5 Emerging Sales Productivity Tools

For many salespeople, it's in their nature to impress. And some would argue it's part of their job. Their extra efforts to win over prospects are often reflected in their appearance, their choice of restaurants, and even their gadgets. And while it traditionally has been difficult to quantify the value of these investments, research shows that some of their technology accessories can actually improve productivity.

According to a Nucleus Research study, "The Value of Mobile and Social for CRM," a survey of CRM decision-makers found that organizations that provided their sales teams with mobile access to their CRM systems realized a 14.6 percent increase in productivity. Sales teams that used social CRM technologies like Salesforce.com's Chatter enterprise collaboration tool saw an 11.8 percent increase in productivity.

Organizations that couple social and mobile features with hallmark CRM functionality yield better results than those that rely solely on standard sales force automation systems. So it should come as no surprise that vendors and consultants are eyeing task-specific , role-, and vertical-based usage of mobile CRM data that extends beyond a simple pipeline update by a sales rep, the Nucleus report indicates.

While a slew of sales productivity tools have surfaced since the social and mobile revolution, here are a few that have the potential to significantly improve your company's bottom line.