How do you measure sales success? By definition, it’s the confirmation that a prospect allowed a seller to address their needs.
This leads to an even bigger question. How do companies achieve field sales success?
Before the internet leveled the playing field in terms of knowing about products and companies, many salespeople saw field sales success as an individual accomplishment. Sales teams and companies supported that notion, as competition between agents meant bigger revenue for themselves. They stoked the competitive fire by offering awards and incentives for top sellers.
This sense of competition led to salespeople all over the world adopting an “us versus them” mentality against fellow agents. Prospects, sales techniques, and even sales materials became highly-coveted weapons in the race to become the best.
The internet: the great sales equalizer
However, the days of buyers depending entirely on salespeople to provide information are fading fast. Over the years, technological innovations in manufacturing, distribution, and technology are putting buyers a few steps ahead of sellers. In addition, the infinite reach of advertising over the internet means that prospects can research products on their own. This means that, for many buyers, contacting a sales representative happens in the last stages of the purchase journey.
This doesn’t mean that companies don’t need sales teams anymore. Establishing relationships with clients to build trust and generate repeat orders is arguably more important than ever. That’s because though getting clients has become easier, retaining them long-term has become a challenge.
Collaboration with other team members is the key to field sales success
As a result, more sales teams realized that instead of going at it alone, they should learn to collaborate with team members within the organization. Sales teams that combine their efforts with other departments saw their efforts lead to better results. It’s not just an increase in revenue. Better team collaboration leads to shorter buying cycles and savings in resources.
The primary challenge in fostering a collaborative environment is establishing a clear communication system. Everything becomes much easier when everybody is on the same page. This applies to teams and departments within the organization, as well as clients and prospects.
Communication encourages collaboration between members
Improving communications is the building block of establishing a stronger relationship among team members. Not only does it foster a greater sense of teamwork, but it also opens up avenues to discuss the challenges faced by salespeople every day. When teams talk to one another, they get the chance to discuss problems, suggest workarounds, and work together in coming up with solutions.
In his bestselling book “Dealstorming,” New York Times bestselling author and former Yahoo! executive Tim Sanders talked about the changing face of sales. He said that in today’s selling environment, a collaborative team effort beats having a top producer or a veteran sales executive. Today’s complex sales can’t be closed by simply letting one person talk their way into the deal. Instead of endlessly searching for that top sales agent, Sanders said that companies should acquire team players that can help achieve sales success together.
Communication helps members improve their skills
Team members that actively collaborate open up plenty of learning opportunities. Open communication lines often lead to opportunities for knowledge transfers. When one member experiences a breakthrough, everybody else gets to experience it. This can be sharing sales techniques for particular types of clients. Or, it could mean sharing presentation materials that resonate with certain buyers. Sharing the means toward sales success often produces a multiplier effect.
This allows not just teams, but entire organizations to grow and become more unified. An example of knowledge sharing is when teams share their experiences in dealing with customers. Despite an increasingly digitized marketplace, the buyer’s journey will continue to require human interactions. As such, they will often require a human touch during the process of evaluating solutions to their needs.
Communication allows for feedback
An organization that promotes a collaborative environment will discover that its members are far more open to accepting constructive criticism. If the company promotes an open communication system, members become empowered to give and receive feedback. As a result, teams are free to share their honest assessment of how individual members perform. Different teams can also share their thoughts on clients, with emphasis on how to improve relationships with them.
At the same time, an open communication policy and strong team orientation often make members more open to mentoring. If groups agree that they are working toward the same objective, they are more willing to pass on skills and knowledge to other members. In return, more members can benefit from the collective experience of the group.
Specifically, feedback allows members to learn ways to improve the work process or shorten the buyer’s journey. On other hand, giving feedback helps teams to develop the skills to make observations and make constructive analyses. In both cases, individuals and teams can grow alongside the company. Everybody wins!
Communication enables information sharing
It’s no secret that the best form of communication is the one that goes two ways. Granted, it’s worth noting those two streams of communication can contradict each other. In these cases, having an established single source of truth can help prevent miscommunication.
Thankfully, modern technology can work wonders in sharing information. Cloud-based software solutions provide instant access to the information team members need to get the job done. At the same time, the software ensures that any new information entered into the company database will be reflected in all reports across the organization. This way, everybody gets the needed updates concerning pricing, inventory, and delivery schedules in real-time. As a result, sales representatives can communicate the updated information to buyers. Ultimately, this can help buyers reach a decision faster.
Communication and field sales success made easier with Skynamo
In today’s data-driven environment, team communication plays a major part in helping close the sale. When teams adopt a culture of collaboration and information sharing, the buyer’s journey becomes quicker and simpler. Especially for sales teams out on the field, getting information assistance from team members can help them present clearly to buyers. In return, they can make faster and more decisive actions on their purchases. Ultimately, improved communication can lead to better sales success.
Skynamo provides a cloud-based sales software solution to streamline the information field sales teams need out there. Everything their clients need to make the decision is readily accessible on their smartphones. In addition, managers can easily monitor their team members as they go through their weekly field schedules.
Learn more about how Skynamo can promote better communication within your organization. We’d love to chat with you and learn more about your business needs.
