Sales management software is essential to assessing customer needs and promote collaboration and efficiency. Sales teams are challenged by managing data and information received from customers, as well as providing information to their colleagues on a timely basis.
Adding to that challenge is the fact that sales reps are necessarily on the go and on the road, which may result in data being lost in the shuffle. In order to maintain efficient communication and encourage collaboration, sales management software or applications are crucial. They can help reduce manual data entry and provide a single source of data, as well as an efficient and easy-to-use way to update that data.
Sales management applications run in the cloud can be user-friendly and mobile. With customizable, point-and-click dashboards and interfaces, taking care of administrative tasks is more like playing around on your favorite Web site than doing work. And it frees sales reps and managers from the need to be chained to a desk, a desktop PC, and the software that is installed on that PC. In order to access these applications, all you need is an Internet connection—so you can use them from a BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device. Portability is crucial to sales reps out in the field. Using the software, they can report back to the home office easily, without having to make extra trips, and receive new leads and other valuable information.
Once the sales team becomes acclimated to the new sales management software, managers should witness an improvement in sales consistency. Collaboration tools will allow the team members to have access to each other’s sales accounts. Team members who are assisting with the accounts are informed of changes and developments in real-time through sales management software. Team members will avoid lost sales when the customers recognize their efforts towards providing seamless service from one team member to the next.
Practical Application:
Currently, Bank of America is one of the world’s largest financial institutions. They found themselves faced with the challenge of organizing their 100-person sales team in order to provide efficient service to their customers. The organization was challenged by managing its sales leads, obtaining referrals and creating a central source for information.They utilized sales management applications that were run in the cloud, to eliminate the use of spreadsheets and other clunky manual tools that did not facilitate collaboration. Prior to incorporating these apps, the process of manually inputting information took each rep close to 25 hours per week—which BoA was able to reduce down to three or four. Naturally, this significantly increased time that could be allocated elsewhere. The software improved collaboration among team members, and the software analyzed data faster than ever before. Sales management software made a significant difference in this sales team’s productivity.
Sales management applications can also generate reports automatically, and send those reports to the employees who need them. Data is automatically compiled, sorted and analyzed, allowing sales managers to review their reps’ performance, give feedback to marketing about current campaigns, and stay in touch with the warehouse regarding inventory and shipments.
In short, the company wastes less time chasing fruitless opportunities and spending advertising dollars on accounts that yield no results—and more time closing the deal with valuable customers. Now that’s what I call empowering!
