Leveraging Real-Time Web Collaboration to Improve Your Sales Process

Collaborative Strategies
Leveraging
Real-Time Web
Collaboration to
Improve Your
Sales Process
By Robert Sayle Dir. Advisory Services Collaborative Strategies
Table of Contents
2 Introduction 2 The Sales Challenge 4 The Value Proposition 5 What to Look for in a Real-
Time Web Collaboration Solution 7 Conclusion
Leveraging Real-Time Web Collaboration to Improve Your Sales Process Collaborative Strategies
Sales organizations are always looking for ways to boost the performance of Introduction their sales teams by making them more effective in the sales process. Recent advances in Internet infrastructure technology and maturity of technologies supporting collaboration over the Internet have resulted in new methods for sales organizations to interact with their customers, collaborate with sales team members, and develop better visibility into their sales pipeline. Today, sales organizations are increasingly embracing real-time Web collaboration tools or Web Meetings to complement their sales processes because these tools can greatly enhance sales productivity and reduce costs. Sales organizations adopting Web Meetings are experiencing the following benefits: . Sales cycles can be shortened by leveraging the Web to close more deals faster. . Sales teams are able to reach more prospects more often and develop more revenue opportunities with their accounts. . Sales organizations are reducing the costs associated with the sales process (travel, phone, etc.). . Prospects are being engaged more effectively in the sales process by creating a personalized buying experience for them. . Sales teams are able to communicate more effectively with customers and with one another. . Sales teams are able to get more out of their CRM and Sales Force Automation systems. Tailoring real-time Web collaboration to meet the specific requirements of the sales process is creating a new dimension by enabling the sales team to effectively complement their selling processes and close more deals. Sales management quickly realize how Web Meetings, can help them be more productive, help them meet their sales goals, and quickly gain a competitive advantage. Customers also benefit from the reach, convenience, and flexibility of meeting with sales teams, and being fully engaged in the sales process from their own desk. Ineffective and inefficient interactions with customers can lead to extended sales The Sales cycles that result in high sales costs, missed sales quotas, and even lost revenue opportunities by sales teams. These interactions and their limitations are the Challenge root of many of the challenges faced by sales organizations today, which can be broadly categorized under two categories: Lost Revenue Opportunities and High Sales Costs. Lost Revenue Opportunities: . During a telephone conversation with his prospective customer, a sales representative may not know whether his audience is completely engaged. If the customer is not completely engaged, then the customer may not hear key sales messages resulting in ineffective sales calls and lost sales opportunities. . During sales calls, customers often ask questions or request information beyond the expertise of the sales person. In these situations, sales people have little choice but to explain to the prospect they will get back to them
2 Leveraging Real-Time Web Collaboration to Improve Your Sales Process Collaborative Strategies
later with an answer. This creates delays in the sales process and may reflect poorly on the sales person because they don't appear to be responsive to the customer's needs and can result in lost sales opportunities. . Sales managers must often rely on brief, verbal summaries of account activity from their sales teams when updating their sales pipeline and forecasts that get rolled up into a corporate sales number. The lack of detailed sales call information, such as what customers the sales team is meeting with, how often they are meeting with them, and what topics are being discussed, limits the sales manager's visibility and insights on the level of activity taking place with target customers. This type of information is necessary when validating the accuracy of forecast information and prioritizing sales activities with high potential ... [download for more]