Today’s leaders know that the relationships they have with their customers will drive the growth of their business. This relationship begins at the very first point of contact with the customer when they are a prospect who is just introduced to the firm. Sales force automation maximizes your customer relationships right from the start.
This relationship is made stronger by establishing an efficient and definitive sales process that provides the ability to pay attention to the customer’s needs. Your goal in the sales cycle is to move the prospect from a lead to a customer while the customer’s goal is to determine if doing business with you is right for them. Aligning these goals will result in a win for both you and the customer.
Why Should I Automate My Sales Process?
Sales force automation allows you to respond quicker to your customer, provide them with the information they need to make a buying decision, and then service them better after they become a customer. While there are many reasons to automate your sales process, here are three primary ones that everyone should consider.
- Sales automation provides sales managers with a complete view of the sales opportunities in the organization allowing them to better plan and manage the sales operation
- The sales team has all prospect and customer related data in one place providing higher productivity and better close percentages
- Qualified sales leads stay in the sales cycle until they are properly dispatched as either won, lost, or nurture which reduces lead fallout and improves sales revenue
The Sales Process Functions to Automate Now
The sales process includes all areas of the business that impact the customer relationship. It starts with lead generation in marketing, continues throughout the sales cycle and order processing, and is impacted by customer service. Each of these areas is made up of many functions that can be made more efficient through automation.
Integration is a key area that needs attention. Many organizations have multiple systems that don’t communicate with each other and this creates a lot of inefficiencies. The sales team doesn’t have a complete picture of the customer’s needs, is missing the most recent history of interactions, and often has incorrect data related to the opportunity.
Sales force automation is more than just creating a sophisticated contact database. Since the sales function is the workhorse of revenue generation, automating sales is not just a nice to have. It is a MUST have. Read about the 10 critical sales functions to automate now and get started on making your sales process better today!
Question: What part of your sales process needs more automation? How will automation help you? You can share your answer on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.