Sales management in practice positively affects everyone involved in the sales cycle.
The more mature your sales process is, the more the manager adapts and improves it over time, the more likely your team will achieve top performance.
In the same way that we’ve outlined the three aspects of sales management, there are three key stakeholders involved with the sales management process: the sales manager, salesperson, and customer.
Sales Manager
A sales manage is someone who directs an organization’s sales team, oversees its processes, and is typically in charge of talent development and leadership.
Clarity and scope is essential to sale managements, as they typically need to oversees planning and execution of company wide targets. Having an effective management process will allow them to drive their company forward. They’ll have a clearer vision of where they stand amongst their competition and know how to stay ahead of the competition.
Salesperson
A salesperson represents their company and is in direct contact with potential customers whether in person or over the phone or solely online.
Sales is tough; to succeed you need to be able to engage your current base while also expanding your reach. Like the sales manager, scope and clarity via effective sales management boosts confidence and will give the salesperson better visibility of their work.
Customer
The customer will inevitably have a better experience and be more inclined to benefit from your company and purchase your product or services with an effective sales management process. They may even spread the word.
With all of these parts working well together, a company can set themselves up for success, especially against their competitors.
Use Technology Tools to Manage Customer Relationships (CRM)
To provide a clear view of your sales management process, you need a well-managed sales funnel.
A sales funnel provides a clear view of the opportunities available to a sales team, accurately showing the revenue the team is going to make in the months ahead.
While some people initially opt for excel spreadsheets and sticky notes, any documentation is a great start, a CRM, or customer relationship management, tool will allow you to get an overview of your current assets and pinpoint key determinants of your company’s future success.
Incorporating technology in your sales strategy will ensure you maximize profits and ensure that no deal falls through the cracks.
Cloud-based CRMs in particular are great for helping your team increase its collaboration. There are tons of popular CRMs out there, but choosing a CRM is challenging.
Because there are so many options, before purchasing any CRM tool you would need to answer the following questions to make the most suitable choice for your unique team:
- Is it easy to learn and use?
- How can I customize it to fit my needs?
- Are there cross-platform integrations?
- Will it notify me when I need to take action?
- Does it offer accurate sales reporting?
- Is it mobile friendly? Can I access it from anywhere?
Tips and Tricks
Your sales process should be simple and save you time, not take up more of it.
The more time you put in, the more you should get out.
For example:
The more deals you’re able to drive through your pipeline, the bigger these deals are, the higher the chance of closing, and the less time it takes to get a customer means the bigger your revenue (and profit).
For busy salespeople, apps such as Evernote, Any.do, Audible, Downcast, e-readers, Pocket, CRMs, Scanner Pro, Calendars 5 and Waze will help ease the process of managing your deals.
Also, sales managers can work with a content team to develop content marketing material, or articles that build value around their product or service. to make it easier for the salespeople to sell.
After all, selling is an ongoing process: most people don’t buy right away.
In the same way trials or testers are used to make products more attainable, content can help customers become familiar with your services, especially if it solves a highly relevant problem.
It’s best to have a content team working within the company. The reason for this is that the more intimate they are with the product, the better than can bring insight to potential customers.
Great content is more likely to move consumers along the sales cycle than a salesperson alone would. In fact, great content is what often makes the introduction to potential buyers.