Published on November 5th, 2020 | by Sunit Nandi

How Technology Can Help Your Sales Force

In the world of sales, it sometimes seems like new technology arrives on the scene each day, with all of it purporting to be essential for improving performance and productivity. Rather than jumping on each new advancement, it’s often best to rely upon some tried-and-true tech tools that have been proven to make sales teams more successful. Here are 4 ways that technology can benefit your sales force.

Customer Relations Management Systems

Almost every type of selling is built around engaging with current and potential customers. For centuries, most businesses have used some sort of system for managing their customer relationships, even if it was simply using quill and ink to record transactions in a ledger. These days, a robust Customer Relations Management system can track and analyze every client interaction, from initial interest to research, purchase and follow up. CRM software or cloud systems aggregate each piece of customer data, regardless of whether the source is internal or external, so that salespeople can access the information they need from virtually anywhere. CRM systems put statistics and opportunities at the fingertips of those who need it most. A CRM system not only provides day-to-day tools for your sales force, it can also supply all of the data necessary to plan and implement a strategic overall sales strategy.

Virtual Learning Platforms

While many of your employees may have a natural gift for selling, almost all salespeople can benefit from routinely updating their sales skills. Encouraging, or even requiring, your team to participate in virtual learning opportunities can help ensure they are staying up to date without incurring the expense or loss of time involved in attending in-person trainings. Taking advantage of virtual learning can be especially helpful as more and more salespeople are working remotely with non-traditional schedules, since this type of training can often be accomplished on a flexible schedule. Incorporating mandatory virtual training into your sales program can be a great way to make sure that all members of your team are aware of and adapting to changes in the selling environment.

Tools for Communications and Operations

Virtually all salespeople today rely on a multitude of mobile devices, from smart phones to tablets, laptops and remote payment processors. In fact, many don’t even bother providing landline phone numbers or even street addresses to their clients, since communicating via mobile phone and email are the norm. There is a plethora of apps and cloud-based platforms geared toward making it easier than ever to be a salesperson; cold-call route planning, document scanning and presentation tools are all available at your team’s fingertips. Being able to communicate and operate on the fly is crucial in this day and age, so If your sales force isn’t taking advantage of this technology, they should be.

Social Media

There’s no two ways around it; to maintain a robust sales program in the 21^st century an organization should have a strong social media presence that is driven by their sales and marketing teams. By using popular platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, salespeople have the ability to connect and engage with potential clients and gather direct feedback from existing customers. Savvy sellers can use these forums to share product expertise and content that is relevant for their clients. By interacting via social media, your sales force can build meaningful relationships much more quickly than they could through traditional outreach. As a bonus, many social media platforms integrate with CRM systems in order to make it even easier to source and manage customer data.

While you don’t need to jump on each new piece of technology that appears on the scene, it’s clear that your sale force can benefit from tapping into tech. Because it can provide the means to manage customer engagement, acquire new skills, communicate with clients and interact with new and existing customers, utilizing trusted technology is a proven key component of any selling team.

Tags: help, sales force, technology

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.