Hey there SaaS Lovers! Today we’ll dive into the exciting announcement from Apollo 3.0 - as always, here’s our take! Enjoy :)

Apollo recently launched its 3.0 update, making big claims about "revolutionary" AI. My analysis as a long-time Apollo user reveals a more nuanced reality. Let's break down the key additions - and which truly deliver. Let’s dive in:

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Website Tracking

• Allows seeing website visitors alongside Apollo contact data

• Useful consumer behavior insights

• But mostly achieves baseline functionality already offered by competitors

AI Prospecting

• Bold visions for AI-generated outreach messages

• Current messaging quality still very weak

• Needs much refinement before realizing true value

Operations Upgrades

• Shared goal-setting and reminders

• Follow-up scheduling templates

• Should meaningfully boost team productivity

• Less tech-savvy teams stand to benefit greatly

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The Verdict

The 3.0 improvements are largely incremental, not revolutionary. Website tracking is playing catch-up, while AI promises remain aspirational. The operations upgrades hold the most utility for immediately leveling up sales workflows.

Apollo deserves credit for ambition - but many flashy AI claims ring hollow in practice (for now). Stay tuned for my upcoming podcast analyzing 3.0 functionality in more detail!

Hey there Apollo.io users! I’ve some exciting news to share with you. Introducing Launchpad, the ultimate tool to streamline your Apollo license configuration and get you ready to book meetings in no time.

With Launchpad, you can say goodbye to the hassle of manually setting up your Apollo license and hello to a seamless and efficient process. Get ready to skyrocket your productivity and start booking those meetings.

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What’s in the Course?

Great question! Here’s a taste of what you can expect once in the product. We’ve packed this course with over 20 videos to help you get your Apollo instance up and running.

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What’s the price?

Happy Black Friday/Cyber Monday season! What’s that mean? Discounts, of course! Use code JM71N82 for 20% off. There are a few versions of the course

This course is designed to help subscribers set up and configure their apollo.io platform, ensuring that you have everything you need to get your instance up and running smoothly. With Launchpad we aim to fast-track your journey to booking more qualified meetings for your business, starting from today! This course has already been tried and proven with over 20 companies who were looking to get their outbound engine running. So, you can trust that you're in good hands.

Head over to Launchpad to grab your course. I hope you find the course incredibly valuable and look forward to hearing how it’s helped you! Happy learning! As always, you can find free content through my youtube channel.

If anyone needs an extra hand, feel free to reach out to me on Linkedin or through my Calendly

The SmrtTool Newsletter

Hey there, AI Sales lovers!

Welcome to a weekend edition of the SmrtTool Newsletter!

One awesome SaaS product each day, reviewed and scored. Enjoy!

Mike with Smrtreach.

Before we check out today’s tool, give our friend’s at AE Studio a look. They help you design, develop and implement technology products.

The AI team you didn’t know your company needed — until now

Hire world-class AI experts from Harvard, Stanford and MIT

Not sure how to implement the right AI strategy for your product? Hire AE Studio's world class team of software builders to craft and implement the optimal AI solution for your business.

Our development, data science and design studio work closely with founders and executives to create custom software, machine learning and BCI solutions.

From custom-built MVPs to bespoke AI/ML solutions, see how you can leverage AI to achieve your business objectives. 

Schedule a Free Scoping Session.

Inboxally: The Ultimate Tool to Tame Your Inbox Chaos

You took all that time to write the perfect email. You know your prospects painpoints better than they do. You researched, you studied, you’re ready. Big problem though, you never made it to the inbox. You’re living in spam hell, aren’t you? If you’ve been in sales long enough, this has happened to you, like it has me. What’s the solution, you ask? You guessed it.

Look no further than Inboxally, the revolutionary software tool designed to bring order to your inbox chaos. With its nice range of features and benefits, Inboxally is a game-changer for anyone seeking to regain control over their email communication. Here’s our take.

What we like:

Repair/Increase deliverability on any IP/domain on any platformWorks with any email-sending service.

• Use your own content in emails you send

• Track your progress on your dashboard

• Control the opening time window

• Can be used with large list sizes

• Your emails are opened from different machines with different IPs in different US locations

• Create multiple sender profiles to accommodate all of your domains/IPs

• Set your own sending schedule

• DMARC,DKIM,SPF Checks

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What about AI?

• Not as AI focused as some others we review, and that’s ok! Get the job done!
  

• Broadcast Auto detect automatically senses your sendingSmart Inbox Organization: Inboxally intelligently categorizes your emails, making it a breeze to find what you need when you need it. Say goodbye to endless scrolling and searching for that one important email buried deep in your inbox.

Integrations:

• CRM Integration: API directly to your sending platform. Given the product, no need for crazy integration setups. We’re here for emails - API get’s the job done.

Pricing:

This is our only negative when evaluating Inboxally. At Smrtreach, we know how mission critical landing in the inbox is for us. If your team is similar, the $150 is nothing compared to the benefit of more meetings.

Conclusion/Score: 8.4/10

8.4 out of 10. Solid score, and for our use it’s more of a 9.3/10. The price point will turn a few away, but those that' need a powerful email engine are in good hands with InboxAlly.

The SmrtTool Newsletter

Hey there, AI Sales lovers!

Welcome to a weekend edition of the SmrtTool Newsletter!

One awesome SaaS product each day, reviewed and scored. Enjoy!

Mike with Smrtreach

The AI team you didn’t know your company needed — until now

Hire world-class AI experts from Harvard, Stanford and MIT

Not sure how to implement the right AI strategy for your product? Hire AE Studio's world class team of software builders to craft and implement the optimal AI solution for your business.

Our development, data science and design studio work closely with founders and executives to create custom software, machine learning and BCI solutions.

From custom-built MVPs to bespoke AI/ML solutions, see how you can leverage AI to achieve your business objectives. 

Schedule a Free Scoping Session.

Trigger Warning Incoming*****

Salespeople are super disorganized. Yes, this is a silly generalization. I might even be stereotyping?! If you’re an organized salesperson that never misses a beat on the data hygiene side, how???

A lot of us feel like my my friend in the picture below when pinged by a manager to update Salesforce.

Or on the other side of things - when we spoke with an individual on our team about a deal 4 days ago, and there’s no sign of the progress/updates it in Hubspot.

Why the emphasis on keeping data clean? Because that’s how organizations run efficiently, knowing what decisions to make based on actual events/outcomes. If that’s not important, we don’t know what is :)

Now, shouldn’t you handle your email in the same way? Introducing Sanebox!

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How does it work?

For first time users, Sanebox automatically categorizes and describes the content in your inboxes. Newsletters, prospect emails, administrative updates, dinner reservations - all categorized for you at first login.

After initial setup, Sanebox uses it’s proprietary algorithm to sort your priority emails to the top of your inbox, giving you the piece of mind that you’ve covered the important stuff

Why is it helpful?

Sanebox will learn what you’re preferences are, and what you want to see in your inbox based on your use of the tool.

Huge newsletter fan? Great! You’ll see plenty of them (if subscribed)

Hate sales emails? I personally find that rude, but that’s ok, your call 😃 

Pricing

While outside our usual Sales/SaaS tool scope, the Smrtreach team realized a need for a product like Sanebox earlier this week, and couldn’t be happier with the results.

Score - 5.8/10

Reasoning -  Sanebox is a good tool, at an affordable price. While the job it does is simple in theory, it’s mission critical to see what’s happening in your inbox. We ran into a few categorization problems in our first few days of use, but seems to be operating efficiently :) It’s just not as advertised, not much AI usage from our POV.

The SmrtTool Newsletter

Hey there, AI lovers!

Welcome to our AI/SaaS tool newsletter where we review awesome Sales SaaS tools each week.

In each edition, we'll explore one handpicked tool that caught our attention.

Happy exploring!

Mike with Smrtreach

Smartlead.ai Powering Sales Intelligence and Growth

The Smrtreach team has a New Favorite Tool. Do we feel bad for stepping out on Apollo.io?

Definitely NOT. Here’s why: These two tools, when used together properly, will propel your Sales/Business Development efforts to new heights.

Introducing Smartlead.ai, the ultimate solution for businesses seeking to optimize their lead generation process. With its cutting-edge technology and advanced algorithms, Smartlead.ai offers a range of features and benefits that will revolutionize your sales strategy.

Features:

• Unlimited Email account capacity per license.

  • This was a more noticeable differentiator when Apollo.io had 2 email per user limitations.

  • However, as email servers continue to crack down on “cold” outreach, we see a world where less emails sent/day/seat = good.

• Automated Email Warming - Unlimited Scalability

• Gmail, Outlook, SMTP, Zoho emails all supported

• Sales Engagement: Personalized emails, automated sequences, and integrated calling. If you’d like help setting all of this up, feel free to check out my Youtube channel.

• Subsequences to automate prospect flow

• Automating lead scoring and qualification

• Hubspot direct integration

• VERY reasonable pricing

The AI team you didn’t know your company needed — until now

Hire world-class AI experts from Harvard, Stanford and MIT

Not sure how to implement the right AI strategy for your product? Hire AE Studio's world class team of software builders to craft and implement the optimal AI solution for your business.

Our development, data science and design studio work closely with founders and executives to create custom software, machine learning and BCI solutions.

From custom-built MVPs to bespoke AI/ML solutions, see how you can leverage AI to achieve your business objectives. 

Schedule a Free Scoping Session.

Room for Improvement

• Bit of a longer onboarding

  • We’ve >10 customers that the Smrtreach team conducts outreach for in 1 license, working at that scale requires diligence and trial and error

• Linkedin Integration is an “Add-on” ($29.99 monthly)

• When it rains, it pours

  • If you have an issue with one of your seats, you’ll most likely experience that with all seats. Stay patient, visit my youtube for help if needed.

Pricing

Check out my friends at Foss if you enjoy the SmrtTool Newsletter :)

Conclusion

The combination of using Apollo.io for contact/data enrichment, coupled with sequencing/email setup in Smartlead.ai has done wonders for the Smrtreach team. Their CEO Vaibhav is on the front lines, frequently answering service requests from the Smrtreach team.

SmrtTool Score - 9.7 out of 10.

.3 deduction is due to the longer onboarding the team needed until they felt comfortable navigating the tool confidently. Seeing the buzz around Smartlead, along with a seemingly great leader, has us confident we’ll be seeing a lot of their team in the coming months/years.

Thanks for Reading!

To see guided walkthroughs of our favorite tools, check out our Youtube Channel 

The SmrtTool Newsletter

Hey there, AI lovers!

Welcome to our AI/SaaS tool newsletter where we review three awesome tools each week. We're here to help you navigate the world of software solutions, making your tech journey smoother and more enjoyable.

In each edition, we'll explore three handpicked tools that caught our attention.

Happy exploring!

The Smrtreach Team

Apollo.io: Powering Sales Intelligence and Growth

The Smrtreach team has been avid users of Apollo since 2019, so it made sense to start with this powerful tool we think all SDR teams need.

Features:

• Data Enrichment: Fun fact - Apollo.io has more filters for searching/enrichment than Sales Nav does.

• Sales Engagement: Personalized emails, automated sequences, and integrated calling. If you’d like help setting all of this up, feel free to check out my Youtube channel.

• Lead Scoring and Segmentation: Target campaigns based on prospect behavior and interests.

• Integrations: Connect Apollo.io with your CRM (SFDC+Hubspot) + other tools (Greenhouse, Zoom, etc.)

Pricing:

• Base: Affordable plan for individuals and small teams - Free

• Professional: Advanced features for growing businesses

  • $99 monthly, $79/month annually

• Enterprise: Tailored for larger organizations with customization options.

Having used all 3 plans, I’d comment that Apollo’s pricing is relatively fair and affordable compared to competitors. Specifically, if usuing Apollo as your “all in 1” tool for your sdr team, you won’t find a more reasonable pricing structure.

New Releases:

• Apollo X: Enhanced data quality, AI recommendations, and deeper analytics.

  • Looking forward to digging into this new release, keep an eye on my youtube if you’d like an update/review.

• Team Collaboration: Improved collaboration features for efficient teamwork - Underutilized and a huge help for large teams.

• LinkedIn Integrations: Sync data with LinkedIn Sales Navigator for optimized engagement. More to come here.

• Enhanced Reporting: Customizable dashboards and real-time analytics.

  • In my opinion, this is the area where apollo needs to focus. They’ve done so much to build this product to where it is today. However, if they ever want to be considered a crm (which is where I imagine they’re going) the reporting needs some work .

Visit Apollo's website to try the tool for 14 days.

For a full Apollo.io Masterclass, click here!

SmrtReach Rating for Apollo.io: 9.4/10 Meetings

Bertha AI : Transforming AI-Powered Customer Support

Bertha is our virtual assitant/bot at Smrtreach - Bertha AI is a sleek solution that plugs into your browser, ready to support whatever you ask.

Features:

• Intelligent Chatbot: Provide instant, personalized assistance round the clock.

• Natural Language Processing: Understand and interpret customer queries accurately.

• Multichannel Support: Seamlessly integrate across platforms for consistent interactions.

• Analytics and Insights: Gain data-driven insights into customer interactions and agent performance.

Pricing:

• "1 Price for all"

  • Bertha advertises an affortable price point of $20 per month, with the ability to add things like words generated, images found, etc.

Recent Advancements:

• Enhanced Language Understanding: Improvements in natural language processing for more accurate responses.

• Integration Enhancements: Streamlined workflows by integrating Bertha AI with CRM and helpdesk software.

• Performance Optimization: Continual refinements for optimal system performance.

• Bertha AI empowers the Smrtreach team to deliver exceptional customer support through advanced AI capabilities. Elevate customer experiences, drive efficiency, and boost satisfaction.

• Try Bertha AI here!

SmrtReach Rating for Bertha.ai - 7.1

Reasoning: “While Bertha is a powerful tool, we feel like there’s a bit of work to do on the UX side, including having a better flow/feel while using the tool. Bit clunky for now, but seems like a great team/mission.”

Reply.io: Streamlined Sales Outreach Made Easy 

Looking for a streamlined sales outreach solution? Meet Reply.io. We use Reply.io to help automate our copywriting in our outbound.

Features:

• Automated Outreach: Streamline and personalize your sales outreach with automated email sequences.

• Email Deliverability: Ensure your messages reach the inbox with robust email delivery optimization.

• Campaign Analytics: Gain insights into campaign performance to optimize your sales strategies.

• CRM Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with your CRM to maintain a unified sales ecosystem.

Pricing:

• Flexible plans available to cater to your specific needs - usage based

• Visit Reply.io's website for detailed pricing options.

• Reply.io empowers sales teams with streamlined outreach, email optimization, and insightful analytics.

• Experience the power of Reply.io for efficient sales outreach!

• Note: For the most up-to-date information, please refer to Reply.io's official website.

Product Releases:

• This is why I think Reply.io is a winner. Why, you ask?

  • Great question! The Reply.io’s velocity in releasing features and capabilities is extremely impressive.

• Just recently, they released ‘Jason AI’ - the first (I’ve seen) tool specifically designed for SDR teams conducting outbound email marketing.

  • I’ll be reviewing this product soon, stay tuned in on my Youtube, I’ll be taking this on as my next comprehensive review after finishing Apollo.io.

SmrtReach score for Reply.io: 8.9 out of 10

Reasoning: “Reply.io seems to be on a great track here. The tool is intuitive, reactive, and has a great core product/functionality behind it. The ONLY reason I can’t confidently give above a 9.0 is pricing. The

Thanks for Reading!

To see guided walkthroughs of our favorite tools, check out our Youtube Channel

The SmrtTool Newsletter

Hey there, AI lovers!

Welcome to our AI/SaaS tool newsletter where we review three awesome tools each week. We're here to help you navigate the world of software solutions, making your tech journey smoother and more enjoyable.

In each edition, we'll explore three handpicked tools that caught our attention.

Happy exploring!

The Smrtreach Team

Apollo.io: Powering Sales Intelligence and Growth

The Smrtreach team has been avid users of Apollo since 2019, so it made sense to start with this powerful tool we think all SDR teams need.

Features:

• Data Enrichment: Fun fact - Apollo.io has more filters for searching/enrichment than Sales Nav does.

• Sales Engagement: Personalized emails, automated sequences, and integrated calling. If you’d like help setting all of this up, feel free to check out my Youtube channel.

• Lead Scoring and Segmentation: Target campaigns based on prospect behavior and interests.

• Integrations: Connect Apollo.io with your CRM (SFDC+Hubspot) + other tools (Greenhouse, Zoom, etc.)

Pricing:

• Base: Affordable plan for individuals and small teams - Free

• Professional: Advanced features for growing businesses

  • $99 monthly, $79/month annually

• Enterprise: Tailored for larger organizations with customization options.

Having used all 3 plans, I’d comment that Apollo’s pricing is relatively fair and affordable compared to competitors. Specifically, if usuing Apollo as your “all in 1” tool for your sdr team, you won’t find a more reasonable pricing structure.

New Releases:

• Apollo X: Enhanced data quality, AI recommendations, and deeper analytics.

  • Looking forward to digging into this new release, keep an eye on my youtube if you’d like an update/review.

• Team Collaboration: Improved collaboration features for efficient teamwork - Underutilized and a huge help for large teams.

• LinkedIn Integrations: Sync data with LinkedIn Sales Navigator for optimized engagement. More to come here.

• Enhanced Reporting: Customizable dashboards and real-time analytics.

  • In my opinion, this is the area where apollo needs to focus. They’ve done so much to build this product to where it is today. However, if they ever want to be considered a crm (which is where I imagine they’re going) the reporting needs some work .

Visit Apollo's website to try the tool for 14 days.

For a full Apollo.io Masterclass, click here!

SmrtReach Rating for Apollo.io: 9.4/10 Meetings

Bertha AI : Transforming AI-Powered Customer Support

Bertha is our virtual assitant/bot at Smrtreach - Bertha AI is a sleek solution that plugs into your browser, ready to support whatever you ask.

Features:

• Intelligent Chatbot: Provide instant, personalized assistance round the clock.

• Natural Language Processing: Understand and interpret customer queries accurately.

• Multichannel Support: Seamlessly integrate across platforms for consistent interactions.

• Analytics and Insights: Gain data-driven insights into customer interactions and agent performance.

Pricing:

• "1 Price for all"

  • Bertha advertises an affortable price point of $20 per month, with the ability to add things like words generated, images found, etc.

Recent Advancements:

• Enhanced Language Understanding: Improvements in natural language processing for more accurate responses.

• Integration Enhancements: Streamlined workflows by integrating Bertha AI with CRM and helpdesk software.

• Performance Optimization: Continual refinements for optimal system performance.

• Bertha AI empowers the Smrtreach team to deliver exceptional customer support through advanced AI capabilities. Elevate customer experiences, drive efficiency, and boost satisfaction.

• Try Bertha AI here!

SmrtReach Rating for Bertha.ai - 7.1

Reasoning: “While Bertha is a powerful tool, we feel like there’s a bit of work to do on the UX side, including having a better flow/feel while using the tool. Bit clunky for now, but seems like a great team/mission.”

Reply.io: Streamlined Sales Outreach Made Easy 

Looking for a streamlined sales outreach solution? Meet Reply.io. We use Reply.io to help automate our copywriting in our outbound.

Features:

• Automated Outreach: Streamline and personalize your sales outreach with automated email sequences.

• Email Deliverability: Ensure your messages reach the inbox with robust email delivery optimization.

• Campaign Analytics: Gain insights into campaign performance to optimize your sales strategies.

• CRM Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with your CRM to maintain a unified sales ecosystem.

Pricing:

• Flexible plans available to cater to your specific needs - usage based

• Visit Reply.io's website for detailed pricing options.

• Reply.io empowers sales teams with streamlined outreach, email optimization, and insightful analytics.

• Experience the power of Reply.io for efficient sales outreach!

• Note: For the most up-to-date information, please refer to Reply.io's official website.

Product Releases:

• This is why I think Reply.io is a winner. Why, you ask?

  • Great question! The Reply.io’s velocity in releasing features and capabilities is extremely impressive.

• Just recently, they released ‘Jason AI’ - the first (I’ve seen) tool specifically designed for SDR teams conducting outbound email marketing.

  • I’ll be reviewing this product soon, stay tuned in on my Youtube, I’ll be taking this on as my next comprehensive review after finishing Apollo.io.

SmrtReach score for Reply.io: 8.9 out of 10

Reasoning: “Reply.io seems to be on a great track here. The tool is intuitive, reactive, and has a great core product/functionality behind it. The ONLY reason I can’t confidently give above a 9.0 is pricing. The

Thanks for Reading!

To see guided walkthroughs of our favorite tools, check out our Youtube Channel