Tools That Actually Work

The only CRM that doesn't make your sales team want to quit. Marketing, sales, and service in one platform that actually talks to itself.

• Free tier covers most startups through Series A
• Marketing automation without the enterprise price tag
• Actually usable reporting (rare in CRMs)
• 600+ native integrations that work

Why I use it: When you need a full platform, HubSpot is the only one that doesn't require a 6-month implementation. Works out of the box.

275M+ contacts with actual phone numbers and emails. Stop buying dead lead lists from LinkedIn scraping tools.

• Real-time email verification (not 6 months old)
• Intent data that's actually useful
• Built-in sequences if you want them
• Chrome extension for prospecting anywhere

Why I use it: Best data quality I've found. Their API is solid for enrichment automation. Free tier is generous.

Zapier but you own the data and pay 90% less. 350+ integrations, self-hosted or cloud, plus the ability to build custom AI agents that run autonomously.

• Build custom AI agents with Claude, GPT-4, or local LLMs
• Real code when you need it (JavaScript nodes)
• No vendor lock-in, export everything
• Deploy autonomous agents for lead research, outreach, and CRM updates

Why I use it: Built 100+ automations with this. The AI agent capability is game-changing - I've deployed agents that handle entire workflows autonomously. Saves clients £2K+/month vs Zapier.

Data enrichment on steroids. 50+ data providers in one platform, plus AI-powered research and outreach. LinkedIn scraping, company data, contact finding - all automated.

• Aggregates 50+ data sources (Apollo, ZoomInfo, etc.)
• AI research agent finds anything about prospects
• Built-in Chrome extension for prospecting
• Integrates with every outreach tool

Why I use it: When you need more than basic enrichment. The AI research capabilities are insane - it can find information that would take hours manually. Worth every penny for serious outbound.

LinkedIn automation that doesn't get you banned. Multi-channel sequences (LinkedIn + email + Twitter) from one dashboard.

• Actually safe automation (smart delays, limits)
• A/B testing for connection requests
• Email finder built-in
• CRM sync for HubSpot/Pipedrive

Why I use it: Scales LinkedIn outreach without looking like a bot. I've run 50K+ connections through it with zero account issues.

CRM built by actual salespeople. Visual pipelines, activity tracking, and email sync without enterprise complexity.

• Drag-and-drop pipeline that makes sense
• Activity-based selling (not just deal tracking)
• Mobile app that's actually usable
• Clean API for custom automation

Why I use it: If you don't need marketing automation, Pipedrive is cleaner and faster than HubSpot. Sales teams actually use it.

Email warmup that actually works. Gradually builds sender reputation so your cold emails don't land in spam.

• Warms multiple inboxes simultaneously
• Real interactions with real domains
• Spam score monitoring
• Works with any email provider

Why I use it: Cold email without warmup = wasted effort. This takes inbox reputation from 20% to 85%+ in 2 weeks.

Documents, proposals, contracts, and eSignatures that don't make you look amateur. Templates that actually convert.

• Drag-and-drop document builder
• Native eSignature (no DocuSign needed)
• Payment collection inside docs
• CRM integration tracks engagement

Why I use it: Tracks who opened what, when. Sales team knows exactly when to follow up. Closes deals faster.

SEO tool that shows you what actually ranks. Keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink tracking, content optimization.

• Real keyword difficulty (not made-up scores)
• Steal competitor's traffic strategy
• Content gap analysis
• Position tracking for rankings

Why I use it: Built content strategies that drove 100K+ monthly visits. Data is accurate, insights are actionable.