Establishing an effective sales tech stack enables sales teams to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time selling by streamlining, organising, and automating the sales process
Concerningly, the average sales representative spends 65% of their time on tasks other than selling which can be significantly lowered by establishing an efficient tech stack. A large portion of sales representatives time goes to administrative tasks including updating spreadsheets, adding prospects to the CRM, and performing research that could be easily automated.
When selecting the correct tools for the business, there is no one size fits all and any additions need to be catered to meet the specific needs of each sales team. Too often organisations pay for tools that are not used and in fact complicate salespeople’s lives.
Through experience in the sales industry there are some technologies and tools that are universally helpful for all sales teams, implementing these tools will be a good starting point for any business looking to enhance the sales process.
Contact Database
Keeping track of all contacts is key to sales representatives of all levels. Implementing a contact database system allows representatives to house all information in one space to keep track of any outreach and prioritise efforts. Many organisations ask representatives to source their own leads which can make recording all contacts and leads particularly time consuming. Contact databases like ZoomInfo and Cognism are key to providing sales representatives with updated contact information that they can pursue if necessary, saving valuable time.
A strong CRM
A powerful CRM is arguably the most important aspect of any successful sales programme. An absolute must for all sales teams should be a CRM that houses contacts, company records, email sending, and drafting responsibilities. A CRM serves as a single source of customer and lead information to keep the team organised and on track. It can track new and old leads, and the status of current customers to understand their position within the sales funnel.
Popular CRMs include HubSpot and Salesforce, both designed to streamline the sales process. However, continual training is necessary on the use of CRMs as they often upgrade their product offerings. Whilst this is largely beneficial, it also means that representatives need to be updated when changes occur and trained accordingly.
Conversation intelligence
Conversation intelligence uses AI to record, transcribe, and analyse sales calls and generate recommendations. This not only saves time note taking, but also provides an opportunity for representatives and managers to listen back and improve selling technique through conversation analysis.
In the newly permanent system of hybrid working using conversation intelligence can be particularly helpful for training purposes. Whilst hybrid working, all businesses experience manager face time constraints, reduced visibility of seller activity and restructured work environments that makes coaching and training increasingly difficult. With 47% of all sales managers admitting to spending less than 30 minutes per week coaching their representatives during hybrid working, implementing a tech-enabled training system will allow for formal training to continue outside of the office.
Sales automation
The complexity of the sales process often means representatives are left juggling different notes, data, and contacts manually. Automating the sales process removes these time-consuming tasks by introducing software, AI and digital tools.
Having an automated system in place speeds up the sales process by collating all data from representatives and completing sales in an efficient way that removes any space for human error. But it doesn’t only make sales representatives more effective, it also makes businesses more profitable. Impressively, 61% of businesses using automation exceeded their revenue targets in 2020.
For businesses wanting to grow their sales team, establishing a tech stack should be the starting point for all sales leaders. Seeking advice from the SalesWorks team provides businesses with unparalleled guidance into how to elevate the sales process through implementing various technologies and tools to speed up the sales funnel.
About the Author
Shabri Lakhani, CEO of SalesWorks. Sales development advisory providing strategy, structure and insight into the B2B software and software-enabled services space, focusing on two key areas – inside sales and sales development. SalesWorks is a sales development advisory providing strategy, structure and insight into the B2B software and software-enabled services space. We specialise in Inside Sales and Sales Development using our unique 4S Methodology; our systemised approach to creating the perfect sales environment.
Featured image: ©Ipoba
