Once you’ve decided to use a sales follow-up system, you next want to think about how to pick the right sales follow-up system. There are a variety of systems out there depending on the specific needs of your company. We will address a couple of those in this article, but no matter the system you select, you must be sure that the system meets these following criteria:
- Is the system simple?
- Is the system web-based?
- Does the system provide training videos?
First, let’s address simplicity. One of the attractive features of using a sales follow-up system is the ability to work with a number of users in a variety of locations. That means if you are using non-technical employees to sift through leads, the system needs to be simple enough for them to use without a very long learning curve. It also needs to be useful for members of your staff who are strong in sales and lead conversion, but who may not be particularly strong in working in software systems.
This ties in to the second need of all sales automation systems: Is it a web-based systems. As companies are spreading out to include more and more subcontractors and outsourcing, using a web-based system becomes increasingly important. Managers need to be able to see what is going on right away rather than waiting for an email or phone call to update them on the progress of individuals on the team.
Another advantage of using a web-based system is it eliminates the need to spend the money on transferring a large set of files and networks each time your company changes computers or computer systems. By using a web-based application your sales force has real time access to leads in the pipeline. They can access these features from their desk or even a phone with internet access. Consider the amount of time they will save and the man hours that are reduced by empowering your employees to follow-up on leads anytime, anywhere.
And all of this is possible because of easy to understand training videos. Make sure that any sales follow-up software you have offers you access to training videos. This on-demand education system allows management to have the tools necessary to train staff on the software without taking valuable company time. Furthermore, these videos remain available if someone runs in to a problem later. Instead of shutting down entire departments with lengthy training, the sales force can learn during off hours from their desk, phone, or even at home.
While these are the minimum features you’d want to have with any sales automation system, you should also consider other tools that will help make your company even more efficient. These could include reports, real-time reporting of progress in the pipeline, deals in progress, and other features. See if there is a particular price-point that is getting the best results. If so, you can communicate that to your team and adjust your sales strategy to accommodate the new information.
Sales follow-up software is a tool that is increasing the productivity of companies by using the easy access of web-based systems and user friendly programs for business growth.