Sales prospecting has changed dramatically over the past decade, especially for retailers operating online.
There are now many more ways for businesses to identify and communicate with qualified prospects.
This has led to new methodologies being created, including sales acceleration.
Sales acceleration refers to any strategies that are designed to make the sales cycle more efficient, for more information read this.
It incorporates a wide range of techniques and technologies including data analytics tools, customer relationship management software, customer profiling tools and much more.
In this post, I’ll share the very best sales acceleration strategies for businesses.
These techniques and technologies can significantly improve your business operations, helping your sales team close deals faster and dramatically increasing turnover.
1. Content management tools
Content management tools are repositories that make it easier for your business to manage and distribute marketing materials and other types of useful content.
They help your business align sales and marketing initiatives, maintain brand consistency, deliver content to prospects, collaborate on sales content, track how content is consumed, and much more.
Content management tools make it simple for your sales team to find and send the latest contracts, brochures, videos, articles, and any other kind of content to prospects.
Sales reps won’t have to spend time searching for content and prospects will always receive the most recent content that you have available.
There are many content management tools available for businesses including ClearSide, Brainshark, Highspot, Proposify, and DocSend. Read this great guide to learn more.
2. Market intelligence tools
Market intelligence tools help businesses keep track of the state of their chosen industry.
These tools can be used to discover the latest consumer trends, what their competitors are doing, how popular a new product might be, and much more. They can be used to answer questions like:
There are dozens of market intelligence tools available for businesses including ClearSlide, HotJar, InsightSquared, and Funnel.
The information gathered using these tools can speed up the sales process by making it easier to identify qualified prospects. They will also help you discover new business opportunities.
3. Use a sales lead management software
Lead management software is one of the most useful sales acceleration technologies available.
These tools are designed to help sales teams identify and manage qualified prospects. They are packed with features which make it easy for businesses to improve productivity and focus on the best leads available.
This includes built-in VOIP software, lead activity scheduling, intelligent lead routing, lead analysis, and auto-dialers.
4. Integrated quote-to-cash solutions with multiple payment solutions
One of the most important principles of sales acceleration is making it easier for consumers to perform a transaction.
Essentially, you want consumers to be able to get the right price for the product or service and complete the transaction as easily as possible.
Implementing a quote-to-cash solution is one of the best strategies for achieving this goal. The consumer can get an automated quote for the product or service they are interested in and immediately pay for it.
Adding multiple payment solutions to transactions can also be useful as consumers will find paying for their purchase more convenient.
5. Email marketing
Email marketing is an incredibly useful form of sales acceleration as it is affordable, effective, and simple-to-use.
It allows businesses to create customized content that drives consumer engagement and dramatically speeds up the sales process.
Email marketing is made even more effective by the advanced tracking and analytics that are available.
These tools make it easy to monitor how well a specific type of email is received amongst your subscribers, which email format is most effective and so on.
They make it easier to continually tweak emails to cater them to specific audiences or individual prospects.
There are dozens of email marketing solutions available which businesses can take advantage of. Some of the best options are AWeber, MailChimp, Campaigner, and Constant Contact.
6. Data visualization software
Data visualization software turns raw data into easy-to-understand charts and graphics.
It accelerates the sales process by making is easier for your sales and marketing teams to understand important facts and figures.
This results in faster processing of information, better internal communications, easier recognition of new trends, and several other important benefits.
7. Predictive analytics tools
Predictive analytics tools use advanced algorithms to collect and analyze marketplace data and make predictions about what will happen in the future.
These predictions can include what consumer trends will occur, what competitors are up to, where you should spend money promoting your business and much more.
There are several predictive analytics tools available which are ideal for businesses.
