B2B sales can be a high-pressure, demanding job. Major contracts can sometimes hinge on quick response times and immediate action. That’s why you want to ensure that you equip your sales force with the absolutely best tools possible to land the biggest clients and make the biggest sales.
Thankfully, technology has made this easier than ever before. Modern tech offers a wide range of tools to help your sales team deliver their very best work. Here are some smart tech choices for your B2B sales team.
1. Cloud Computing
There was a time when cloud computing was considered less safe or secure than dedicated servers. Not true anymore. Not only is cloud computing vastly more convenient to use, but most cloud services have dedicated 24/7 security departments to constantly monitor for any types of data breaches.
Cloud computing not only allows your sales team to access data anywhere in the world from any device, but it also keeps all of your most sensitive proprietary information safe and secure.
2. IoT
The Internet of Things – or IoT – is poised to offer an almost unprecedented sales tool to B2B marketers. Connected tech does far more than just simply make it easier than ever for users to use new tech. It allows manufacturers to gain an almost unlimited amount of intel on how products are being used and even what kind of condition they are in.
Imagine a copier being able to send an alert to the manufacturer when it needs servicing. A salesperson can call the client to let them know and discuss potential upgrade options at the same time. This technology will only help boost sales, however, if you find a way to integrate product feedback with sales.
3. Automation
Big clients generally expect big perks like having a dedicated salesperson available to meet their needs 24/7. In addition, landing big clients often requires giving them a level of personalized attention that they often expect to continue once a contract has been finalized.
Unfortunately, some of the best salespeople are often managing several big clients at the same time. Automation can help busy salespeople make big clients feel like they are their only clients. From sending automated e-mails on birthdays or big anniversaries to sending out weekly updates, automation can ensure that you are never “out of sight, out of mind” with your biggest clients.
4. AI
Between the web and the IoT, more data is available than ever before on just about everything. Collecting data is one thing, but sorting that data into meaningful intel is a whole other issue. This is where AI comes in.
Artificial intelligence can actually analyze data to provide helpful and useful information for your B2B sales staff. For instance, AI can gather data from a wide variety of sources on the web that all point to a public offering about to be made or even a business unhappy with its current suppliers. AI can keep tabs on a far broader range of news sources from around the world than any one individual will ever be able to.
To Wrap-Up
One of the main components of almost all types of sales is getting to know the needs of the client or consumer. Knowing their needs gives you the best shot at being able to meet their needs, which in turn results in a sale.
While some may feel that technology actually inhibits the process of building personal relationships, it doesn’t have to. In fact, technology can help build better and stronger personal relationships by providing far more detailed information about clients than was previously available in a fraction of the time that it used to take to gather.
