When you google “conversational intelligence software”, how many pages of results do you see? A zillion. We’re going to dive into what separates the top companies from the masses.
Do we have everything figured out? No, of course not.
But we’ve been in the industry for a while (since Gong was the only major player), and we can tell you what has worked vs. not worked when it comes to conversational intelligence software.
Even more so how it’s created an entire sales enablement movement.
Breaking it down into five categories:
Why the offer matters so much
We are starting with the offer because that has to be the most compelling as it draws you in. We’re not just talking about the price. If you want to go for the cheapest, do it. But remember, just like in life – you get what you pay for.
What we think prospects should focus on when buying software is the value they intend to receive. Does the $100 you spent on this software feel like it’s worth $100? Well, that’s not good enough, it should feel worth more than you spent.
Find software that is going to value your team the most.
There are a zillion different conversational intelligence software to choose from. Sales leaders get to pick on what fits best for their team and company.
Will your team actually use the software
One of the many problems with software these days is that it never truly gets implemented. It’s a sign-and-forget type of deal.
The best companies provide software that your team wants to use. A tool that can be used to either help them close deals, help with redundant note taking, or just improve overall cold calling strategies.
Conversational intelligence is huge in the SaaS world with cold calling, but that’s not the only place it’s being used. Marketing teams and Customer Success teams are utilizing this to improve their tactics and measure their approaches.
“Other Tools” – what’s that?
Ten years ago, most people didn’t even know about conversational intelligence software. It wasn’t common.
Fast forward to now, if you only offer a tool that provides conversational intelligence then you’re behind.
The best companies have other features or tools that complement the software to make their customers’ lives easier. Aka being less redundant and not having to use multiple software when you can just use one.
This is again where value comes in. Whether it’s a sales or customer success team, being able to use it across teams is a leader’s dream come true. Now it’s not only sales enablement, it’s company enablement!
For example, at Abstrakt we provide conversational intelligence. But our main product is real-time call coaching software. Intelligence is a byproduct of everything captured live on the call. Therefore, you can see that companies just like us have evolved to offer a better product with a side of conversational intelligence.
It’s crazy to think about, but we’re not the only ones. Here are a few other examples:
- Salesloft: Being a sales enablement platform, Salesloft can help from email cadences to dials for cold calling to insights and analytics.
- Avoma: Before the meeting scheduling, transcription during the meeting, and post-call analytics – Avoma is dabbling in all aspects of the sales process.
Support is underrated
What happens when something stops working with your conversational intelligence software? Does the customer success team get back to you within minutes or hours or days?
That is always a key indicator of top-performing companies. Customer Success is always a priority. In the sales enablement world though, that can be underrated as there are so many software companies out there.
The hardest part – how do you tell if the saas company has a good customer support system?
Check their reviews. If reviews constantly talk about support and how easy it was to solve problems that came up, that is your key indicator. Because problems will happen, but the important thing is how fast they are fixed.
Last minor detail – contract terms
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for companies to bill annual contracts. Some might have a monthly option, but not all.
From a prospect standpoint, the key things you want to look for are if they charge for upgrades of their product.
For example, at Abstrakt when we roll out new features there is no upsell. All current customers get them as the product grows! One of the many benefits of partnering with a smaller company.
However, that is not always the case. Sometimes new features require higher payment amounts, even if it’s not a new tool. Keep that in mind when reviewing the contract.
Of course, there are a TON of other things you need to consider when reviewing a contract but that is just something that most don’t look for.
Why is conversational intelligence software important
If you’re not currently using any type of conversational intelligence software, then this is your sign to start. You can talk to anyone using it, it’s worth it.
But make sure to consider the other points above when evaluating your choices.
At Abstrakt, we like to say “conversational intelligence redefined”. Yes, we offer what everyone else does, but we also offer something even better. That’s where the real-time call coaching piece comes in.
If you are still not convinced, take a look at G2. You can easily read reviews and see how the different options stack up.
If you want to see Abstrakt in action, you can take a look at our product video or book your demo below.