If you’re running or managing a B2B sales team, you know the drill: more calls, better data, tighter follow-up. But most sales tools either bury you in features nobody uses, or promise the world and deliver a clunky experience. This review is for sales managers, ops folks, and founders who want a straight answer—does Kixie actually help your team make more sales calls and close more deals, or is it just another dashboard to ignore?
Let’s break down what Kixie is, what it really does for sales teams, what’s great, what’s annoying, and who should actually consider using it.
What Exactly is Kixie?
Kixie pitches itself as a “powerful sales engagement platform” built around business calling and texting. At its core, it’s a cloud-based phone system for sales teams, with a twist: it’s designed to connect to your CRM (like HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, etc.) and automate a ton of the repetitive stuff—think auto-dialing, call logging, SMS follow-ups, and tracking performance.
The point? Save reps time, make sure calls get logged, and give managers real data on who’s actually performing (not just who talks a big game in meetings).
Here’s what you get with Kixie:
- Auto-dialer (power and multi-line options)
- Click-to-call from your CRM
- Automatic call & SMS logging
- Local presence dialing (shows a local number to prospects)
- Call recording and coaching tools
- SMS campaigns
- Call analytics and reporting
- CRM integrations (the good ones, not just a CSV export)
It’s all browser-based—no hardware, nothing to install, just a Chrome extension and a web app. Pricing starts around $35/month per user and goes up depending on features. There’s a free trial, but no truly free plan.
Kixie Features: What Works and What’s Just Hype
Let’s cut to it. Here’s what I’ve found actually moves the needle for sales teams, and what’s mostly there for the demo.
The Good Stuff
1. Auto-Dialer That Doesn’t Suck
A lot of auto-dialers feel more like spam machines than actual sales tools. Kixie’s power dialer is simple: upload a list, hit play, and it’ll call through contacts, skipping busy signals and disconnected numbers. The interface is clean, with easy “pause” and “skip” buttons.
Pro tip: The multi-line dialer lets you call 2+ numbers at once. Useful if your team needs raw volume, but be careful—if you don’t have enough reps or callbacks get messy, it can backfire.
2. CRM Integration That Actually Works
Kixie’s CRM integrations are one of its biggest strengths. Click-to-call right inside HubSpot or Salesforce actually works, and calls get auto-logged. You can trigger workflows based on call outcomes, which is big for keeping your data clean and your reps honest.
What’s actually useful: - Auto-logging notes, call outcomes, and recordings directly to the contact in your CRM. - Setting up automations (e.g., if a call goes unanswered, auto-send a follow-up SMS). - Real-time call pop-ups with contact info, so reps don’t waste time searching.
3. Local Presence Caller ID
When you call someone, Kixie can show a local area code (even if you’re calling from another state or country). This genuinely increases answer rates—prospects are way more likely to pick up a local number.
Heads up: This is legal, but not always loved by prospects. Some people see through it. Use it, but don’t rely on it.
4. Real-Time Call Coaching and Whisper
Managers can listen in live, “whisper” tips to reps during calls, or barge in if needed. Great for onboarding new reps or fixing bad habits fast.
5. SMS Campaigns
You can send one-off texts or automate SMS follow-ups after calls. This isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s handy, especially if your prospects actually answer texts (and in 2024, many do).
The Fluff or Frustrating Bits
Kixie isn’t perfect. Here’s what’s less impressive:
- Reporting is just OK. You get basic dashboards—calls made, answered, duration, etc.—but if you want custom reports or deep analytics, you’ll have to export data and do it yourself.
- SMS compliance can be a headache. If you’re in the US, 10DLC registration for mass texting is a pain, and Kixie doesn’t make this magically easy. Expect some paperwork.
- Browser only. No mobile app. If your reps work from their phones, this isn’t the tool for you.
- Occasional bugs. Chrome extension updates sometimes break click-to-call for a few hours. Not a dealbreaker, but annoying.
- Not a full sales engagement platform. If you want LinkedIn automation, email sequencing, etc., look elsewhere. Kixie is mostly about calls and texts.
How to Actually Get Value From Kixie: Step-by-Step
Buying a tool doesn’t boost productivity—using it right does. Here’s how to roll out Kixie so your team doesn’t just ignore it.
1. Set Up Your CRM Integration (Don’t Skip This)
- Connect Kixie to your CRM first. This takes 10–15 minutes.
- Map your fields: Make sure calls get logged to the right contacts, with clear outcomes and notes.
- Test it with a few calls before rolling out to the whole team.
Pro tip: Clean up your CRM first. Kixie can’t fix bad data.
2. Train Your Team (Briefly!)
- Show reps how to use click-to-call, take notes, and disposition calls.
- Demo the power dialer. Most reps pick it up in under 10 minutes.
- Walk through SMS sending, and cover your company’s rules about texting prospects.
Keep it short: Don’t do a 2-hour training. 30 minutes is plenty.
3. Set Up Call Outcomes and Automations
- Define a handful of simple call outcomes (“Interested,” “Not Interested,” “Callback,” etc.).
- Set up automations like sending a follow-up SMS after a missed call, or creating a CRM task after a positive call.
- Don’t overcomplicate it—start simple, add more later.
4. Use Real-Time Coaching (Don’t Just Spy)
- Schedule call coaching blocks with new reps.
- Use whisper mode to give feedback live—don’t just listen in silently.
- Save a few good call recordings for future training.
5. Monitor Performance, But Don’t Micromanage
- Use Kixie’s dashboards to spot trends: Who’s making calls, who’s getting connections, and who needs help.
- Share results with the team, not just leadership.
- Don’t obsess over call quantity—focus on quality conversations and outcomes.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Use Kixie?
Good Fit:
- B2B sales teams doing a lot of outbound calling (SDRs, inside sales, agency teams).
- Orgs using major CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, or Zoho.
- Managers who want call data without nagging reps to log every call.
Not a Fit:
- Teams who mostly email, use LinkedIn, or do field sales.
- Small teams who call from mobile phones—no app support.
- Orgs with complex reporting needs (unless you’re happy exporting data).
Honest Take: The Bottom Line
Kixie isn’t going to magically turn your sales team into closers. What it does—pretty well—is make calling and texting faster, easier, and more trackable. The key strengths are solid CRM integration, a no-nonsense dialer, and a handful of features that save reps time (and managers headaches).
Is it perfect? No. Reporting is basic, and if your team doesn’t actually make calls, it’s not for you. But if your sales process lives and dies by outbound dials, it’s worth a look.
Keep it simple: Set up Kixie, start with the basics, and improve your process as you go. Don’t let perfection get in the way of just making more (and better) calls.