Benefits of sales force automation
Now that we’ve discussed the overarching advantage of sales force automation (read: time savings), let’s move on to talk about the other benefits that sales force automation brings to the table as well.
Managing and qualifying leads
With sales force automation, sales reps won’t need to manually pull lead information from different sources, collate them, then get in touch with them.
Sales automation software does all the heavy lifting, including extracting leads from your various campaigns and touch points, scoring and qualifying said leads, and even telling your reps which leads should be contacted immediately, and which are the ones who can wait. Sounds like a dream come true, huh?
Upselling and cross-selling
After successfully closing a customer, many sales reps quickly move on to their next lead without a second thought. But here’s what these reps don’t realize: this means they’ll miss out on all the upselling and cross-selling opportunities that they might have with that first customer.
Luckily, sales force automation software will automatically track and record your customer’s entire order history, so that you identify possible upselling and cross-selling opportunities with a single glance. On top of this, you can also program your software to flag out when your customers are likely to make a repurchase, and trigger a reminder for you to follow up with them when it’s time.
If you play your cards right, your customers will end up purchasing from you repeatedly, and this means their Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) will add up to much more than their initial purchase. Keep that in mind!
More streamlined support
On top of being able to access all your leads via a single dashboard, sales force automation also allows you to have a centralized database where you can keep track of your customer’s accounts. This enables you to provide your customers with better and more effective support.
Say your customer calls in and requests for help on a certain issue. What happens if the issue is resolved temporarily, but the customer encounters the same problem further down the road?
Without a centralized tracking system, your customer will be forced to recount the details of their problem again, which is a waste of both your customer and the company’s time. With sales force automation software, on the other hand, your support staff can easily log in and browse through the notes or latest updates attached to this customer’s account. They’ll be able to pinpoint the customer’s problem and help them resolve it quickly and effectively; this translates to a win for both parties.
Forecasting sales
Strategy-wise, sales force automation software comes equipped with features that enable you to analyze customer behaviors and market sentiment. These software help you to understand past and current sales trends more intimately, which in turn allows you to come up with an accurate sales forecast.
With an accurate, precise sales forecast that you can rely on, you’ll be able to map out your marketing campaigns and strategies more effectively. If your company holds physical inventory, you can also use your sales forecast to fine-tune your reordering time and quantity.
Generating reports and analytics
Last but not least, sales force automation software is a godsend for team leaders or business owners who look at analytics or reports on a regular basis. With sales force automation software, generating these analytics can be done with a click of a button. You’ll spend less time putting the numbers together, and more time identifying the challenges and opportunities that your team is facing.