It wouldn’t be Halloween without a little scare or trickery—but I can assure you that an inefficient Sales team is no treat for your organization. When Sales teams aren’t performing optimally, the entire organization can feel it. Not only from a monetary perspective, but from a brand integrity and customer experience perspective as well.
Here are 6 facts to help you avoid any scary pitfalls and better prepare you for change in 2018:
44% of Sales give up after one follow-up with prospective customers – IBM
Rejection is never easy no matter how you spin it and sometimes Sales may think that certain leads aren’t worth the relentless chase. But let’s put this into perspective. Eighty percent of prospective customers say “no” four times before they say “yes.” In comparison, 92% of Sales give up after four “no’s.” This means that the fifth time is the charm and Sales needs to expect, accept, and embrace the no to be successful.
57% of Sales spend up to one hour per day on data entry – HubSpot
While advances in technology have produced new tools to improve sales results, reps are wasting a lot of time on activities that don’t lead directly to new deals. Forty percent cited that manual data entry and lack of integration with other tools are their biggest challenges in using their existing CRM. With consumer buying habits quickly evolving, Sales can only succeed by having the right processes, technologies, and training in place to do their job correctly and efficiently.
Only 22% achieve Sales quotas without Mobile CRM – IBM
Another issue that Sales faces when utilizing a CRM is if it can be accessed remotely via mobile devices. Sales reps are constantly on the road and in client meetings—their technology applications need to meet them where they spend the most of their time. With a staggering 65% of Sales achieving quotas with Mobile CRM, the proof is in the dollar.
Word-of-mouth, customer referrals, and vendor-authored articles are typically the most reliable sources of information for decision-makers. That’s why marketers need to equip their Sales teams with helpful insights that buyers can’t receive anywhere else. By positioning Sales as a trusted adviser and thought leader, they can make the best impression possible when they finally connect with a buyer.
7% of Sales responds to a prospective buyer after a form submission on their website – HubSpot
What’s even more alarming than that, however, is that more than half of Sales don’t respond to prospective customers within five business days. Imagine how that would make you feel. You visit a website, interested in learning more about a product or reading a specific piece of content, and no one from that organization follows up with you—even if it’s just to help answer any questions you may have or let you know they’re there if you need them. How impersonal is that? It’d certainly leave me with a bad impression of an organization.
40% of companies have either “moderately” or “fully” integrated their marketing and sales automation systems – Curata
Marketing tech stacks are becoming more important as teams pull together multiple resources to deliver relevant, personalized marketing assets to their audiences. Now is the time to start thinking about what tools are currently missing from your marketing and sales automation efforts so you can start the new year on the right foot.
Inefficient Sales teams can be a scary thing, but let’s not forget that this isn’t an attack on Sales. For them to perform at their best, they need support and resources from other parts of the organization. This includes support from product teams, marketing, compliance, IT, and many other departments. Take the time to think about how you can optimize any tools or resources you already have and how you can expand upon them to make more efficient processes. Your Sales teams will thank you.
