Best Sales Automation for SDRs: (Features, Benefits & Top Picks)

What is Sales Automation and How Does It Help SDRs?

Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) are the engine behind consistent pipeline generation, but the reality is that their day-to-day involves a huge amount of repetitive tasks. From researching prospects to sending emails and updating the CRM, much of this workload can be automated.

Sales automation boosts sales productivity up to 8x and companies using sales automation see positive ROI within the first year. The right tools give SDRs back more time to do what matters: having meaningful conversations.

At Stakki, we always focus on reducing distractions, simplifying workflows, and enabling reps to execute consistently. Sales automation isn’t about replacing the human, it’s about empowering them.

Key Features to Look for in Sales Automation Tools for SDRs

Email Sequencing and Relevance at Scale

Your team should be able to run multi-step campaigns with customisation options that feel human, not robotic. Though we’d caveat this that you run them in parallel to consistent calling, leaving calling out of your sequence steps.

CRM Integration and Data Sync

Calls, database signals, job changes and other data points syncing automatically with your CRM ensures data stays clean, activity is tracked, and reporting is reliable.

Lead Enrichment and Data Quality

The best sales automation tools either provide built-in enrichment or connect easily to providers like Upcell or Surfe. Allowing for multiple providers through one extension.

AI-Powered Lead Scoring and Prioritization

Good automation helps reps focus on the most likely-to-convert accounts. This can run across a TAM and marketing activity to flag hand raisers, engagements and help calling prioritization. However, should not replace consistent systematic cold calling across that same TAM.

Activity Tracking and Analytics

Managers should be able to review what’s working and coach from real data, not guesswork.Coaching and conversational AI tools for example.

Workflow Automation

Trigger follow-ups, notifications, and task creation based on prospect behavior.

Best Sales Automation Tools for SDRs

Salesforge

• Best For: SDR teams who want AI-driven personalization and warm outreach
• Key Features: AI-written email content, inbox rotation, deliverability tools
• Integration Capabilities: Gmail, CRMs
• Pricing: Custom pricing depending on plan

PhantomBuster

• Best For: SDRs running LinkedIn and social prospecting automations
• Key Features: Pre-built automation flows (phantoms) for LinkedIn, email scraping, workflows
• Integration Capabilities: Zapier, CRM exports
• Pricing: Starts at $59/month

Apollo

• Best For: Growing SDR teams who want prospecting + automation in one place
• Key Features: Email & call sequences, enrichment, CRM sync
• Integration Capabilities: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive
• Pricing: From $49–99/user/month

Lemlist

• Best For: Personalised cold outreach and email deliverability
• Key Features: Custom images, email warm-up, basic CRM sync
• Integration Capabilities: Gmail, Outlook, Zapier
• Pricing: Starts at $59/user/month

Reply

• Best For: SDRs needing multichannel outreach (email, LinkedIn, calls)
• Key Features: Email & LinkedIn sequences, call tasks, analytics
• Integration Capabilities: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier
• Pricing: From $60–90/user/month

The Stakki Recommendation

Start with your existing CRM. Fix what’s broken and identify where automation can give your team more capacity to execute consistently. Don’t chase tools for the sake of it. Implement automation that makes reps faster, not distracted.

Top picks:

• Apollo for all-in-one automation plus built-in data
• Reply for multichannel campaigns with great UI
• Upcell for credit-based enrichment at speed

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👉 Explore the tools we recommend on Stakki
📧 james@stakk.io

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