There’s no doubt that sales software has changed sales reps working lives for the better. They have thrown away their order pads and pens and are tapping away on their mobile devices to their heart’s content.
Whether on the road or at a trade show, they take orders electronically, use e-catalogs and access customer data, all from the same device.
But to be truly useful to the whole business, all that information needs to be synchronized across the board and communicated with everyone in a timely manner. How can sales order software ensure you’re on the same page as your sales reps and closing the dreaded communication gap?
Here are four examples of how it can support your communication process.
1. Your e-catalog will always be up-to-date
Your business doesn’t stand still. There are constant changes in your product lines with new products being added and older ones discontinued. Your sales reps need to know this information immediately or they will miss out on new sales, or worse, sell an item that is no longer in stock.
Without sales order software, you could send out an email with the new product details. But how long will it be until that email is read? How many emails will you have to send, bearing in mind how quickly products change? How can you monitor what your sales reps know?
Easy. Sales order software allows the admin of the system to speedily add or remove products directly from your e-catalog software. No need to send separate emails; the updated version of the catalog will automatically sync with the mobile order taking app used by sales reps in the field, so their catalog is always up-to-date.
If the new product has many different variables, different sizing or color options, these options can also be added, so sales reps can immediately begin selling. In fact, any change that you wish to make can be executed with immediate effect on the sales rep mobile order app.
2. Instantly communicate specific customer pricing
One way that B2B sales is completely different from B2C is the use of customer specific pricing. When a consumer buys online, there aren’t different pricing options for say shoes depending on who the customer is. But with B2B sales, there are.
Sales reps need to be aware of the agreed, individual pricing for each customer or risk looking extremely unprofessional. Previously, each customers pricing would be on individual printed price lists but thanks to sales order software, this can be configured within the system, so reps always have the correct pricing available online. Anything can be configured including customer-specific price lists and relevant discounts, so sales rep can take an order with confidence.
3. Keep sales reps informed about inventory levels
As we’ve seen above, if you have a large sales force, it’s vital they know what’s happening in the business, including always knowing current stock levels which are updated in real time. Sales order software benefits them by keeping them fully informed about what they have available to sell. By integrating with your ERP or inventory management system, they will always have an accurate picture of what’s in the warehouse.
4. Streamline your sales reps
Last but not least, how can sales order software help your sales managers? They have a large amount of people to manage and a large amount of information. But not all sales reps need all the information. How can this be managed?
Again, it’s simple. By assigning customers to specific sales reps, the system can coordinate what information is disseminated to certain reps.
For example, if a new customer is added to the client-base, or if they’ve changed addresses, admin can adjust the relevant data and it will only be sent to each individual sales rep. Meaning each rep can see only their customers and the product lines relevant to them.
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