Account executives need tools that accelerate deal cycles and increase win rates. From demo scheduling to proposal automation, the right stack helps you close more deals. We surveyed top-performing AEs to build this essential toolkit.
| Tool | Starting Price | Primary Use | Free Tier | CRM Integration | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gong | Custom | Deal intelligence | No | Excellent | 9.4/10 |
| Salesforce | $25/user | CRM | Trial | Is the CRM | 9.3/10 |
| Calendly | Free/$10 | Scheduling | Yes | Good | 9.1/10 |
| PandaDoc | $19/user | Proposals | Trial | Good | 9.0/10 |
| LinkedIn Sales Nav | $99/mo | Research | Trial | Good | 8.8/10 |
| Clari | Custom | Forecasting | No | Excellent | 8.9/10 |
| Loom | Free/$12.50 | Video | Yes | Limited | 8.7/10 |
Gong records and analyzes every customer interaction. AI surfaces what works in winning deals. Identify risks, get coaching insights, and understand buyer sentiment. The must-have for serious AEs.
Salesforce is the CRM that runs enterprise sales. Track every opportunity, manage pipeline, and forecast accurately. The ecosystem means any tool integrates. Complex but powerful.
Calendly eliminates scheduling back-and-forth. Share your link, prospects book themselves. Round robin for teams, reminders reduce no-shows. Simple but essential.
PandaDoc creates professional proposals in minutes. Templates, content library, and built-in esign. Track when prospects view and sign. Speeds up the final stages.
Sales Navigator provides deep prospect research. Find the right contacts, track account changes, and send InMails. Essential for account research and warm outreach.
Clari provides AI-powered forecasting and pipeline intelligence. Understand deal health, forecast accurately, and identify risks. Revenue operations intelligence for serious teams.
Loom enables async video communication. Record personalized demos, follow-ups, and walkthroughs. Track who watches and for how long. Personal touch at scale.
We evaluated tools based on how they help AEs close more deals.
CRM (Salesforce/HubSpot) + Gong (intelligence) + Calendly (scheduling) + PandaDoc (proposals). Add LinkedIn Sales Nav for enterprise accounts.
Gong has better AI and insights. Chorus (ZoomInfo) is more affordable and bundles with their data. Gong for pure deal intelligence, Chorus if you need prospecting data.
For enterprise, yes. For SMB, HubSpot or Pipedrive are simpler. Salesforce shines with complex deals, multiple stakeholders, and need for customization.
