While giving our sales coaching sessions, we regularly find that salespeople or account managers do not bring their catalogues, commercial leaflets or sample material to their sales meetings. However, this is not a good idea, because words alone will not convince your prospects. More so, a lack of valuable sales tools can be one of the reasons why sales results lag behind. In this article, we would like to demonstrate the importance of sales tools, as well as reveal some indispensable tools your team should have.
What is a sales tool?
Sales tools refer to a variety of tools that salespeople use to make their work easier. These can include digital tools, such as sales software in the form of a CRM, but it can equally involve sales tools that a salesperson uses in a sales pitch used. Think of a brochure, a sales presentation or to get a sample.
Why sales tools make selling easier
A converting a prospect into a customer requires a lot of steps and these steps take time. On top of that, there are often several salespeople within a sales team. To make the sales processes within the sales organisation as efficient and streamlined as possible, it is best to make use of sales tool(s). There are numerous advantages to using sales tools, including:
- One consistent approach. When all salespeople use the same tools and instruments, it creates one overall sales approach to approaching prospects and customers. This not only benefits the organisational culture for the better, as it also contributes to a professional appearance and higher effectiveness.
- Improved follow-up. Many (digital) sales tools include functionalities that allow sales teams to track leads, deals and sales activities. This prevents important opportunities from being overlooked and enables timely and appropriate action.
- Better customer experience. Sales software often allows data on prospects to be collected and analysed. As salespeople gain a better understanding of their potential customers this way, they can better understand their needs. This allows them to develop targeted sales strategies and reach them with the right messages at the right time. This obviously increases the chances of a sale. Traditional tools such as samples also contribute to the customer experience, as described below.
- Strong cooperation. Centralising all kinds of important data and information in one sales tool promotes collaboration and further enhances internal communication.
- Higher efficiency and productivity. Sales tools automate repetitive tasks and optimise the sales process, allowing sales teams to spend their valuable time more efficiently. This allows salespeople to focus fully on building strong customer relationships, actively generating leads and successfully closing deals.
How do you choose appropriate sales tools for your business?
Nowadays, there are a lot of sales tools. Naturally, you want to get the most suitable tools for your organisation and your situation. But, what do you best take into account? Here are a few tips:
- Listen to salespeople. They will be the ones actively using the tools, so it is essential to know what things they need and will use. This can include functionalities within sales software as well as more traditional sales tools such as samples.
- Choose an easy-to-use tool. Sellers will only use tools that are intuitive and easy to use, or at least easy to learn. The best way to check this is by reading reviews.
- View your other tools. Do you already have sales tools in use, and would like to complement what you already have in place? Then it is essential to check whether the new tool can integrate with these current tools.
- Compare costs of similar sales tools. See what fits within your budget.
We want to give one important side note, namely, "A fool with a tool, is still a fool" (quote from Grady Booch). A sales tool can be very useful, but if salespeople don't know how best to use the tool, it's really of no use to them.
Sales tools not to be missed
We divide sales tools into two categories. On the one hand, there are traditional sales tools, and on the other, we discuss digital sales tools, or sales software.
- Traditional sales tools
These sales tools may be more 'old-fashioned', but they still remain relevant today. They are mainly used in sales calls and trade shows. Examples include:
- Print. Brochures, flyers or catalogues contain all kinds of (visual) information about the offer and/or any offers. Their great advantage is that they are tangible and that you can give them to a customer or prospect after a sales meeting. That way, you give a kind of physical reminder with them, rather than, for example, an e-mail that disappears among all the other advertising e-mails. However, the printed material can also be presented on a tablet or laptop.
- Sales presentation. A sales powerpoint is a commonly used tool to present the company and its solutions and provides a kind of handhold in a sales conversation. How best to approach a sales presentation is explained in a previous article.
- Samples. With samples, salespeople show physical product samples to the customer or prospect. This gives the salesperson a tangible picture of the offer and they can already experience and test the product.
- Sales training. Against the previous dots sales training might be a bit off the mark, but actually, this is one of the better sales tools you can gift your sales organisation. Because, did you know that salespeople who underwent sales training are on average 50% more effective in achieving sales goals than salespeople who received no training? By giving all salespeople thorough training, they will not only learn the best and most appropriate techniques, but the sales approach will also become more consistent.
- Sales software
Besides the more traditional sales tools, there are also a lot of digital sales tools. There are different tools for different sales aspects. Some tools that we highly recommend are the following:
- CRM tools. In our opinion, this tool is indispensable as it supports salespeople in managing interactions between the company and their customers. CRM software is often the first tool a sales organisation acquires. Nowadays, such tools often also offer a mobile app, in which salespeople can keep a calendar, report their sales calls, consult figures... In short: a modern salesperson must have a CRM tool. An example is Salesforce.
- AI sales tools or sales intelligence tools. Artificial intelligence sales tools are software applications that support salespeople in automating specific tasks, with the aim of improving sales performance and efficiency. In this way, they can save time on repetitive tasks and focus their time and energy on more strategic and complex activities. An example of this is Oliv.
- E-mail management tools. These tools help organise inboxes, track leads, automate campaigns and measure CTR (click-through rate). An example is Outreach.
- Tools for customer feedback. Customer feedback can provide your company with valuable insights. Namely, it gives a perspective on how they experience the sales process and provides valuable information on how to optimise your approach. There are sales tools for this too, e.g. Typeform.
Conclusion
There are many tools that can support salespeople, ranging from brochures to CRM tools. But, we want to stress that sales tools are not a panacea. The human aspect obviously remains paramount. Sales is an empathetic profession where human interaction and relationships are central. It requires subtlety and skill in dealing with people. Despite technological advances, sales will always retain a human element.
Want even more tips about sales or are you interested in sales coaching? Then don't hesitate to contact contact us, Reachers will be happy to help!
