CRM Article
A Little Help from Friends: Lead Tools That Supercharge Your CRM
SmallBizCRM Staff – September 4th, 2025
In small and mid-sized businesses, sales and lead generation can often feel like trying to juggle while riding a unicycle. There are dozens of tools out there claiming to be the next big thing for managing leads, but in truth, no single tool can do it all. That’s where smart integrations come in.
Instead of relying on one platform to cover every angle, many businesses are discovering the power of using specialist tools in tandem with a customer relationship management system (CRM). This approach creates a lean, effective sales stack where each tool plays its unique role.
Let’s explore how three clever tools Leadfeeder, CrankWheel, and DropGenius can slot perfectly into your sales process and work hand-in-hand with CRMs like Capsule and Pipedrive.
Why Businesses Need More Than Just a CRM
CRMs are incredible for organizing contacts, managing pipelines, and tracking customer interactions. But most CRMs don’t specialize in every aspect of sales and marketing. For example, some excel at pipeline management but aren’t designed to uncover hidden leads on your website, or to run outreach campaigns.
This is where tools like Leadfeeder, CrankWheel, and DropGenius step in. They don’t replace your CRM—they enhance it, adding fuel to your sales process so you can move faster, engage smarter, and close deals with less friction.
The Perfect Trio: Leadfeeder, CrankWheel, and DropGenius
Leadfeeder → Excellent for generating leads (finding out who’s interested).
CrankWheel → Excellent for engaging leads (live demos & calls).
DropGenius → Excellent for nurturing leads (outreach & follow-up).
💡 None of these tools alone is a full Sales & Lead Generation Management System (like a CRM). Instead, they are specialist tools that fit different parts of the lead generation + sales process.
How They Work Individually
Leadfeeder: Spotting Interest Before It Knocks
Leadfeeder is like having a silent scout on your website. It identifies companies that visit your site, even if they don’t fill out a form. You get insights into which pages they viewed, how long they stayed, and what they might be interested in. Instead of cold outreach, you start with warm leads who have already shown intent.
CrankWheel: Frictionless Sales Demos
CrankWheel removes the friction of traditional web conferencing. Your prospect clicks a link and instantly views your screen—no downloads, no tech headaches. It’s a brilliant way for sales reps to showcase products, walk through proposals, or even onboard new clients in real time. The smoother the demo, the faster the close.
DropGenius: Personalized Outreach at Scale
DropGenius brings email and SMS outreach to life. You can create personalized campaigns with automated follow-ups that feel human, not robotic. It’s ideal for keeping your brand top of mind and building relationships with leads over time.
Why Integration Matters
Individually, these tools shine. But without a central system, leads can slip through the cracks. Imagine discovering a hot lead in Leadfeeder, hosting a CrankWheel demo, and sending DropGenius follow-ups—only to realize no one logged these steps in your CRM.
That’s why integration with Capsule and Pipedrive is essential. Your CRM becomes the hub, while these tools act as spokes, feeding it with valuable activity and insights.
Integrating with Capsule CRM
Capsule is designed with simplicity in mind, making it a favorite among small businesses. Here’s how these tools connect:
-
Leadfeeder + Capsule: Sync company visit data directly into Capsule as new contacts or opportunities. You’ll know which website visitors to follow up with and can assign them to your sales team.
-
CrankWheel + Capsule: Log demo activities into Capsule, attaching them to contact records so the sales journey is fully visible. After a demo, your team can instantly update the opportunity stage.
-
DropGenius + Capsule: Automate outreach sequences while feeding engagement metrics—like opens and replies—back into Capsule. This ensures follow-up tasks are prioritized correctly.
👉 Capsule users love this setup because it keeps things light and user-friendly while ensuring no lead is forgotten.
Integrating with Pipedrive CRM
Pipedrive is built for salespeople who thrive on visual pipelines and activity tracking. Integration here feels natural:
-
Leadfeeder + Pipedrive: Leads identified on your site are automatically pushed into your Pipedrive pipeline, ready for qualification.
-
CrankWheel + Pipedrive: When you run a demo, it’s logged as an activity. You can then move the deal card along the pipeline instantly, keeping your sales funnel up to date.
-
DropGenius + Pipedrive: Outreach campaigns sync seamlessly, so all communications are recorded under each deal. Your team sees exactly where prospects stand and what step comes next.
👉 Pipedrive’s automation rules make it even easier – leads from Leadfeeder can trigger an automatic outreach campaign in DropGenius, followed by a scheduled CrankWheel demo.
The Big Picture Workflow
Here’s what it looks like when everything comes together:
-
Leadfeeder identifies a company visiting your website.
-
The lead is pushed into Capsule or Pipedrive.
-
Your team sets up a CrankWheel demo with the contact.
-
Notes and demo outcomes are logged in your CRM.
-
If the lead isn’t ready to buy, a DropGenius outreach campaign nurtures them until they are.
-
Throughout, Capsule or Pipedrive keeps the pipeline updated and provides reporting for managers.
This isn’t just efficiency it’s sales harmony.
Why Small Businesses Should Care
Small businesses often can’t afford bloated software stacks or enterprise-level tools. By combining lightweight, specialized apps with an affordable CRM, you get the best of both worlds: powerful lead generation, seamless engagement, and nurturing capabilities—without the complexity.
It’s like building a custom sales machine tailored to your exact needs.
Final Thoughts
Leadfeeder, CrankWheel, and DropGenius each excel at one piece of the sales puzzle. When connected to a CRM like Capsule or Pipedrive, they transform from stand-alone tools into a complete, integrated system for lead generation and sales management.
Instead of juggling tools separately, you get a streamlined process where everything works together and your team can focus on what matters most: closing deals.