How to Make Your Sales Team More Efficient Through Technology

If you searched "effective sales teams" on the internet, among the list in almost every search result will bring say that communication and collaboration are key components in this.

Why is communication so essential to success? Because, according to a study published by Willis Towers Watson, “companies with good communication practices are three and a half times more likely to outperform their competitors.”

Communication Equals Efficiency

Companies that communicate well internally are more efficient and make far less costly mistakes. When everyone is on the same page 100% of the time, each team can move forward in achieving the company mission at a more rapid pace.

So how can best communication practices be implemented in your business, particularly your sales team?

Much of communication comes down to face-to-face contact with your team members, making sure your message is understood, but hearing their message as well. In addition to this face-to-face contact, putting thoughts down in writing is an essential component to effective communication, especially given that many companies have a large component of telecommuters or sales members who are out of the office often.

Technology and Communication

Much of keeping communication open comes down to taking advantage of technology. Emailing, texting, internal social platforms, and videoconferencing are important components of increasing communication flow in an operating environment.

Some ways businesses can use internal communication is to:

• Make internal knowledge and documents easily available.
• Assess your current internal communication strategy.
• Create an internal language.
• Incorporate mobile technologies.
• Put orders in writing.
• Celebrate achievements.

A great way to implement all of the above technological aspects of effective communication practices in a sales team is by implementing an automated texting service, like Call-Em-All, in addition to technologies that are already in place. This is particularly beneficial for sales teams suffering from inadequate communication, missed appointments, and decreases in revenue.  

Make Internal Knowledge and Documents Easily Available

Automated texts are an efficient way of getting key points of information spread across the sales team in a direct way. Adobe reports that 98% of texts are opened when received, compared to just 20% to 30% of emails.

That’s because you can easily get lost in a flooded sea of work emails, but a text pops right up on your smartphone’s lock screen.

Assess Your Current Internal Communication Strategy

According to Forbes, texting is a preferred method of communication for Millennials, with Generation X’ers not far behind. If your current communication strategy among your sales team does not include a texting system, now is the time to consider implementing one as Gen X’ers and Millennials start to form a larger portion of company sales teams.

Implement Social Intranet Software

Having not just an intranet, but a social intranet is more conducive to the organic way communication happens today. This type of platform, along with an internal texting system, will modernize an aging communication system and accelerate the speed at which communication is achieved.

Create an Internal Language

Text messaging is an informal way of keeping communication flowing. It isn’t pretentious or overly formal. Take advantage of this down to earth, peer building capability by using witty internal language to keep the interest of your sales team piqued every time they receive a new text message reminder.

Incorporate Mobile Technologies

Most of us are on our phones at different points throughout the day, whether it be at work, on a break, at an appointment, in the subway station, at home, or out for the evening. Texting is one of the most effective communication methods for achieving direct contact with everyone on the sales team.

Put Orders in Writing

Much of communication is about accountability. You can’t be sure you’ve reached everyone if you don’t put your message in writing. Saying it at a meeting doesn’t mean that necessarily everyone on the team has received the message. A texting platform will ensure that a very, very large amount of your sales team has seen what you’re trying to communicate.

Celebrate Your Achievements

Encouraging your team and acknowledging accomplishments can only bolster the effectiveness of the group’s communication. Using texting as a means of recognizing team members is an excellent way to do this!

Covering All Bases

A reminder texting system can serve to augment communication methods already in place. You can never communicate enough with your team. Face-to-face communication followed up by email and wrapped in a ribbon with a text message will ensure that no team member is left out in the cold.

You can use a reminder texting systems to communicate all sorts of information with your sales team members:

• Appointment reminders
• Vacation schedules
• Meeting reminders
• To-do’s
• Deadlines
• Absences
• Rescheduling Notices
• Policy Reminders & Changes
• Updates
• Immediate events
• Safety Issues
• Traffic Updates
• Client Messages
• Atmospherics
• New Products
• Changes In Short Term Sales Focus
• Promotions
• HR Information
• Building updates
• IT issues or updates
• Social Gatherings

Implementing a reminder text system allows employees instant exposure to important messages that you need to spread quickly across the team, in addition to keeping their schedule organized so that appointments aren’t missed and meetings are held on time.

The result of increased communication from a combination of different dissemination methods to include reminder texting systems means a more productive and successful sales team, which means higher revenue for your business in the long run.