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Technology is having a positive impact on every facet of business, and sales is no exception. In fact, sales personnel are known to be one of the earliest adopters of technology, even before it permeated to other areas of the business world. It’s no surprise that they continue to be the forerunners in choosing the right technology that is in tune with the changing business dynamics and customer expectations.
Going forward, here are some ways by which they will embrace technology to increase their productivity, and through it, the turnover of the company as a whole.
End of cold calling
Cold calling is no longer a viable method for generating leads because the younger generation of decision-makers prefer to take calls only from recognized numbers. Also, there is an increase in government regulations for cold calling with Europe and the US leading the way with stringent regulations for cold calling. Hence, sales personnel have to look at alternate ways to be engaged with their customers. A combination of social media and other virtual communication channels based on technology is likely to give salesmen the platform to connect with their existing and future customers.
Growth of devices
The number of technological devices available in the market is growing by the day, and it is estimated that the average device per person would be 4.3 by 2020. This growing number of devices necessitates salesmen to use different media to connect with their customers, based on the personal communication preferences of customers. One way to go would be to create app through which to attract users, engage them and nurture them until they’re ready to buy. Another way to take it further would be to provide users with various options: iPad applications, iOS apps, Android apps and Windows app. That way, you’re sure to have a fair chance of getting a user, whatever device they use.
This means salesmen have to be familiar with the different digital channels, and should feel comfortable communicating through different devices if they want to reach out to more customers.
Use of sales development platforms
On-demand sales development platforms are likely to become an integral part of the sales department of any company as these platforms can solve some of the most complex problems such as providing personalized content while talking, offering multiple media options to connect and identifying the right prospects. In fact, many of these platforms can be customized to provide just the information that salesmen need, so that they can better connect with their current and future customers. Hence, when salesmen use these platforms effectively, they are likely to be more successful.
Data-driven approach
The ever-growing volume of data coupled with the emergence of technologies like Big Data are likely to make sales a more data-driven process. Sales revenue, productivity per person and other data can help salesmen to come up with the right strategies that would help to boost their productivity as well as their performance. This applies to all industries. Whether you’re selling high-end services, digital products or physical goods like the common household treadmills, a data-driven approach will give you the necessary information needed to make the right decisions, and this can be a huge jump from the current way of making decisions based primarily on intuition.
In short, technology is likely to be a major player in the future for salesmen, so it makes sense for them to take steps towards early adoption to give them an edge over others.