Anyone involved in sales will likely agree that conventional sales processes of the past—even the recent past—are giving way to a new order. The newer approach leverages the use of digital technology to enhance virtually every aspect of the sales process, thus enhancing efficiency and reducing redundancy and other time-consuming aspects of sales.
The question for small business owners is, how quickly can you adopt new technology and leverage it to boost sales and build a strong sales culture? Here are action steps you can take to incorporate advances in technology and get your sales team on board with changes for the best sales culture ROI:
There’s a bounty of sales rep and sales enablement apps available out there. Such tools include e-signature apps (for quicker approvals and closing of deals); digital to-do lists to share with fellow sales team members; and apps that offer real-time updates on various accounts. Anything that makes your sales staff more effective is well worth looking into.
Many sales-related tasks that once had to be performed manually now take dramatically less time and effort due to automation. Email software, for example, automates follow-up messages to prospects, messages that can be personalized and closely tracked for data-collection and other purposes.
Other technology enables sales reps to proactively suggest relevant and informative content that keeps prospects informed about industry news and their company’s offerings.
As with apps, there are plenty of generic CRM platforms available for businesses to choose from. A better solution is investing in the creation of an internal sales platform geared to your company’s unique processes and culture. This way, you get a far more insightful compilation of data related to client accounts, user interaction and conversion rates.
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Sometimes sales teams are slow to recognize the value of new technology. To move the needle in this area, here are tips to keep in mind:
Whether it’s the CIO or another member of your executive team, an individual who actively promotes the adoption of new technology can help spur acceptance within the organization. By clearly communicating the reasons behind this approach—and the ways in which the sales team directly benefits—this “tech champion” serves to represents the depth of the organization’s commitment to adopting new technology.
Sales reps might more enthusiastically welcome new resources if they have the proper coaching and training.
“Sales coaching should be a proactive practice—not a reactive measure at the end of the quarter,” notes sales strategist Shelley Cernel. By using the right sales technology, you can “provide dynamic sales training content, recommend the most effective training materials and content, and outline best practice next step for sales reps.” Just as importantly, Cernel adds, sales tools “also provide leadership with the insights to identify areas of improvement.”
Technology is revolutionizing both the sales process and the customer experience, making it easier for sellers and buyers to interact in an efficient, mutually beneficial manner. It’s worth investigating how to leverage new sale technology to benefit your customers as well.
Want more advice on improving your sales process? Check out TAB's advice on sales enablement!