Managers should be aware that the existent -traditional- sales tools are wearing up. It is time to change it and implement advanced and innovative sales methods.
In this era of digital, cloud and mobility, sales people yearn to more autonomy, and are becoming as demanding as customers. Hence, it is the role of the company to give them business-oriented tools that enable them to reach a combination of autonomy and operational efficiency guaranteeing that they have the right information at the right time so they can answer customers precisely and correctly.
Here are the important points to consider in order to achieve a prosperous sales with no risk.
1-Having visibility over the customers’ solvency
The Sales operation is a consent between a buyer who is looking for a product to fit his need, and a seller ready to satisfy him.
The first studies the product value (price-quality ratio), associated services, payment terms, etc.
Effectively, to manage and predict risks, sellers should study the transaction “state of health” by checking the customer solvency. Before any sales engagement, it is important to verify the transactions history, with a visibility on the order and payment status.
Based on such information, the sales man can have an equipped decision over this sales transaction: possibility of placing the order or not, payment terms negotiation (grant payment facilities, or limit it), etc.
The visibility over such data at the time of order-placing reinforces the sales man position and allows him to establish a solid and strong relation with the customer. Furthermore, this reduces the risks caused by uncertainty and improvisation, with the chance to take better decisions.
2-Getting a good price .. Easy to say!
This is not as evident as it seems to be.
In fact, with a large number of customers divided into several categories (wholesalers , retailers, individuals, etc), different tax amounts, discounts and promotions associated to each customer, added to other rational and operational factors, calculating the order amount can be a real struggle, although its importance in closing the deal, and that they don’t have much room for flexibility and decision making.
For that, it is necessary that sales representatives have tools that combines all these parameters by integrating all possible advanced scenarios (promotions/promotions by customer category / tax by product by customer category/ customer and products categories by profit margin) with a real-time access to the latest updates.
3- Mobile CRM: Easy to access customer information
Either prospecting or selling, sales people need to have all the details about the customer, from contact details to visits, previous orders, Ordered products, etc.
Such information represents a mobile CRM that creates and evokes stimulating discussions with a customer/prospect, and to clearly define the approach and visit objectives. This will make the discussion stronger and more achievement-oriented.
In case of shifts or team change, the traced information and actions ensure the continuity of the operations.
4-Centralized Data
Customer meetings and demands, Negotiations, Deals turns down, long distances , all of these are bearable for sales people comparing to orders entry, dashboards tracking and paperwork tasks.
In today’s business, mobile devices and cloud sales solutions are more and more used regarding their effectiveness, time efficiency and flexibility.
Actually, the role of a sales rep does not stop at the “order-taking” phase. There is a lot of data entry and dual entry that should be done later to backup the information in the company’s Information System. This missing link between the front office (mobile sales team) and the back office (administration, managers, etc) represents a gap in the process. Eventually, it is the Integration.
This urges businesses to go over these solutions, and consider how such app would be integrated within their existent environment and future innovations. It is mandatory to merge the integration strategy with a modern, advanced and flexible IT Architecture
5-Mobile team organization
Sitting in the office behind screens displaying the geographical positions of each sales rep, and receiving real-time notification for every action carried in the field, is the ultimate dream for every business owner.
Luckily, nowadays this dream has come true thanks to new business solutions which offers to managers, apart from the digital & mobile front office solution, a digitized back-office giving them the ability to receive timely data from the field team and interact with them. This makes the team management easier, increases the quickness and relevance of decisions.
Valomnia for fields order-taking
Valomnia is a cloud solution dedicated to field sales, and comes with advanced and mouldable features to best suit any sales process. From the visits planning, purchase orders generation, customers’ signatures, operations management, Valomnia offers the possibility to organize and manage field sales teams while keeping track of all the operations. With a customer-focused team, the solution is under a constant development to perfectly meet the latest requirements.
As an internationally oriented company, Valomnia has developed several references in UK, Belgium, Australia, USA and France since its creation in 2010.
Valomnia products come with the needed flexibility and functionality allowing it to embrace European problems as well as to adapt to the emerging countries specificities.
