The sales industry is all about interpersonal relationships. Finding success in sales comes down to customer satisfaction and good connections. But there are a lot of aspects that could be more easily handled by technology, freeing up more time for personal touches. This list will help you find the right technology to help you succeed in sales.
PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
A lot of what makes sales difficult is not being able to see what will happen in the industry five, ten, fifteen years into the future. There are tools and guides, however, that can help you make good choices about the future based on the information you have today. A sales forecast, for instance, can help you project sales revenue within a certain period of time, making it easier for your company to make decisions about expenditure.
Reporting software can make it easier to log and visualize important sales data, which can be used to draw accurate conclusions about the future. If you’re trying to stay a step ahead of the competition, using technology to make future-oriented choices can really give you a leg up.
ENHANCE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS
Believe it or not, technology can help you develop better relationships with current customers and attract future clients. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools will store all of your company’s systems and information on one platform, so it’ll be easier to achieve company-wide communication. This means your PR and advertising teams will have access to more relevant data and will be able to interact with customers in a way that really reflects their needs.
Software can also help you out with social media engagement. There are tools for syncing all platforms at once, making it easier to target specific audiences and get more engagement. A lot of people these days shop through social media, so don’t underestimate the power of a great tool for making the process more streamlined.
GET ORGANIZED
Everyone has access to a calendar or planner on their devices, but not everyone utilizes them to their full potential. In a sales team with multiple salesmen, it can be hard to schedule appointments and meetings that work for everyone. Using your Teams or Office 365 calendar can make this much easier, allowing for the integration of everyone’s schedules and making it simpler to see when people are free at a glance.
You can even integrate a tool for customers and clients to use, making it easy for them to book appointments without multiple back and forth emails and phone calls. Imagine a sales staff that can focus all their time and energy on preparing for meetings and focusing on serving customers well, without the hassle of miscommunication. That’s what is possible with a simple calendar tool.
COMMUNICATE VIRTUALLY
At this point in time, it’s important to have good tools for communicating with customers and coworkers virtually. A video chatting tool, like Zoom, can do a lot of the heavy lifting for a salesman, making it easy to share screens and show product demos from the safety of your home. Even if you’re still going on sales calls, it’s always a good idea to be capable of making a virtual call at any moment.
Just make sure to invest in a good noise-canceling headset, as being able to hear your pitch is vital when you can’t be together in person. You may even want to get a Bluetooth set, especially if your product demo requires you to move around a lot. These touches will make your clients feel well-cared for and confident in you and will make your life a whole lot easier.
These tools, while never being the most important aspect of being a salesman, are still great to have in your belt. You never know what could end up making your job easier, so don’t be afraid to give these tools a trial period.
