5 Ways to Improve Engagement

The sales process can be long and arduous. With many stakeholders involved, it can be difficult to keep everyone on the same page. Things can get lost in translation causing deals to fall through.

There are a variety of steps reps can take to ensure the sales process runs smoothly. Staying organized is among the most important. It ensures that everyone involved will be up to date on the latest information. It establishes consistency of execution in all aspects of the cycle.

This insight will discuss the challenges faced in the sales process and the organizational steps that can be taken to increase the chances that the deal goes through. 

Problems You May Face

Many Stakeholders Involved: Today’s sales cycle typically involves several stakeholders who are brought in for the decision-making process. Keeping everyone on the same page will ensure they are aware of the latest developments. It will speed up the deal and provide executives with the information they need to make educated decisions. 

A Lack of Targeted and Specific Information: In today’s uncertain economic climate, people want targeted and specific information about the products and services they are considering purchasing. They want to know how your product can add value to their business. Without the right organizational tools, they may not have access to this information which can result in the deal falling through.

The Use of ABM Strategies: Account based marketing (ABM) is a digital marketing strategy that is used to create marketing materials tailored to different prospects and client accounts. It involves customizing marketing campaigns directly to a client’s needs. This requires the rep to work with different people in different roles when moving them down the funnel. With so many individuals involved, and a variety of approaches integrated, it’s essential to keep track of all marketing materials that have been dispersed. 

Updating Files and Documents: Documents and files are likely to get updated during the sales cycle. They may be converted to newer file versions or information may get added and deleted. It’s necessary that everyone has the latest version of each file, so they are up to date on what’s going on.

Long Sales Cycles: With sales cycles often lasting for months, it’s possible that the people you were once working with will have changed roles or are no longer with the company. This, along with the sheer busyness decision-makers must deal with, means important documents may go missing. The right organizational system is needed to ensure all documents are easily accessible. 

Lack of Ownership: Sometimes precious days and weeks can go by with no forward movement on a sale simply because people aren’t aware of whose turn it is to review documents, make decisions, etc. An organized system will establish who is responsible for taking the next steps. 

Lack of Execution: Good ideas may be suggested in the sales process, but if they are not executed, they are basically worthless. The right strategies dictate the necessary steps and ensure all tasks are carried out according to plan. 

Solutions to Help

A Centralized Workspace: A centralized workspace will ensure everyone is up to date on the latest activity. It will keep all documents in place, so they are easy to access. It will track each teammate’s responsibilities, so the deal keeps moving forward. 

Workspace Groups and Document Foldering: Creating workspace groups makes it easy to set up chat rooms, host online meetings, and share documents for collaboration. Document foldering allows you to organize your documents in a logical order that is meaningful to your organization making them easy to locate. 

Inline Editing and Document Collaboration: Inline editing and document collaboration allows all workspace members to add their comments and feedback to documents so everyone can stay up to date on the latest developments. 

Controlled Access to Info: While collaboration is great, there may be some information decision makers won’t want shared with everyone. Certain organizational tools will enable users to control access according to the roles and relationships within the company. 

Tasks and Processes to Ensure Visibility: With the right organizational strategies, you will be able to assign tasks and explain processes to ensure everyone knows the steps they need to take moving forward. 

Tracking and Analytics: Analytics can be used to run queries and analyze logged data. 

Moving Forward

An ideal solution when it comes to organizing the sales process is a program that offers a centralized workspace that facilitates communication and collaboration between teams. You should look for a workspace that provides a platform for the sharing of Mutual Action Plans (MAPs) quarterly reviews, proposals, and agreements. It can automate systems to create repeatable workflows and ensure everything is running smoothly. 

Organization is key to the success of your sales cycle. A system that will keep everyone updated, provide access to documents, and ensure everything is moving forward in an orderly fashion can help you meet your goals!