The Marketing Tools We Actually Use
The CRM, AI, automation and sales software behind our campaigns and our own business, in one place. 13 tools, grouped by the job they do.
CRM, Funnels & Sales
Where leads land, get followed up and turn into signed deals.
HighLevel
Best for: Agencies, coaches and local businessesCRM, funnels, calendars, email and SMS in one platform. It's what our client funnels and follow-up run on.
Visit HighLevel →HighLevel SaaS Pro
Best for: Agencies that want recurring software revenueThe HighLevel upgrade that lets you resell the platform to your own clients under your brand.
Visit HighLevel SaaS Pro →
Close
Best for: Sales teams that live on the phoneA sales CRM with calling, email and SMS built in, so every touch on a deal is in one place. Our own sales team runs on it.
Visit Close →
PandaDoc
Best for: Anyone sending proposals or contractsProposals, quotes and contracts with e-signatures, so a deal can be sent and signed in minutes.
Visit PandaDoc →AI Ads & Creative
Make and research ad creative faster, so you can test more angles.
Higgsfield
Best for: Brands that need ad creative fastAI image and video generation for ad creative, product shots and short-form video.
Visit Higgsfield →
Arcads
Best for: Paid social advertisersAI video ads with AI actors in a UGC style, for testing many ad angles without booking shoots.
Visit Arcads →
Foreplay
Best for: Media buyers and creative teamsSave and organise winning ads from the ad libraries, so creative research isn't a pile of screenshots.
Visit Foreplay →Automation, Outreach & Websites
Connect your apps, reach buyers on LinkedIn and ship your site.
n8n
Best for: Teams automating busyworkWorkflow automation that connects your apps, with AI steps, for lead routing, reporting and follow-up.
Visit n8n →
Dripify
Best for: B2B outreach on LinkedInLinkedIn outreach on autopilot: connection requests, follow-up messages and campaign stats.
Visit Dripify →
Webflow
Best for: Marketing sites you want to edit yourselfA visual website builder with hosting, for fast, design-led marketing sites.
Visit Webflow →Operations, Hiring & Payments
Run the team, hire help and make it easier for clients to buy.
monday.com
Best for: Teams juggling client workProjects, tasks and team workflows on one board, so client work doesn't live in inboxes.
Visit monday.com →
OnlineJobs.ph
Best for: Hiring affordable full-time helpHire full-time remote team members from the Philippines. Where we recommend hiring skilled remote staff.
Visit OnlineJobs.ph →
Coach Financing
Best for: Coaches and high-ticket service sellersOffer your clients financing for coaching and programs, so price is less of a reason to say no.
Visit Coach Financing →Start With the Bottleneck, Not the Tool
Software doesn't fix a business on its own. Pick the tool that removes the thing slowing you down right now:
- Leads slipping through the cracks?Start with a CRM that follows up for you: HighLevel or Close.
- Ads going stale?Make and research more creative: Higgsfield, Arcads and Foreplay.
- Team buried in busywork?Automate the repeat work with n8n, and hire help through OnlineJobs.ph.
- Deals stalling at the price?Send proposals that get signed with PandaDoc, and offer payment plans with Coach Financing.
Straight Answers
What CRM do you recommend for a service business?
For agencies, coaches and local businesses that want funnels, calendars, email and SMS in one place, HighLevel. For a sales team that lives on the phone, Close. Plenty of businesses run both: HighLevel for marketing and funnels, Close for the sales team.
Are these affiliate links?
Some of them are. If you sign up through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend: these are tools we use or have used in our own businesses.
Do I need all of these tools?
No. Start with a CRM that fits how you sell, then add a tool when a real bottleneck shows up: creative, automation, outreach or hiring. Most businesses only need three or four of these.
Can Variance Marketing set these tools up for me?
Yes. We build funnels, CRM pipelines, automations and ad creative on these platforms for our clients. Book a Scale-Up Session and we'll map the stack we'd run for your business.
Some of these are affiliate links: if you sign up through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. We only list tools we use or have used in our own businesses. See our disclaimer.
Want Us to Set It All Up for You?
Book a Scale-Up Session. We'll map the tools and the funnel we'd run for your business.
Book a Scale-Up Session → 4.9★★★★★82 Google reviews Or call +1 (786) 798-8817 · [email protected]