Sales Technology Improves Results and Leads to Better Processes

Learn how sales tools that use some of the latest technologies, including automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence, deliver better outcomes.

To remain competitive today, your salespeople need all the advantages they can leverage for prospecting, business intelligence, leads and customer service. Here’s a look at some of the technology leads that will give your sales team a competitive edge.

How Can Technology Help with Prospecting?

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is one of the most important sales tools available. With a CRM, you can track important data about prospects and customers, and use the functionality to find sales opportunities. Sales and marketing teams can use the CRM to track response to marketing campaigns, outreach attempts and contact reports.

The CRM solution you deploy also helps sales managers track progress throughout the sales pipeline. Monitoring helps managers review the stage, probability and velocity of the pipeline for better forecasting.

How Does Technology Help Follow Up with Leads?

Automation tools help to create a persistent sales cadence that leads to more meetings and better outcomes. Automation can generate personalized and customized follow-up letters, emails and texts. One example is Boomerang, a Gmail plug-in that schedules follow-up emails and automates reminders to reconnect with prospects. Hubspot Sales also allows for personalization of emails and other follow-up communication.

For inbound sales, where customers contact your company via an email, phone call or web form, automation, machine learning and bots are a big help. These tools can help with routine inquiries and route leads to the right information while alerting a salesperson to reach out for contact.

Can I Integrate Sales Tech with Other Software?

Your CRM and other sales technologies are effective independently. But when these tools are integrated with finance/operations programs, your entire organization benefits. Having a single source of data, access to integrated reporting and solutions, data transparency and interrelationships, your sales team will be more effective and more collaborative.

Integrated tools also help leverage emerging technologies such as machine learning, big data and data analytics. These tools can collect, analyze, codify and find patterns in your sales data that drive deeper, actionable insights. Unified data also leads to less data re-entry and gives managers greater visibility into the sales information.

What Role Does the Cloud Play?

Cloud technologies provide data security and accessibility to apps, including CRMs and business productivity apps such as Microsoft Office 365, which offers mobile versions of the popular app suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Agility and access lead to more productive outbound sales reps.

Cloud technologies also help your team with videoconferencing tools that allow for web-based communication that helps communication with remotely deployed sales reps, leads and customers. Video has advantages over sales calls, allowing staff to notice body language, visual cues, energy level and facial expressions that can help inform the progression of the call and follow-up.

Your CRM and other tools also provide for a richer understanding of your customer. A 360-degree view of customer order history, payments, credit, maintenance needs and customer service inquiries gives your sales force real-time insights into the customer experience.

What Can Help With Effective Sales Calls?

There are many apps available to help make sales calls more effective. For example, Conference Pad is an app that lets you control multiple iPads simultaneously, ensuring that everyone seeing a presentation is on the same page or slide.

Can Technology Improve Sales Training?

Pages upon pages of manuals, in-person conferences and classroom training sessions are no longer the most effective or efficient ways to teach new skills and hone others. Two technology types — learning management systems (LMS) and virtual learning platforms (VLP) — provide flexible, trackable and accessible training tools. Managers can monitor progress and offer assistance in areas where reps struggle.

How Can Sales Technology Help Our Brand?

The right tools when used effectively will improve first impressions and boost your reputation. That helps not only with landing new business but also with attracting talented sales professionals. Investment in the latest and best technology solutions is a compelling option for salespeople seeking a new opportunity.

Sales technologies can be a boost to all areas of your sales program. The right investments result in better training, more actionable leads, higher response rates and more closed business.