What Sales Technology Really Works?

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  ptiseo01/07/08 Report as spam
  1

  Useful To Whom?

  Or, more particularly, useful for what end-goal?
  
  The salesman, the sales manager, the CEO? I'm sure they'd all have a different take on it...
  
  Your question is too open-ended for the results to be meaningful.
  
  - alphadogg (a.k.a. your nightmare. )

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  mltt01/07/08 Report as spam
  2

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  Electronic Mail
  Customer Relationship Management
  Web Conferencing
  Cellular Telephone
  Instant Messaging

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  mltt01/07/08 Report as spam
  3

  Assumption...

  ...was that was was most useful in closing the sale. Period.

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  Kin Sang01/07/08 Report as spam
  4

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  I don't understand the question, other than CRM, four of the five technologies were not created for "Sales", sales people simply use them like any other tool, such as a computer.
  
  KS

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  Geoffrey James, Sales Machine01/07/08 Report as spam
  5

  Thanks!

  I edited the question to clarify. Thanks for pointing out the ambiguity.

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  ptiseo01/07/08 Report as spam
  6

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  Assuming it means for salespeople trying to make a sale:
  - cellphone (Talk to your prospect!)
  - email (Helps answering a prospect's questions without having to be "on" all the time.)
  - CRM (Manage your activities, keep track of tasks, follow-ups requested by prospects, etc.)
  - web conferencing (Only some companies would need to "show off" something real-time on the web. And, most of the time, it's PP presentations that bore the crap out of people. Easy to do wrong, in fact, and very "one-way".)
  - IM (IMO, IM is too "real-time" for sales.)
  
  - alphadogg

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  BrandonH01/07/08 Report as spam
  7

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  1. Customer Relationship Management
  2. Cellular Telephone
  3. Electronic Mail
  4. Web Conferencing
  5. Instant Messaging
  
  To be a professional in sales, you've got to have a system for staying on top of your prospects, customers, and commitments to both. That's why CRM is #1 (I can't fathom using manila folders to stay organized these days). Being instantly available puts cell phones at #2. Email, given the list, falls at #3, though I don't know how people live without it. Web Conferencing and Instant Messaging I would say are tied for last on this list.

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  20801088501/08/08 Report as spam
  8

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  Sales 101 - BUILD relationship with customer. This is not done with CRM software but actually communicating directly with the customers. Without the ability to build relationships, the data from CRM does no good.
  
  Cellular Telephone
  Electronic Mail
  Customer Relationship Management
  Web Conferencing
  Instant Messaging

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  ivanjay01/08/08 Report as spam
  9

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  Cellular Telephone
  
  Electronic Mail
  
  Web Conferencing
  
  Instant Messaging
  
  Customer Relationship Management
  
  In reality, I find that web conferencing, CRM, and instant messaging are equally not useful in makign sales. CRM software is complicated for non-IT sales people and they dont keep it up to date. Just like any technology, if you dont do the work it isnt useful. I have found a simple spreadsheet to be much more effective.
  
  Teleconferencing does aid our business though, so I would rather replace web conferencing with teleconferencing.

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  kmw801/08/08 Report as spam
  10

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  Electronic Mail
  Cellular Telephone
  Customer Relationship Management
  Instant Messaging
  Web Conferencing
  
  As a business developer for a marketing firm I find the above to be the order I personally find the tools useful. CRM systems come in all shapes and sizes and I think that area is RIPE for change. Like the ERP-era - these systems are now 'over complexifying' CRM - instead of following the K.I.S.S. rule.
  
  I also personally do not use instant messenger for business purposes. I find it too unemotional in the sense people don't "get" what you are implying. And often you don't filter your words like you would re-reading an email. Phone, in-person or email is it - and printed hardcopies for the contract negotiation phase.
  
  Web technology has come a long way. Web conferences can be helpful but more so when you are demonstrating software in my opinion. I find otherwise you need to get in front of them, in person, if you really want to land the business. Web conferencing to me is more an operational tool -great once you get the business. The only add i have to this is webinars. For some industries it can land business - but not all. But those are primarily designed and lead by Marketers - who recruit salesmen to participate.
  
  Overall I think email, a good spreadsheet, and lots of work wins business. The unfortunate part about "off-line" systems is that the business can't see what is on my hard drive. What is good about offline systems - is they are easy to maintain and are "always on" - not requiring a connection to the internet! Goods and bads of CRM.

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  cjsamuels01/08/08 Report as spam
  11

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  1. Customer Relationship Management ??? if it doesn't enhance this aspect, then why bother. All the rest are bells & whistles. But..
  
  2. Web Conferencing ??? becomes very important if #1 is present and accounted for. People in sales as well as those being sold to want to make it easy on each other: With office-to-office cameras, IM and skype-type communication, then sharing, easily (Webex is about as easy as it gets and it is constantly breaking down), becomes what makes "distance sales, learning, conferring" or sharing such an important part of my business day. I can actually be in the office of 1-2 clients per day for 10-20 minutes, show them something or have them show me and then be on to my next task or work up a prompt response in a few hours. This is critical, but it means nothing without customer relationship management tools that work.

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  cjsamuels01/08/08 Report as spam
  12

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  1. Customer Relationship Management ? if it doesn't enhance this aspect, then why bother. All the rest are bells & whistles. But..
  
  2. Web Conferencing ? becomes very important if #1 is present and accounted for. People in sales as well as those being sold to want to make it easy on each other: With office-to-office cameras, IM and skype-type communication, then sharing, easily (Webex is about as easy as it gets and it is constantly breaking down), becomes what makes "distance sales, learning, conferring" or sharing such an important part of my business day. I can actually be in the office of 1-2 clients per day for 10-20 minutes, show them something or have them show me and then be on to my next task or work up a prompt response in a few hours. This is critical, but it means nothing without customer relationship management tools that work.

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  Robertgatkins01/08/08 Report as spam
  13

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  This is one of the worst efforts at channel research I have ever seen--and I have seen quite a few. I should also say, I do not sell any sales systems or technology.
  
  First, the list is jumble of basic infrastructure--without which you could not survive as a person or business person (email) and sales systems or tools (CRM, web conferencing). It is like asking whether oxygen is more important than CRM--sure but all living sales people have plenty of it.
  
  Second, the value of these tools and systems varies depending on the type of sale you do. Efficient telesales, for example, typically requires tools like automatic dialers, scripts, and instant access to customer data that are irrelevant when selling to the CEO of Exxon.
  
  That said, I am sure much of the money spent on sales systems is wasted. Certainly whatever they spend on your advice is wasted.

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  Geoffrey James, Sales Machine01/08/08 Report as spam
  14

  It's a blog, dude...

  ...not scientific research. Cool your jets.

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  An Expat in France01/09/08 Report as spam
  15

  ...Depends on what your contact prefers.

  These things can be ranked differently depending on the customer's industry, the various levels of your customer contacts (lots of techies prefer IM'ing), geographic proximity (playing phone tag is less convenient if your customer contact is 9 time zones away), etc... My point is that in my group, we all use whatever medium our contacts prefer, and that varies from contact to contact. That's how you build relationships... which is what closes the deal.
  
  As for CRM: For the sales rep - whatever helps you keep your schedule and remember your client's issues and preferences is best. Beyond being an aid to individual sales reps, however, I don't see full-blown CRM applications as a worthwhile investment for any company. CRM is a Sales & Marketing manifestation of GIGO, and consequently, I haven't met a CXO yet who trusts any of the CRM reports or information to be even remotely accurate at any given time.

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  markburnley01/08/08 Report as spam
  16

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  Cellular Telephone
  Electronic Mail
  Customer Relationship Management
  Web Conferencing
  Instant Messaging

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  lahollin01/08/08 Report as spam
  17

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  In higher ed sales:
  
  1) Customer Relationship Management: Making the calls doesn't do any good if you can't keep track of what actions have occurred.
  
  2) Cellular Telephone: Quite simply, no calls = no sales. In education, you're selling an idea instead of a tangible product. You have to verbally paint that picture for the consumer. The product doesn't sell itself.
  
  3) Electronic Mail: Reinforce what you said on the call.
  
  4) Web Conferencing: Slightly effective. Still very difficult to paint a good picture of your product's benefits.
  
  5) Instant Messaging: Poor effectiveness. It removes the emotion from the buying decision and simply becomes an informational exchange.
  
  At the end of the day, sales always has and always will be an emotional decision. Remember the whole "find the pain or pleasure"? Any medium that removes or diminishes that emotional connection with a product is not a good avenue of approach.

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  javaid.a.khan@...01/08/08 Report as spam
  18

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  Electronic Mail
  Cellular Telephone
  Customer Relationship Management
  Instant Messaging
  Web Conferencing

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  SOZZIE01/09/08 Report as spam
  19

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  Electronic Mail
  
  Cellular Telephone
  
  Web Conferencing
  
  Customer Relationship Management
  
  Instant Messaging

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  ptiseo01/09/08 Report as spam
  20

  We Make Great Use Of It

  While a given sales rep can probably get by without a CRM/SFA package, it sure is helpful to a sales manager and to a VP from a measurements POV.
  
  But, it takes some TLC (both in setup and ensuring that agents know hoiw to use it and why it is important) that many managers are not prepared, inclined or capable to give it. (TANSTAAFL!)
  
  In my current organization, we use our SFA to great effect for both accountability, compensation, performance and to create competition between sales agents. Unlike you, we trust the data in it, but it's because we QA it. If there is any garbage-out, we rectify the situation. There's always the carpenter that doesn't take care of his tools and the hammer is a rusty mess, but our "carpenters" take the SFA seriously and do great with it. It frustrates Luddite sales agents, but they usually don't last long anyways if they have no adaptability or inclination to learn.
  
  Admittedly, many of the CRM/SFA packages are "everything-and-the-kitchen-sink" and you use actually use only a portion of it, but that's true of most non-custom-built software. How many people use 100% of Word? Does that make it useless?
  
  - alphadogg

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  MMIIKKEE06/22/08 Report as spam
  21

  RE: What Sales Technology Really Works?

  You can track your sales activities in an Excel sheet.... You DO NOT need a million dollar incomprehensible piece of software like CRM. Unless your management was 'sold' the CRM as the greatest thing since lead in a pencil....
  
  CRM does not contribute to Sales. end of discussion ! (unless you are a CRM salesman)
  
  What does work, Blackberry - it lets you be everywhere at once, a multitasking Sales machine !