TECHNOLOGY! Can sales in 2015 live without it?

Is technology a major part of the future of sales? Yes it is.

The sales area will face various challenges in 2015; one of these challenges is the use and improvement of technology. As we all know the marketing -and various other departments have embraced the use of technology, but sales seem to be running a little bit behind.

Here are a few aspects that will emphasize the challenge that the sales department face.

If you look closely at sales and compare it to technology you will find that they are very alike in the sense that both function on a typical trial and error method. Where the first, second and even third attempt will fail, but through persistence and continuous improvement and adaption the required result will be found. By incorporating these two aspects the sales team will be able to improve, “yes” there will be failure at first but try and try again.

• The adoption of technology by sales professionals has been way behind marketing and it is evident that there needs to be a change. Various automation technologies have been developed and produced for use by sales professionals, the challenge is to get them to adapt to change and start using these technologies. For the sales professionals to embrace these changes they have to be provided with the necessary training as well. It’s time to bite the bullet and adapt to the ever changing environment, but that is easier said than done.

• The most important aspect that technology should provide to sales professional is to add value to the sales process. There are various technologies that are “cool” and fun to use, but at the end of the day doesn’t provide any value to the sales process. For example if a sales professional can use a “Tablet” or “iPad” during the sales process it could save valuable time and prevent the process of reentering the work onto a computer from a note pad.

• Technology has the potential to aid sales professionals in various ways, from effective CRM systems to pipeline analytics, sales playbooks and even candidate assessment tools. There are various tools available on the market that can add value. To name a few tools that can add value “Rapportive” is a Gmail add-on that provides contact information in your inbox, “Sidekick” is a free HubSpot tool that notifies you when emails are opened and also “Social Prospecting Workbook” that provides a sales professional with customizable worksheets for discovering and communicating with prospects and social media sites like “Twitter”, “Facebook” and “LinkedIn”.

So to summarize it is evident that there are challenges concerning a sales professional when it comes to technology, but the option is also there to embrace it and learn to work with it. If a sales professional receives the correct training and is willing to adapt to change it could open up a whole new world for sales. Technology has so much to offer and add value to the sales process that it is not something that should be ignored, it is rather something that should be embraced and developed.