How technology can help improve sales

Sales are a major part of any business venture – after all, it’s the personnel from this department that connect with the clients, negotiate the deals and bring in the revenue.

technology can help improve sales

While a strong sales force relies on having a skilled team that thoroughly understands the market, believes in the product and can build lasting relationships with clients, the right technology can help to improve the effectiveness of your sales force and boost figures.

Whether you have a large sales team, or are a sole trader who is looking for ways to improve sales, read on for some top tips on how technology can help you land your next deal.

Teleconferencing

A remote sales team can help a business to connect with customers across the country or even on a global scale. However, co-ordinating the team, arranging meetings and dealing with last-minute cancellations can all require a lot of time and effort, while the transportation costs – both financially and environmentally – can add up quickly.

However, with the help of modern teleconferencing technology, all of that expense and hassle becomes a thing of the past. Carrying out conversations with your clients and potential clients is as simple as picking up a telephone and you can even arrange for multiple parties to sit in on the call – all from different places. You don’t even need any special equipment or fancy phones to enjoy free conference calls, so you can have the conversation at the office at home, or even from your mobile phone.

Website

Think of your website as the face of your company – one that’s accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whether your business offers an e-commerce element on your website, or your page is intended more for lead generation, it’s essential that the site is friendly, secure, easy to use and features an attractive design.

Building a basic website is a fairly simple task and there are plenty of tools available for anyone who wants to try their hand at web design. However, if you want ensure that your company’s online presence portrays your organisation in the right way, it’s definitely worth investing in the services of a professional designer.

Social networking

There are plenty of social networking sites to choose from: Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn are all popular options, while Pinterest, Instagram and Vine may also be worth considering, depending on the type of business you run and who your target audience is.

Of course, social networking isn’t just about posting status updates and uploading photos. It’s a way for you to engage with your customers. By building a relationship, you’ll also be establishing brand loyalty and your company will be the first one that people think of when your products or services are needed.

To make the most of social networking, be sure to post regularly – but not too often – and provide information that’s interesting and relevant. Also, endeavour to respond to any messages on your social networking accounts right away – as prompt service, especially on these mediums, will help to boost your reputation.

Webinars, blogs, infographics and online videos

One way to build customer confidence is to make sure your company is seen as an expert in its field. This can be achieved by providing plenty of useful information online in the form of webinars, blogs, infographics and online videos.

As with social media, the content provided in these resources should be useful and relevant – without being too pushy about your brand. By providing this information, you’ll be able to build a trusting relationship with clients – and when they need your products and services, they’ll know exactly who to call.