6 shared inbox tools and software for B2B sales collaboration

Do you ever feel like poor email management is holding your team back? Email collaboration is essential for certain B2B sales teams, but it’s tough to find a solution that truly does what it needs to do to boost productivity.

This is because collaboration is more complicated than we think. According to Alludo, 64% of employees say they lose three hours of productivity each week due to poor collaboration models alone.

Your inbox doesn’t have to be one of those places where productivity is lost due to poor collaboration. Shared inbox tools can bring your team closer together and allow for faster, better work. Read on to see our top six picks for shared inbox tools.

What is a shared inbox?

A 2024 study by Project.co found that 55% of people still rely on email to communicate with their clients. Email is a vital communication tool, and likely always will be.

But relying on individual inboxes presents the problem of keeping up with who’s doing what. Instead, a shared inbox enables multiple teammates to field incoming messages by aggregating various email accounts in one place.

Depending on the shared inbox software you use, you may have extra features to fuel collaboration and internal team chat. 

Some examples of shared inbox tool features include:

• Collision detection: This automation feature prevents agents from tackling the same tickets or responding to the same messages simultaneously. This stops consumers from receiving the same information and saves your internal teammates time because no one’s doing duplicate work.
• Automated emails: Many shared inbox platforms can deliver canned responses to the most common, straightforward queries.
• Group email functionality: You can enable your team to respond to emails without logging into their personal accounts. Instead, they can work directly from the shared inbox tool.
• Workflow automation: Some platforms come with advanced tools that can automate common email workflows. For example, you might create triggers to automatically assign certain types of incoming queries to specific team members.
• Built-in analytics: Many shared inbox tools track metrics like customer engagement and average response times. These reports can inform your broader communication strategies.

In short, shared inbox tools act as a “town square” that keeps teams aligned and prevents individuals from working in silos.

Why do you need shared inbox software?

Collaboration is the cornerstone of the modern workplace. A 2023 study by Gensler found that office workers spend an average of 42% of their time collaborating with others. Streamlining your team’s inbox isn’t always logical, but for certain functions, it’s one of the most impactful decisions you can make.

A shared team inbox tool is pivotal to improving how customer support and inbound sales teams work together.

Here's why:

1. It improves collaboration between team members

Shared inbox software facilitates collaboration by centralizing every interaction, email, ticket, and message. This ensures everyone is on the same page, and you can quickly divide and conquer as a sales or customer support team.

2. It streamlines workflow management

Collaboration is crucial, but it’s also something that can degrade efficiency if you don’t manage it well. Shared inboxes increase efficiency through better delegation. Examples of what you can do include:

• Delegate tasks and responsibilities
• Assign emails to specific reps
• Track every conversation’s process

3. It allows for real-time monitoring and efficient client communication

Exceptional customer support and sales teams face the challenge of responding to clients promptly.

Real-time inbox monitoring can trigger notifications for new emails and conversations requiring urgent responses. It’s an excellent customer care tool that can have a tangible impact on your CSAT.

The top 6 shared inbox software tools

So, where should you start with shared mailbox tools?

It depends on your specific needs. Countless brands offer inbox management tools, but not all are created equal. Here are six tools on the market for you to consider as you find the best shared mailbox software for your team.

1. Streak

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Streak is a CRM tool with advanced shared mailbox functionality for Gmail. Designed to boost collaboration and streamline email management, it includes shared pipelines to organize emails, track emails, and even share emails with a link. Streak also provides all team members with the status of every item, widening transparency and simplifying how everyone collectively manages client communication.

This solution also includes several other collaborative tools (like saved views) to stop internal miscommunication and keep everyone moving in the same direction. Streak's shared inboxes make teams faster and more effective.

Key features

• Shared pipelines
• Note-taking
• Email sharing
• Task management tools
• Google Sheets integration

2. Google Collaborative Inbox

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Google Collaborative Inbox is Google’s native shared inbox tool. It sits on Gmail and enables you to manage every customer interaction from a single inbox. You can assign conversations to specific team members, post notes, and use real-time collaboration.

Collaborative Inbox also integrates with Google Workspace apps, including Docs and Calendar, to enhance the user experience.

Key features

• Task management
• Internal note-taking
• Real-time collaboration
• Google Workspace integration

3. Front

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Front is a popular shared inbox platform that reduces email response time. Unlike other tools, this app allows users to respond to social media messages, SMS, and live chat from one hub, providing a genuine omnichannel communication management solution.

One standout feature is the ability to treat an email draft like a Google Doc and edit messages with multiple users. It also works with 50 other work-based apps, including Asana and HubSpot.

Key features

• Omnichannel communication management
• Edit emails together in real-time
• Seamless productivity app integration

4. Gmelius

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Gmelius is a Gmail add-on that helps teams manage customer conversations within Gmail. It's also a project management app with features like task assignment, shared labels, and internal note-taking.

Gmelius uses Kanban boards to create tasks, add due dates, and assign those tasks to various team members. Its primary differentiator is the Sequences feature, which supports multi-stage email campaign management.

Key features

• Email templates
• Email automation
• Built-in analytics
• Project management functionality
• Multi-stage email campaign management

5. HubSpot Service Hub

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Millions of people use HubSpot’s sales and marketing software, but many don’t know Hubspot also offers a solution for support teams. The Service Hub offers basic shared inbox functionality with reporting capabilities. Plus, you can upgrade to incorporate live chat management.

Unfortunately, Service Hub’s primary features are only available on the paid plans, including automation and knowledge base builders. However, existing HubSpot users will find that the Service Hub integrates seamlessly with the company’s other products.

Key features

• Email automation
• Email templates
• Reporting capabilities
• Omnichannel communication support

6. Hiver

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Hiver is a Gmail add-on to create and enhance your team’s email collaboration. This extension provides email management via a shared inbox and offers features for managing other channels, including live chat.

To prevent customer support agents from becoming overwhelmed, admins can manually assign emails to specific people or try the round-robin auto-assignment tool. Other team inbox features include rule-based automation, productivity tracking, and even rule-based chatbots.

Key features

• Canned responses
• Email analytics
• Real-time collaboration
• Collision detection
• AI assistance

How do you manage a shared inbox tool?

Adopting shared inboxes within certain teams of your organization is an opportunity to effortlessly manage communications and keep your contact list happy. Like any tool, to get the most out of it, you must handle it properly.

Here’s how to make the most of your team inbox:

Define each team member’s role

One of shared mailboxes' most potent tools is manual and automated task assignments.

Begin by defining each teammate’s role and responsibilities, so you know who’s responsible for what. For example, you can automatically assign tech support emails to your tech support crew.

Create guidelines for using collaborative inboxes

Collaborative inboxes only work when everyone knows how they operate. Establish clear rules for managing shared inbox workflows to ensure everyone is moving in the same direction.

Here are some areas to focus on in your shared inbox:

• Assigning email types
• Response time standards
• Categorization systems
• Message prioritization

Rules aren’t there to make life or work difficult; they’re there to save time and maximize your customer support or inbound team’s productivity.

Use canned responses

Most companies receive the same queries over and over. Team members shouldn’t have to write out the same responses repeatedly.

Instead, use canned answers to maintain consistency across replies and resolve issues quickly. This frees up your team to concentrate on more complex or nuanced inquiries.

Set up rules to automate repetitive tasks

Automation yields major productivity benefits. Many of the tasks within a shared inbox are simple yet time-consuming. Deploy rule-based automation to handle some of these mundane tasks, such as assigning and labeling emails.

Experiment with inbox features and improve your workflow

Brands are releasing new tools and features to the market all the time. Likewise, your team will need to grow, shift, and change over time.

Maintaining and continuously improving your team’s performance means iterating and optimizing your workflows with each passing quarter. Set aside some time to regularly examine your shared inbox and spot areas of opportunity to take your team’s collaboration to the next level.

Manage sales workflows and enhance team collaboration with Streak

So much valuable data lives in Gmail inboxes, so it makes sense that organizations want to manage it more efficiently. Streak helps leaders master their inbox (and their team’s) by providing a central location for email visibility, collaboration, and communication.

Streak features shared inbox management functionality like shared pipelines, task management tools, funnel reports, and more to support your business’s growth.

Want to try Streak for yourself? Request a free 14-day trial today, and let’s get your inbox in order.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best shared inbox software?

The best shared inbox software is the one that makes the most sense for your team. Determine which features matter most to your organization and pinpoint how they help you overcome your pain points to achieve superior inbox productivity. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for managing your email communication.

How do I make my inbox collaborative?

Collaborative inboxes go beyond the ordinary shared inbox. At its heart, a shared inbox is just one where everyone can see and reply to messages. However, a collaborative inbox includes tools like task assignments, internal note-taking, and real-time messaging to help your team stay on the same page.

Search for a shared inbox solution that provides these tools to turn your customer support or inbound sales team into a united hivemind.

What is the best way to manage a shared mailbox?

Shared mailboxes need constant oversight and clear rules to manage. Establishing guidelines and assigning responsibilities creates clear workflows, guarantees accountability, and prevents confusion.