How to rebuild your sales stack

To rebuild your sales stack, start with an audit of the tools you already pay for, map them against each step of your sales process, keep your CRM at the centre and replace only the tools that do not fit. Rebuild around how your team actually sells, not around the newest tools on the market.

What is a sales stack?

A sales stack, also called a sales technology stack, is the set of software your team uses to find, manage and close deals. It typically includes tools to research prospects, run outreach, schedule and hold meetings, write proposals, collect signatures and train new salespeople.

At the centre sits the CRM. Customer relationship management systems store and analyse customer data and help coordinate sales, marketing and service. Every other tool in the stack should feed data into it or draw data from it.

Tools that worked well a few years ago may now overlap, cost too much or no longer fit how you sell. That is why teams rebuild their stack from time to time. For a broad overview of options, see our list of sales and marketing tools.

1. Should you get expert help?

Building a sales stack well takes knowledge of both your sales process and the tool market. If nobody on your team has done it before, consider help from a sales operations or revenue operations specialist, a consultant or an agency. They can shortlist tools, plan integrations and handle implementation.

If you do it yourself, give one person clear ownership. A sales stack without an owner tends to grow into a collection of disconnected subscriptions.

2. How do you audit your existing sales stack?

An audit shows what to keep, what to replace and what to cancel. Do it before you buy anything new.

• Audit regularly. Do not wait until things break. A regular review, for example once or twice a year, makes it easier to keep track of every tool.
• List what each tool does. Write down each tool's main job, who uses it and how often. This quickly shows overlap, such as two tools that both send email sequences.
• Check the integrations. Every tool should connect to your CRM, so data does not have to be copied by hand. Tools that do not integrate go on the list to replace.
• Compare costs. Prices and plans change. A tool that was the best value when you bought it may not be now. Count unused seats too.
• Ask the team. Salespeople know which tools they rely on and which they avoid. Low adoption is often the clearest sign that something should go.
• Review the data you store. Under the GDPR, personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purpose. Do not collect fields you do not use.

3. What are the steps in your sales process?

Your sales process should decide your stack, not the other way around. Map each step, because each needs different tools. A typical B2B process includes:

• Lead generation: attracting and finding prospects through outreach, phone, social media, referrals, content and advertising
• Lead management: recording each lead, qualifying them and tracking every interaction
• Product demonstration: booking meetings, running demos and following up
• Closing: sending proposals, negotiating, collecting signatures and handing over to onboarding

Your own process may have more steps, such as a trial, a security review or procurement. Review the process regularly, just like the tools, so the stack keeps up as your strategy changes.

4. Which tools do you need for each step?

Look at each step separately and choose a reliable tool for it, then check that it integrates with your CRM.

Lead generation

Use tools that help you find and contact the right prospects without manual busywork: prospect databases, email outreach and sequencing tools, and phone tools for call-heavy teams. If you record calls, check the law first. Some countries and US states allow one party to record, while others require every party's consent.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

The CRM is the hub of the stack. It holds your contacts, companies, deals and activity history, and it feeds your pipeline reports and forecasts. Choose it first, because everything else must connect to it. Our guide to the best CRM systems for small and mid-sized businesses compares options.

Scheduling and meetings

A scheduling tool lets prospects book time directly in your calendar, and a video-call tool covers remote demos. Connect both to the CRM so meetings are logged automatically.

Proposals and e-signatures

Proposal software helps you create, send and track proposals, and e-signature tools let buyers sign online. In the US, the ESIGN Act of 2000 gives electronic signatures the same legal standing as handwritten ones. In the EU, the eIDAS Regulation sets the framework. See our guide on how to use Better Proposals for an example of a proposal workflow.

Process and training

Training is not a step in the sales process, but it affects every step. An onboarding or enablement platform helps new hires learn your process, product and messaging faster.

How do you roll out a rebuilt sales stack?

• Change one part of the stack at a time, starting with the biggest problem
• Migrate and clean your data before switching CRMs
• Train the team and document how each tool should be used
• Measure adoption and the effect on your sales numbers after a few months

If a vendor offers AI features, such as call summaries or drafted emails, judge them like any other feature: do they save your team time on a step that matters?

No tool will fix a weak sales process on its own. The right stack supports a clear process, with each tool doing one job well and all of them sharing data through the CRM.