Telemarketing Software Featured Article

How consistent is your sales planning process? If you rely on sales for survival, the answer is hopefully very consistent. But the reality is that too many organizations fail to operate consistently to ensure the outcomes they need to improve their sales bottom line. While telemarketing software is a great place to start, you truly need a proven strategy in place if you want to make the right impact.

One thing we know for sure – the sales person’s time is valuable. They want to be on the phone, making as many right-person connections as possible to drive the intended outcomes. Therefore, the processes put in place need to ensure the salesperson focus is on results. To drive those results, you must have consistency in the processes you put in place.

A recent Business2Community post centered on this concept and the importance of empowering your salespeople to focus their time and attention on the sales opportunities with the highest value. Forecast accuracy can improve when you develop a predictable cadence around account, territory and opportunity planning. It also enables your reps to build a healthy pipeline. To develop this cadence, understand the activities the sales rep should focus on; the frequency of his or her activities; the tools that are available to assist; and how success will be measured.

When these concepts are put into a predictable rhythm, you enable all of the people on your sales team to speak the same language. Everyone knows the activities that are the most important and they also know the tools that are most effective in those activities. They understand where measurements come in and there are clear expectations set for the job. This takes much of the burden off of your frontline managers as well as the agents who are tasked with the sales quotas – they don’t have to figure out how to get to their goals, they just need to execute on the proven plan.

This approach also reduces the amount of time that must be spent on forecasting. While developing your targets is an important activity, managers should not be spending so much time here that they can’t help the sales team sell. There’s really no point in a great forecast if you can’t then execute on the activities that need to happen to ensure the close. The balance is important and developing a predictable cadence helps eliminate much of the guesswork so you can focus on those activities that actually produce results.

If you’re ready to put the right tools in place, telemarketing software is a great place to start. The fundamentals are already provided, with a predictable cadence that’s easy to follow so you can produce the desired results. If you’re ready to stop wasting time and get to the fun of selling, it’s time to take a closer look.