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Sales Process Improvements: Keeping Marketing Separate from Sales

By Steve Stroz on Feb 6, 2019 3:30:00 PM

Sales Process Improvement

There's no doubt that marketing plays an integral role in the sales process. Moreover, we encourage businesses to align their sales and marketing processes for optimal results. What we don't condone, however, is when businesses rely on one department for both marketing and sales.

Marketing isn't selling, no matter how promotional your tone is. There's always going to be a difference between marketing your product and converting leads with your sales team.

A recent Chicago Tribune article talks about the division between marketing and sales. According to the article, marketers often try to get involved in the sales process, and businesses should prevent that from happening:

"Unfortunately, somewhere along the small- to medium-size business path, salespeople and executive leadership have been led to believe marketing is selling. Maybe this fallacy is the result of marketing firms who attempt to justify their high prices or possibly a lack of understanding the regarding the sales process along with the word sales."

Neither your sales nor your marketing process will be efficient if the two departments overlap. If marketers try to take on the role of sales representatives, then they won't be paying enough attention to the marketing campaign.

Rather than blending the two departments together, your goal should be to keep them separate and aligned. Your marketing and sales teams should work together to provide an optimal customer experience.

Implementing sales software is one way to keep your marketing and sales teams aligned. By collecting customer data, your marketing team can create an effective campaign for your target audience and your sales representatives will understand the customer experience you're offering.

The first thing we suggest to small business owners is to keep their sales and marketing teams separate. To talk more about implementing sales process improvements in your business, or anything else, contact us today.

Topics: Marketing Sales
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Enhancing Your Sales Software Utilization

By Steve Stroz on Sep 13, 2018 3:00:00 PM

Having the best tool at your disposal is critical in this fast-paced ultra-competitive environment. It seems every business is feverishly looking for an edge on the competition. Finding, implementing and fully integrating a tool that can be a sustainable competitive advantage is difficult but well worth the effort since it can be the difference between atrophy and growth. Utilizing superior sales tracking software will help your staff close more sales and be more productive. . .a sustainable competitive advantage that can't be beat. Once you've found that superior sales software that fits your business, the next step is establishing best practices that will optimize usage and performance.

Developing best practices around efficient processes is essential. Having a tool that is intuitive, therefore, is paramount. One great way of uncovering efficient processes is to have staff members conduct friendly competitions using different methodologies for the same task. Also, you could have multiple teams collaborate and compete to see which team can come up with the most efficient and/or quality results for a given task.

Once efficient best practices have been established it is important to insist on consistency. This ensures quality control but also enhances productivity. If there is a steady stream of turnover in the sales staff this also allows for smooth transitions when there is new personnel coming on board. It also gives the training department or mentors the opportunity to teach new members best practices quickly. Finally, this strategy makes it possible for staff to cover for each other in case someone is temporarily out of the office (ill, doctor appointment, etc.) or you decide to permanently rearrange sales teams.

Last but not least is the importance of repetition. The old saying "practice makes perfect" is not accurate. What is correct is "PERFECT practice makes perfect." Having staff members repeat these sales tracking software best practices consistently during every single interaction will help them achieve proficiency. Balancing the art and science of sales can be tricky, so allowing sales staff to incorporate their own style into the mix is critical for employee satisfaction and performance. Having the right tool will make it much more likely that they will actually use the tool and best practices.

One of the main things sales staff will complain about is their sales tracking software. Equipping them with a superior tool will improve employee morale and performance. Once equipped with a superior tool, it becomes so much easier and more enjoyable to collaboratively develop best practices as a team. If you're looking for a superior tool to build best practices around, please contact us; we have what your sales staff wants.

For any questions on CRM software or anything else, contact us. Thanks.

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Can ACT! Software Make Your Work Day Easier?

By Steve Stroz on Sep 6, 2018 3:00:00 PM

An issue that many businesses face is how they can improve and grow. Businesses want to build relationships that will become profitable in the future. Communication is also a hurdle that some businesses have to figure out. Businesses and teams want to be able to manage their communications and enhance efficiency.

ACT! software can be used to help business owners and the employees increase their effectiveness. Their effectiveness can be improved by easily managing the contacts and all of the various relationships more easily. As a business owner or an employee, you will be reminded of any incomplete tasks and follow-ups with customers.

Your database can be organized with different keywords and categories that will make your client search much easier. You can complete your clientele search in a few seconds.

Why Should You Consider Purchasing ACT! Software?

Sales

ACT! software will help you keep track and manage all of your sales. You can focus your efforts and time on the best deals. As a result, you can shorten all of the sales cycles, while lowering the cost of selling.

Users can access details about all of their contacts from one interface.

As a result, you have time to focus on growing your business. You no longer have to waste time searching for information that should be readily available.

Contact management software should not be confusing.

ACT! software is not a difficult tool to implement. It is an intuitive application, and all users can easily get started with little trouble.

Your work day can be managed much more efficiently and effectively.

All of your managing tools, such as calenders and schedulers will help everyone stay organizing throughout the busy work day.

ACT! Software Is Cost-Friendly

Many database or customer management software want you to pay monthly or per use. When you implement ACT! software, you will only pay for the software one time. You will then own it, that is until you decide to upgrade your software.

If you are a business owner looking for a cost-effective customer relationship management software that allows you to record all of the customer's information, track all of the communication, and manage sales and marketing ACT! is waiting for you. Contact us for more information.
Topics: ACT! Sales
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