The best B2B sales software for Swiss startups and SMEs 😎

Introduction

Don't choose software solely based on recommendations! 🚫🤔 While it may seem like a safe bet, the software industry is constantly evolving, with new tools emerging every day. Those making recommendations may not be aware of the latest options. To ensure your software choice supports your growing business, take the time to do a landscape overview. This article will guide you through the best B2B sales software options and explain why selecting the right software is crucial for your success. Let's dive in! 💼💻

Why Choosing the Right Software Matters

Setting the foundation for your business requires selecting the right software. You want a solution that evolves and improves alongside your growing enterprise. Otherwise, you may find yourself replacing the software in a few years, resulting in a painful experience. Therefore, it's essential to understand the direction and future improvements of the software provider. Keep in mind that larger companies often offer more rigid software, while smaller companies continuously refine and adapt their offerings to better suit your needs. 💡📈

SEO Software for Optimal Website Performance 📊

When setting up your website, performing an SEO analysis is crucial to identify the keywords potential customers use to find your site. Several reliable tools can assist you in this process:

• Ahrefs - https://ahrefs.com/
• Ubersuggest by Neil Patel - https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
• Google Trends - https://trends.google.com/trends/?geo=CH

Among these options, Ahrefs stands out as the top tool, despite its higher cost. It's recommended to subscribe for just one month to perform the necessary SEO research analysis. Once you identify the keywords, it's crucial to incorporate them strategically throughout your website's content. Avoid aggressive keyword stuffing, as Google will penalize your site. Instead, integrate the keywords intelligently with meaningful and logical context. Additionally, develop a content plan based on the researched keywords, focusing on consistent blogging. Aim to release one blog post per month and update existing posts to ensure relevance and re-indexing. 📝📅

B2B Emails: Unlocking Effective Communication 📧

Successful B2B email campaigns rely on correctly identifying two key elements:

1. Customer profile: Understand the demographics of your target customers, such as gender, age, job title (e.g., CEO, COO), company type, and industry.
2. Messaging: Craft personalized email content that resonates with your customer profile and encourages responses.

Remember, the effectiveness of B2B emails depends on your understanding of these two points. Experiment with B2B email tools to refine your approach. Here are two recommended tools for your consideration:

• Apollo - https://apollo.io/
• Interseller - https://www.interseller.io/

For high-volume email campaigns (200+ emails), Apollo is the ideal choice. However, if you prefer a more targeted approach (10-25 emails), Interseller is the better option. Before utilizing these tools, create a separate email account and warm it up using Lemlist. Warming up your email for at least 60 days prevents it from being flagged as spam or blacklisted by servers. Incorporating videos into your emails can significantly enhance their effectiveness. 🎥✉️

Cold Calling: A Tried-and-True Approach ☎️

Contrary to popular belief, cold calling remains an effective strategy. To make the most of this method, it's crucial to understand your customer profile and craft appropriate messaging. Lusha is a recommended tool that facilitates cold calling efforts. By installing Lusha as a plugin, you gain access to key contacts' phone numbers on LinkedIn, enabling you to reach out directly to prospects. 📞👥

LinkedIn Drip Campaigns: Building Meaningful Connections on the Platform 🤝

LinkedIn is a powerful platform for finding potential B2B customers. When reaching out to prospects, avoid using ineffective "InMail" messages that come across as advertisements. Instead, focus on connecting with individuals working in the companies you wish to engage with. To automate LinkedIn connections, consider using the following tools:

• Dripify - https://dripify.io/
• Octopus - https://octopuscrm.io/
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator - https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/sales-navigator

Utilize automated drip campaigns through these tools to send connection requests to your target customer profiles. Craft your connection requests without sounding overly sales-oriented. Instead, focus on establishing a connection based on shared interests within the professional community. Follow up with a second message after 5-6 days to initiate a conversation, not to sell your products or services. This approach allows you to prospect and evaluate potential customers effectively. Refer to the examples in this article to understand how to engage founders in the internet industry with companies having fewer than 10 employees. To send a single connection request without multiple messages, Octopus provides a cost-effective alternative to Dripify. For more accurate targeting, consider purchasing a LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscription, especially if your customer profile requires specific criteria. 📲💼

Engage with Video: Captivate Your Prospective Customers 📹

Video content has become a highly engaging medium for communication. Whether it's on your website or embedded within emails, videos can spark meaningful conversations with your prospective customers. Consider the following tools for video creation:

• Loom - https://www.loom.com/home
• Tolstoy - https://www.gotolstoy.com/

Loom is an excellent tool for creating videos, while Tolstoy goes a step further by enabling video integration into e-mails and websites. Use Tolstoy's interactive features to guide customers to specific calls to action. 🎬🌐

Optimize User Activity on Your Website: Drive Conversions 🖱️💼

To guide users toward a specific call to action, your website should have a clear focus, preferably with a single call to action. Understanding user behavior on your website is crucial in optimizing their experience. Tools like Hotjar provide valuable insights by generating heatmaps and reports, enabling you to fine-tune your website's design and layout. Without these insights, it becomes challenging to steer users toward the desired actions. Make the most of Hotjar to enhance user engagement and conversion rates. 🔥📈

Customer Support: Deliver Exceptional Service 🙌💬

To provide prompt and efficient customer support through your website, consider using one of the following tools:

• Help Scout - https://www.helpscout.com/
• ‍Zendesk - https://www.zendesk.com/. 

Typically it is best to have these support tools embedded directly into your website. Depending on which tool you have used to build your websites such as Shopify or BigCommerce there are typically integration mechanisms.

CRM

If you are still a slightly smaller business, I would advise using Pipedrive as your CRM. - https://www.pipedrive.com/. This should link directly with your website so that leads flow automatically into your CRM to avoid having to do this manually.

Another option would be to trial HubSport - https://www.hubspot.com/. HubSpot however offers several additional tools that you can connect and integrate with. If you are not going to use all features of HubSpot I would advise staying away from this application.

Tracking activity on LinkedIn 

As a B2B professional, you should post on LinkedIn almost every day to build brand awareness and create a community of potential customers. To track your LinkedIn activity and see which post does well versus others, I would advise using Shield - https://www.shieldapp.ai/. 

Tracking will allow you to change your LinkedIn posting activity and adapt based on engagement.

Newsletter

Create a newsletter with your existing customers and potential customers to keep them updated on company and industry news. The choice for this should be Mailchimp - https://mailchimp.com/ if you have a large volume of newsletter recipients.

If you have a smaller group of newsletter recipients, I would advise using SendBlue - https://www.sendinblue.com/. 

Surveys

In order to prospect your customers to see whether they fit your customer profile, utilize a very short survey and think clearly about the questions you are asking to entice them to complete it. Great survey tools can be seen below:

• Typeform - https://www.typeform.com/. 
• Jotform - https://www.jotform.com/. 

Jotform is the cheaper option however has less logic in its options. If you are focusing on identifying your NPS, I would advise choosing Delighted - https://delighted.com/. 

How Earny can help you with payroll 🧾💰

When it comes to managing payroll for your Swiss startup or SME, Earny is your trusted partner. With its user-friendly platform and automated payroll processing, Earny simplifies your payroll management, saving you time and effort. From accurate calculations and compliance with Swiss regulations to employee self-service and integrated reporting, Earny streamlines your payroll processes, allowing you to focus on growing your business. Experience the convenience and efficiency of Earny and simplify your payroll management today! 💼💰