SalesFuel

What SalesFuel does

SalesFuel, Inc. is a privately held sales intelligence, sales enablement, and marketing research company founded in 1989 by C. Lee Smith and headquartered in Westerville, Ohio. The company serves B2B revenue teams, media organizations, advertising agencies, and consumer brands through a multi-product portfolio built around three subscription SaaS pillars: AdMall (sales intelligence and marketing research for local media and agencies), SalesCred (AI-powered sales credibility scoring and training), and TeamTrait (behavioral assessments for sales hiring). Notable customer logos include Nexstar Media Group, iHeartMedia, Comcast, Spectrum, Berkshire Hathaway, Hearst, E.W. Scripps, TEGNA, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and Gray Television, alongside agencies such as Alpha Advertising and Valpak.

The underlying technology stack combines proprietary research databases with AI-augmented tooling. Core data assets include AudienceSCAN (60,000+ panelists, 1,350+ consumer personas, 20,000+ U.S. consumers profiled), B2B BuyerSCAN (annual survey of 2,000+ CEOs and senior decision-makers), State of Credibility in America, State of Media Sales, Voice of the Sales Rep, and Voice of the Sales Manager surveys. AI capabilities span generative AI (advertising scripts and content drafts in AdMall), predictive analytics (TeamTrait scoring 150+ professional traits with DISC, Motivators, HVP, and Sales Acumen assessments), real-time digital marketing audits (Digital Audit tool completing 60-second analyses), and credibility scoring (SalesCred app). The company holds 16 registered trademarks covering its brand portfolio and methodologies.

Revenue is generated through SaaS subscriptions across the three core products, professional services (C. Lee Smith's executive coaching, master classes, and speaking engagements), and API/data licensing of AudienceSCAN datasets. Pricing is largely quote-based and undisclosed; a 2-week free trial of AdMall and free assessment packages via TeamTrait serve as top-of-funnel acquisition. Go-to-market is sales-led with field enterprise sales targeting large B2B organizations, agencies, and media companies, supplemented by event-driven webinar and research presentation channels. The company operates with 11-50 employees, has been bootstrapped since founding, and is led by founder/CEO C. Lee Smith.

Name

SalesFuel

Legal name

SalesFuel, Inc.

Website

https://salesfuel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SalesFuel is a privately held sales intelligence and enablement company that provides proprietary consumer and B2B buyer research databases, AI-augmented SaaS tools, and training to B2B revenue teams, media companies, and advertising agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sales Intelligence Software

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)

Keywords

• Sales intelligence
• Marketing research
• Sales enablement
• Behavioral assessments
• Pre-hire assessments

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscriptions - AdMall: Subscription-based access to AdMall sales intelligence and marketing research platform for local media salespeople and agencies, with tiered access levels and seat-based pricing.
2. SaaS Subscriptions - TeamTrait: Subscription-based pre-hire assessment platform with per-assessment and subscription pricing options, including DISC, Motivators, HVP, and Sales Acumen tests.
3. SaaS Subscriptions - SalesCred: Subscription-based sales training and credibility app with AI-powered tools, including CredCheck digital credibility scoring and CredWriter content tools.
4. Professional Services: Sales training programs, immersive Master Classes, executive coaching, and consulting services delivered by C. Lee Smith and the SalesFuel team.
5. API and Data Licensing: Licensed access to proprietary research databases and APIs for AudienceSCAN consumer data, enabling integration into third-party applications and platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels15 records

Core offering

SalesFuel delivers proprietary sales intelligence, marketing research, and AI-augmented sales enablement tools for B2B revenue teams. Its core platform includes AdMall (sales intelligence and marketing research for media and agencies), SalesCred (AI-powered sales credibility app and training), and TeamTrait (behavioral pre-hire assessments for sales hiring), supported by proprietary research databases covering consumer psychographics and B2B buyer behavior.

Product overview

SalesFuel is a sales intelligence and enablement company that delivers a platform of proprietary research, AI-augmented tools, and training products for B2B revenue teams. The core product portfolio includes AdMall (sales intelligence and marketing research for media and agencies), SalesCred (AI-powered sales credibility and training), and TeamTrait (behavioral assessments for sales hiring). Supporting the platform are research products including AudienceSCAN (consumer psychographics and buyer personas), B2B BuyerSCAN (C-suite buyer behavior research), State of Credibility in America, State of Media Sales, Voice of the Sales Rep, and Voice of the Sales Manager surveys. Additional offerings include mobile apps for iOS and Android, podcasts (Manage Smarter and Sell Smarter), video content (CredTalk), and C. Lee Smith's speaking and coaching services. The company was founded in 1989 and serves B2B sales, marketing, and media organizations seeking better buyer insight, stronger sales credibility, and data-driven guidance for prospecting, hiring, and coaching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AdMall: The #1 sales intelligence and marketing research tool for local media sales, advertising agencies and digital marketing teams. Trusted by more than 15,000 media sales and marketing professionals.
• SalesCred
• TeamTrait
• C. Lee Smith

Products and services

• AdMall AdMall is a sales intelligence and marketing research platform trusted by more than 15,000 local media salespeople and agencies. It provides pre-call preparation, digital marketing audits, AI-assisted analysis, and business intelligence across 400+ verticals for local media sales and digital marketing teams.
• SalesCred SalesCred is an AI-powered sales credibility app and sales enablement program that combines exclusive research and responsible AI to score and improve professional credibility as perceived by B2B salespeople's most desired customers, boosting expertise, leadership influence, and responsible AI use.
• TeamTrait TeamTrait is a sales hiring and coaching solution that uses behavioral science to help organizations hire better reps, reduce turnover, and develop stronger teams. It measures 150+ professional traits using DISC behavioral analysis, Motivators drive assessment, HVP values profiling, and Sales Acumen situational judgement testing, with assessments human-translated into 13 languages.
• AudienceSCAN AudienceSCAN is SalesFuel's proprietary consumer research platform providing psychographic profiles, audience segmentation, and B2C customer personas. It delivers insights on how Americans think, shop, and decide, including purchase intent, media influence, and digital behavior, supported by licensed databases with zip code-level consumer spending, health conditions, housing data, ancestry, and five-year projections.
• B2B BuyerSCAN B2B BuyerSCAN is SalesFuel's annual survey of more than 2,000 CEOs and senior decision-makers at companies with 20+ employees that decodes complex purchasing behaviors, supplier vetting criteria, and AI adoption patterns to help sellers and marketers enhance their strategies.
• C. Lee Smith Speaking and Coaching C. Lee Smith offers speaking engagements, executive coaching, and consulting services as a recognized Leading Sales Consultant. Author of Amazon bestsellers SalesCred and Hire Smarter, Sell More!, and a Certified Behavioral Analyst specializing in workforce behavior and professional motivators.
• SalesFuel Mobile Apps SalesFuel offers mobile applications for Apple iOS and Android devices providing access to sales tools, credibility assessment, and on-the-go access to SalesFuel research and resources.
• Sell Smarter Podcast Sell Smarter is a registered podcast providing research-backed sales tips and strategies weekly, covering sales management, leadership, hiring, coaching, and sales enablement topics for sales professionals.
• Manage Smarter Podcast Manage Smarter is a top-ten leadership and management podcast featuring 20-minute interviews on hiring, coaching, sales performance, AI, company culture, and the psychology of leadership, with more than 300 episodes released twice monthly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average cost of bad B2B sales hire reduced through TeamTrait assessments
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability8 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Advertising Federation (AAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSalesFuel serves as one of four national marketing research partners for the American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), alongside Nielsen, MRI Simmons, and Kantar. SalesFuel has supported American college students participating in this real-world competition for 15 years, providing access to AudienceSCAN and AdMall research tools to student teams.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Outreach: Outreach is a venture-backed sales engagement platform with AI-augmented prospecting, conversation intelligence, and deal management — a broader incumbent in the sales enablement category where SalesFuel also competes.
• D&B Hoovers: D&B Hoovers is a B2B sales intelligence and contact data platform owned by Dun & Bradstreet — comparable to SalesFuel's AdMall and B2B BuyerSCAN offerings as a broader incumbent B2B intelligence provider.
• Demandbase: Demandbase is an account-based marketing and B2B sales intelligence platform combining firmographic data, intent, and advertising — overlapping with SalesFuel's AudienceSCAN and B2B BuyerSCAN marketing research and buyer intelligence offerings.
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a sales intelligence and prospecting tool embedded within the LinkedIn platform — broader incumbent offering overlapping with SalesFuel's AdMall B2B prospecting intelligence but bundled into a much larger professional network ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Gong: Gong is a venture-backed revenue intelligence platform using AI to analyze sales conversations and deal activity — an emerging player with partial overlap to SalesFuel's sales enablement and AI-augmented sales intelligence products.

Direct peers

• RAIN Group: RAIN Group is a sales training and sales enablement company offering sales methodology programs and consulting — directly comparable to SalesFuel's SalesCred training, C. Lee Smith coaching, and professional services revenue stream.
• ZoomInfo: ZoomInfo is the leading B2B sales intelligence and go-to-market platform, providing contact data, buyer intent, and sales prospecting tools — directly comparable to SalesFuel's AdMall/B2B BuyerSCAN offerings targeting B2B revenue teams.
• Richardson Sales Performance: Richardson is a global sales training and consulting firm delivering customized sales programs and assessments — comparable to SalesFuel's training, Master Classes, and TeamTrait assessment offerings for B2B sales organizations.
• Sales Hacker: Sales Hacker is a sales intelligence community and content platform serving B2B sales professionals with research, training, and tooling — overlapping with SalesFuel's sales enablement content, podcast, and training offerings.
• The Brooks Group: The Brooks Group specializes in sales training, sales assessments, and sales coaching programs for B2B sales organizations — directly comparable to SalesFuel's TeamTrait assessment platform and SalesCred training business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/salesfuel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCh-kdXBnek3hlsQqFF3sm-w
• Facebookfacebook.com/salesfuel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sales-fuel
• Instagraminstagram.com/salesfuel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SalesFuel