Many of today’s leading global companies focus intensely on sustainable growth strategies and revenue creation. In parallel, smaller companies often aim to break into target markets with innovative and competitive offerings to enable further investment cycles (and thus facilitating growth).
However, what all businesses have in common is the need to continually boost sales in order to grab more market share and achieve brand recognition.
Driving Sales Performance
The complexity of modern business processes and the growing sophistication of consumer demand has become irreversibly connected with advanced sales tools. These tools are utilized by sales managers and their teams to grow sales and increase overall performance.
Because sales tools are grounded in data gathering, management and (big) data analytics, they hold great potential to define and anticipate consumer trends and behavior. This information can then be used by skilled sales managers and marketers to generate sales and secure revenue.
Sales Tools for Entrepreneurs
There’s a wide range of sales tools on the market, but a couple stand out for their ease of use and rich functionality.
Some of the core sales tools that are known to be entrepreneur-friendly include: TinderBox (sales proposals), Datanyze (sales intelligence and lead generation), Rapportive (smart email and CRM), Sparta (sales acceleration) and, of course, the dominant professional network, LinkedIn (networking and lead generation).
With the exception of LinkedIn, all of the above mentioned solutions are available for both Windows and Mac desktops, as well as for mobile users. LinkedIn is also mobile-ready, but doesn’t offer a desktop option since it’s entirely web-based.
Keep in mind, all of these sales tools have certain strengths and weaknesses. So, thoroughly assess your sales strategy before you purchase a tool to help you implement it.
Maximize Sales Impact
By leveraging consumer data and preferences and then turning them into viable trends, profiles and sales strategies, sales tools that include CRM and various loyalty solutions have the potential to generate a 2.5% increase in sales and a 5.5% increase in profits.
However, in order to effectively implement a new sales tool, a company wide effort is required. Ultimately, it requires interdependence and harmony to successfully grow sales. Because sales people shouldn’t operate in a silo, many sales tools offer useful features to improve interdepartmental communication.
A sales tool should help you lead by example, educate and motivate your team by creating clear milestones, but also by stimulating social networking and prospecting.
Also, bear in mind that you cannot use tools to fix fundamental sales issues – they can only help you sell more efficiently once you’ve defined a feasible sales approach.
Driving sales is a prevailing business goal, however sales tools cannot automatically generate results. As is the case in any industry, tools have very limited impact on output without skilled people to use them.
This article has been edited and condensed.
Anne Sampson is a freelance business consultant, teaching associate, tech and e-learning enthusiast. She is passionate about innovations and technologies that enrich and inspire business and self growth process. When not too busy, she enjoys traveling, hiking and photography. Connect with @edXOnline on Twitter.
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