Eleven tools for becoming SalesPerson 2.0! – Second part

Here are the rest of the 11 tools for becoming SalesPerson 2.0. To access the first part of the article, click here

6 – Interactive Email Signatures

Whatever the case, email remains a core tool. So it is important to take advantage of it to offer a professional image of your company and also to display promotional information, advertising, etc.
Using state of the art tools, you can display ads in the signatures used by all of your staff!

Tools available: wisestamp

Tip #1:Forward your promotional information, white papers… via custom email signatures. Also ask your after-sales service technicians, office staff…

Tip #2: Produce different signature models for different kinds of contacts (e.g. distributors, prospective customers) and for different events (trade shows, webinars, promotional campaigns, etc.).

7 – Chat

Chat complements the other communication channels. You can use Chat for support or during pre-sales contacts.
To do this, you can install a Chat feature on your website, on your landing pages…

Tools available: IAdvize or Zopim

Tip #1: Use triggers to automatically start the Chat based on the pages viewed by your prospects, after spending a period of time browsing the website… In the same way, save time with pre-set messages to avoid having to retype everything.

Tip #2: Always prepare a “bonus” to encourage people to leave you their contact information (e.g. a purchasing guide, self-diagnostics, specifications, etc.), so that you can have a salesperson remind them once their contact information is filled-in.

 

8 – Collaborative Project Management

A salesperson working on their own has no future… Thanks to stiffer competition, the need to react quickly… team work is essential. In this context, a collaborative project management tool becomes a must, especially as technologies have changed and become widely available, even able to eliminate plenty of email messages thanks to centralising exchanges, files… in conversation format.

Tools available: Slack.com, CRMs (Chatter by Salesforce, etc.), Asana.com…

Tip #1: Offer your prospects and customers the ability to be part of a project right from the start of your collaboration. This positions you as a “solution provider” and not a product seller.

Tip #2: Add projects on competitors, reasons for purchasing or not purchasing… to share commercial knowledge within the company.

 

9 – Video Conferencing

A face-to-face meeting most often makes all the difference, showing involvement and motivation. Yet it may be important to start off the sales relationship using video conferencing tools to save time.

Tools available: Join.me, GotoMeeting.com, Webex.com…

Tip #1: Switch on your webcam so that you can be seen in person and show emotion as well as your voice over the phone.

Tip #2: Record your presentations both to make them available to your customers and also to retain information on the project, online.

10 – Marketing Automation

A salesperson cannot always be sitting behind their PC to follow-up prospects and customers. This is why it is important to set up a marketing automation solution to maintain a commercial relationship over time, without any human intervention. For example, by setting up a sequence of email messages that will be sent to all new prospects after downloading a white book, after a request for documentation…

Tools available: Mailchimp, Aweber, Webmecanik, your own CRM…

Tip #1: Don’t forget to add a human touch to your email to avoid sounding too “robotic” (vary the senders, add your photograph to the signatures…).

Tip #2: Schedule messages over many months with numerous messages early on, then messages less and less often.

Tip #3: Include some behavioural segmenting for prospects based on click history, items opened… to concentrate your efforts on prospects that offer a high potential.

 

11 – Anti-interruption Tools

SalesPerson 2.0’s number-one enemy is the risk of giving in to immediate pressures and continual distraction
It is essential to avoid dispersion on social media and jump on every newly received email…
In this context, it is important to structure your work days and concentrate on priorities.

Tools available: GetColdTurkey, your CRM with task management and a portfolio of ongoing projects, task management tools (Trello.com, etc.).

Tip #1: Every morning, start with priority tasks and don’t read your emails.

Tip #2: Work in “bursts” on tasks and avoid distractions (email notifications…) until your work is done.

 

What of SalesPerson 3.0?

If SalesPerson 2.0 is already with us, SalesPerson 3.0 is already on the way in some companies…

Over the coming years, a salesperson’s job will continue to evolve with both more automation but also more relationship work.

Already, we can see:

• Business cards disappearing, replaced by LinkedIn et Viadeo.
• “Predictive” tools becoming available to guide a salesperson towards contacts that offer the best sales opportunities. Once again, Sparklane for Sales (link to: www.sparklane.fr) is a trailblazing example.
• “Gaming” sales tools, to make them more entertaining and easier to use. The aim will be to move closer to the world of video games, in a business context.
• Transforming a “salesperson” into a “sales consultant”, who will be there to offer solutions more than just selling a product
• …

 

So get ready, the Sales Revolution is only just beginning!