You’ve set up an IT company from scratch and you’re certain that your brilliant, innovative, game-changing product/software/platform is the next big thing. This thing is basically just going to sell itself, right?
Hardly.
The IT sector is a crowded space, with thousands of solutions developed every day around the world. When you add the significant innovations and disruptions that occur in the world of sales, you will soon realize that doing what everyone else does simply won’t cut it.
Most IT companies eventually have to develop a sales team, but very few of them generate success right out of the gate. For some products and services, the sales cycle can be so long that each prospect looks like the start of a marathon.
So what can you do set up your newly-formed sales team for success? First, apply those logical programming skills to the sales cycle and create an automated sales workflow that will give your team a boost from the start.
1. Create a Flawless First Impression
An in-person meeting is probably the best chance you have to clinch a deal. However, there are so many moving parts that there’s always a chance that something could go horribly wrong. An automated workflow can help bring some order to that chaos.
Sync up a process including salespeople, administration, and technical teams. Plan out every detail from the travel arrangements to what happens if the demo doesn’t load. Your workflow will act as a multi-person checklist to make sure that everything is perfect, just like your software.
2. Keep the Human Element of Automation
Marketing automation has a lot of promise, but salespeople know that nothing compares to a chat over coffee or a impromptu phone call. Create an ideal flow for each prospect including content pieces, phone calls, and casual check-ins. Use KiSSFLOW’s integrations with Zapier to mix and match automated emails with personal calls to find the right blend.
3. Document Every Step of the Way
One great advantage of an automated workflow is that at any moment, you can see exactly what has been completed and what is left to do. In sales, when you are juggling many different leads at once, this is great for the individual salesperson. However, it can also be a lifesaver if you need someone else on the team to pick up a step along the way.
4. Close the Deal
The worst thing in sales is to spend weeks or months nurturing a lead only to have it all fall apart at the last minute. The easier you make it for a client at the end, the better. The fewer hoops you and the client have to jump through, the more likely you are to actually close. From signing proposals/contracts electronically to eliminating manual paper trails for audits/post sale support don’t let the closer stage of your sales process drag out. Never miss a signature or credit card number with a quick workflow.
Sales is exciting, but that doesn’t mean it has to be chaotic. Provide some structure at the most important parts of the sales process, and set your team up for great success.
Take the free 14 day KiSSFLOW trial and see for yourself that simplifying is easy and, once you start, it only gets better from there.
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