” but what do you actually need? Here’s how to figure it out:
- Team Size & Structure: Are you a scrappy startup with 3 reps, or an enterprise with 50+? Some tools price per user, others bundle seats. Big teams need robust admin and reporting.
- Outbound vs. Inbound: If your team lives and dies by cold emails and calls, you’ll need strong sequencing, deliverability, and call features. If you’re mostly following up on inbound leads, overkill on automation might be wasted.
- CRM Integration: Do you need tight sync with Salesforce or HubSpot? Or does a CSV upload get you by?
- Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves: Be ruthless. Do you really need AI writing, or is reliable email tracking enough? More features often mean more complexity (and higher price).
Pro tip: Write down your top 3 must-haves and 3 dealbreakers. If a tool can’t do those, don’t waste your time.
2. Know the Core Features (and What’s Just Hype)
Let’s break down the standard features—plus what you can usually ignore.
The Basics You Actually Need
- Sequencing: Set up multi-step campaigns (emails, calls, LinkedIn, etc.) and automate follow-ups.
- Deliverability Tools: Email warm-up, domain checks, and sending limits. If you’re going outbound, this is non-negotiable.
- Tracking & Analytics: Open, reply, click rates. Per-user and per-campaign stats.
- CRM Sync: Push and pull data to your CRM without manual entry.
- User Management: Easy to add/remove reps, set permissions, and manage teams.
- Support: Live chat or decent support documentation. You’ll need it.
Nice-to-Haves (But Not Critical for Everyone)
- A/B Testing: Helpful for high-volume teams, but most companies never use it deeply.
- Phone Dialer: Only useful if your team actually makes calls.
- AI Email Writing: Fun demo, rarely game-changing.
- Custom Reporting: Most teams end up exporting to Excel anyway.
Ignore the Hype
- “AI-powered insights” that don’t actually help you close deals.
- Overly complex automations—if you need a consultant to set it up, it’s too much.
3. Shortlist: Saleshandy vs. The Rest
Most folks end up comparing a handful of names: Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo, Reply.io, and Saleshandy. Here’s how Saleshandy stacks up.
Saleshandy: The Honest Lowdown
What works: - Affordable: One of the best-priced platforms for email sequencing, especially for small to mid-sized teams. - Simple UI: You can set up campaigns quickly. Fewer bells and whistles means less to break. - Solid Deliverability: Decent email warm-up and sender rotation help you avoid spam folders. - Unlimited Email Accounts: Handy if your team juggles multiple sender addresses. - Decent Support: Not “enterprise white glove,” but responsive enough for most teams.
What doesn’t: - Limited CRM Integrations: No native Salesforce integration. Zapier is your friend, but it’s not seamless. - Basic Analytics: Good enough for most, but not as deep as Outreach/Salesloft. - No Phone Dialer: Purely email-focused. If you need integrated voice, look elsewhere. - Reporting: Functional, but if you need custom dashboards, you’ll feel boxed in.
How It Compares
| Feature | Saleshandy | Outreach | Salesloft | Apollo | Reply.io | |------------------------|-----------------|--------------|-------------------|---------------|---------------| | Email Sequencing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Deliverability | Good | Good | Good | Decent | Decent | | Phone Dialer | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | CRM Integration | Basic (Zapier) | Deep | Deep | Native (some) | Native (some) | | Price (per user) | $25–$40 | $100+ | $100+ | $50–$80 | $60–$90 | | Best For | Small/mid teams | Enterprise | Enterprise | Data-heavy | Hybrid teams |
Bottom line: If you want something affordable, easy to use, and focused on email, Saleshandy is a solid pick. If you need deep voice integration or tight CRM sync, you’ll want to pay more for Outreach or Salesloft.
4. Test-Drive Your Shortlist (Don’t Trust the Demos)
Here’s the dirty secret: sales demos are always polished. The bugs come out in the trial. So before you sign anything:
- Insist on a Free Trial: If a vendor won’t let you test-drive, move on.
- Get Hands-On: Set up a real campaign. Import leads, build a sequence, see how it feels.
- Check Deliverability: Send real emails to test accounts. Do they land in spam?
- CRM Sync: Try pushing data in and out. How many clicks does it take?
- User Experience: Is it easy to onboard a new rep? How’s the documentation?
Pro tip: Have one or two actual sales reps (not just ops) run through the tool. If they hate it, you’ll hear about it quickly.
5. Do the Math: Pricing, Limits, and Gotchas
Pricing is where most people get burned—especially on “unlimited” plans that aren’t really unlimited.
- Per User vs. Per Account: Some tools charge per user, others per email account. Make sure you know which.
- Feature Gating: Are critical features locked behind higher tiers?
- Sending Limits: Even “unlimited” email tools have daily caps, usually for deliverability reasons.
- Integration Fees: Some integrations cost extra (e.g., Salesforce sync).
- Annual Contracts: Month-to-month is safer if you’re testing, but most tools push for annual with discounts.
Watch out: Hidden onboarding, support, or data migration fees. Always ask what’s not included.
6. Make the Call and Move Fast
Once you’ve gone through real trials and checked your boxes, don’t overthink it. Pick the tool that:
- Your reps will actually use (not just tolerate)
- Fits your budget
- Covers your must-haves
- Doesn’t force you into features you’ll never touch
Give it 60–90 days. If it’s a disaster, switch. Most teams stick with whatever they actually get rolling, not what looked good on paper.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Most B2B sales teams overcomplicate this. The truth—no platform will magically turn weak leads into gold. Pick something that fits your workflow, doesn’t kill your budget, and actually gets adopted. Saleshandy is a great starter for teams focused on email, but don’t be afraid to pivot if your needs change.
Keep your process simple, revisit your tools every year, and don’t get suckered by shiny features you’ll never use. Good luck!