If you’re picking a sales engagement platform for your B2B team, you’ve probably heard of Close. Maybe you’ve even tried a few demos. But between the feature lists, shiny dashboards, and breathless marketing promises, it’s tough to tell what actually matters. This guide is for sales leaders, founders, and anyone tired of buying tools that look great in screenshots but get ignored by the team. Let’s get real about which Close features are worth your attention—and which you can safely ignore.
Why Choose a Sales Engagement Platform in the First Place?
Before diving into Close, let’s be honest: Most B2B sales teams limp along just fine with email and spreadsheets—until they don’t. As the team grows, deals slip through the cracks, follow-ups get missed, and nobody’s really sure what’s working. That’s where a dedicated platform can help, if you pick one that fits how you actually work.
A good sales engagement platform should: - Keep your pipeline organized (no more mystery deals) - Make follow-ups automatic, not a memory game - Help reps spend more time selling and less time updating fields - Actually get used by the whole team
With that in mind, here’s what to look for if you’re considering Close.
1. The CRM Basics—Don’t Overthink It
Every sales tool claims to be a CRM, but that doesn’t mean it’s usable. Close’s core CRM features are refreshingly straightforward:
- Contact and lead management: You can import leads, tag them, and filter them without needing a day of training. If you’re coming from a spreadsheet, the learning curve is mild.
- Custom fields: You can track the stuff you actually care about, not just what some software vendor thinks matters.
- Search that works: Need to find all open deals in a specific region or industry? Close’s search is fast and flexible.
What to ignore: Don’t get hung up on endless customization options. Most teams never use half of them and just add clutter. Stick to what you’ll actually track.
2. Built-In Calling and Email—No More App-Hopping
For B2B sales, speed and follow-up are everything. Close stands out by baking calling and email right into the platform:
- Power dialer: Queue up a list of calls and let Close handle the dialing. This is a real productivity booster if your team does a lot of outbound.
- SMS and email sequences: Automate the boring parts of follow-up. Send emails or texts at set intervals, and tweak as you go.
- Call recording and logging: Calls are auto-logged to the right contact, and you can review recordings for coaching or compliance.
What works: This “all-in-one” approach means no more juggling five tabs or losing track of conversations.
What to watch out for: The built-in phone isn’t magic. International calling can get pricey, and the quality depends on your internet. Always test with your team before rolling it out company-wide.
3. Pipeline Management—Keep It Real
A sales pipeline is only useful if it’s up to date. Close’s pipeline view is Kanban-style: drag deals from stage to stage, see where things get stuck, and forecast revenue.
- Customizable stages: Match your actual sales process, not someone else’s.
- Forecasting tools: Get a rough idea of what’s likely to close, but don’t bet the farm on these numbers. Forecasting is always part science, part guesswork.
- Bulk actions: Update dozens of deals at once. Saves time, reduces manual errors.
Pro tip: Don’t create twelve pipeline stages “just in case.” Keep it simple—more stages won’t magically improve your sales process.
4. Reporting—Get Answers, Not Just Pretty Charts
Close offers reporting that’s practical, not overwhelming. You’ll get:
- Activity tracking: See calls, emails, and tasks by rep or team. Find out who’s actually putting in the work.
- Sales performance dashboards: Track deals won, deals lost, and conversion rates. The basics, done well.
- Custom reports: For the data nerds, you can slice and dice by source, region, or whatever field you set up.
What to ignore: The temptation to build reports “for management” that nobody reads. Focus on the two or three metrics that drive decisions.
5. Automation—Time-Saver or Time Sink?
Automation is Close’s big selling point, but it’s easy to overdo it. Here’s what actually helps:
- Task reminders: Never forget a follow-up. Set tasks for yourself or teammates, tied to leads or deals.
- Smart Views: Think of these like saved searches—filter leads by last contact date, value, or any other field, and act on them fast.
- Workflow automation: Trigger emails or tasks based on lead status changes. Good for repetitive outreach, but keep it simple.
What works: Use automation for repetitive admin work, not for sending robotic “Hey, just checking in” emails. Real relationships still need a human touch.
6. Integrations—Only What You’ll Actually Use
Close plays nicely with many popular tools, but don’t just connect everything because you can. Focus on integrations that solve real problems:
- Calendar sync: Connect Google or Outlook calendars to log meetings automatically.
- Zapier: If you want to push data to Slack, marketing tools, or spreadsheets, Zapier makes it doable with minimal hassle.
- API access: For more technical teams, Close’s API is solid and well-documented.
What doesn’t matter: Fancy app marketplaces or endless third-party widgets. If your team needs to log in to five different places, adoption will tank.
7. User Experience—Adoption Is Everything
Even the best features are useless if your team hates the tool. Close’s interface is clean and fast, with minimal “where do I click?” confusion. New reps can get up and running in an afternoon.
- Mobile app: Handy for quick follow-ups or updates on the go. Not as fully featured as desktop, but good enough for most needs.
- Onboarding: Simple import tools help you move from spreadsheets or another CRM without a weekend of headaches.
Watch for: If your sales process is highly unusual or you need heavy customization, you might bump into Close’s limits. For most B2B teams, though, it hits the sweet spot between powerful and usable.
8. Pricing—No Surprises, but Read the Fine Print
Close charges per user, per month. The pricing is straightforward, and you can see all tiers on their site—no “call for enterprise pricing” nonsense. That said:
- Phone minutes and SMS are extra: If your reps make a ton of calls, budget for usage fees on top of the subscription.
- Feature tiers: The basic plan covers most needs, but advanced automation and reporting are on higher tiers.
Pro tip: Start with the lowest plan that covers your “must-haves.” You can always upgrade later; downgrading is a hassle.
What to Skip (Unless You Have a Good Reason)
- Advanced VoIP features: Most B2B teams don’t need things like call whisper or barge.
- Heavy-duty custom objects: If you’re not sure what this means, you don’t need it.
- Endless integrations: More isn’t always better. Only connect what you’ll actually use.
The Bottom Line
Choosing a B2B sales engagement platform isn’t about ticking every box—it’s about picking the features your team will actually use, every day. With Close, the basics are strong: CRM, built-in calling and email, real pipeline visibility, and enough automation to save time without going overboard.
Don’t fall for the “all-in-one” hype unless it lines up with your real workflow. Start simple, get your team on board, and only add bells and whistles when they solve real problems. Iterate as you go—because sales isn’t static, and neither are the tools that support it.