The adoption rate of telework has been increasing significantly as part of measures to combat the new coronavirus infection and reform work styles.
According to the "Telework Adoption Survey (June 2020)" conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on 10,000 companies (30 or more employees) in Tokyo, the telework adoption rate was 25.1% in the first fiscal year of 2012, while the rate rose to 57.8% in the 2020 survey.
When introducing telework, many people tend to feel the hurdle of sales activities, don't they? Until now, sales activities have generally been conducted by visiting companies directly to conduct business negotiations, so it is easy to feel hurdles in conducting sales activities without face-to-face contact.
However, with the introduction of sales tools https://slimtime.co.jp/ that support sales activities, it is possible to conduct sales activities even during telework without any problems.
First, let's clarify the definition of a sales tool.
As the name implies, a sales tool is "a tool necessary for sales activities.
In sales activities, it is the salesperson's explanation that conveys the company's services and products. However, there are various processes to reach the explanation, such as approaching the customer and adjusting the schedule for the business meeting. Even after the business meeting, there are many other processes such as follow-up to the contract.
Since many salespeople are working for multiple companies at the same time, they may feel overwhelmed by the task of managing progress and following up.
This is where the introduction of sales tools becomes necessary. By introducing sales tools, the following issues can be solved.
Difficulty in approaching potential customers in remote areas or overseas
Managing sales activities to multiple companies at the same time
Lack of balance between cost and effectiveness
An online negotiation tool is a tool for conducting sales and business negotiations online. Since it is a tool to have the first contact with customers, it should be considered as a priority over other tools.
The following are some of the advantages of using an online negotiation tool
The ability to conduct business meetings at any time from any place, regardless of location or time.
Cost reduction in transportation and accommodation expenses
Since there is no need for the person in charge to travel, it is also effective as a countermeasure against new coronavirus infections. In addition, it contributes to the efficiency of sales activities by making use of travel time.
MA tools mainly support the process from lead acquisition to nurturing before reaching a business meeting.
MA stands for Marketing Automation, and it is a tool that supports your marketing activities up to the point of acquiring potential customers.
Many tools come with the following features.
Email marketing support
Advertising management and linking functions
Scoring functions
Data analysis functions
In addition to managing email marketing and advertising to make people aware of and interested in your company's services and products, you can also manage the interest of prospective customers by scoring them and utilize data analysis functions to find out where they got their interest from.
It provides total support for the initial phase of sales activities.
SFA tools support the process from business negotiations to closing the deal. Sales Force Automation (SFA) tools, meaning sales support, can utilize the following functions.
Customer management (company name, contact person name, department name, etc.)
Business meeting progress management
Sales forecast and overall sales management
In the MA stage, you can manage the names of companies and people who have made inquiries, etc., and share the contents of business negotiations within the team to manage the overall picture of business negotiations, which can be used by managers to give advice.
In addition, the system can manage everything from the estimated monthly sales amount to the final sales amount.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is the final stage of sales activities, the post-contract follow-up. It is a tool for following up with customers after they have signed a contract to support them in using the service for a long time with peace of mind and to encourage repeat purchases.
As the tool is designed for after-sales follow-up, it is divided into three types: sales, customer center, and marketing. The functions included in each type of tool are slightly different, so it is necessary to select the right tool for your purpose when implementing it.
The main functions included in CRM tools for after-sales service are as follows
Management of follow-up visit dates
Report on the details of negotiations with existing customers
History management of inquiry contents
By using these functions, you can collectively manage follow-up visits after closing a deal and the contents of inquiries from existing customers.
Checkpoints to consider when selecting a sales tool
Finally, here are three points to check when selecting the right sales tool for your company.
Does it have functions that lead to problem solving?
When selecting a sales tool, be sure to check if it has functions that can solve the issues your company is facing in sales. Different tools have slightly different functions, and even the same functions have different usability.
It is recommended that you first confirm that the tool has functions that will help you solve your problems, and then use the free trial period to see how it feels.
In order to use the tool properly, it is essential to check what kind of support is available after the introduction. To make sure that you can use the tool with peace of mind, be sure to check the following two points.
Support hours
Method of inquiry (phone, email, chat, etc.)
You may not be able to understand the manual until you get used to it, or you may have questions even after you have been using it for a while. It is important to have a system where you can immediately consult with the company in case of emergencies in order to use the system for a long time.
When conducting sales activities, we handle a lot of confidential information of our clients and our company. Therefore, it is important to make sure that security measures are in place to protect each other's confidential information.
The following is a list of security measures that should be included.
IP address restriction
Password setting
Device authentication
Two-step authentication
On-premise type
Also, as an indicator that a complete security system is in place, it is important to check if the tool has passed the "ASP/SaaS Information Disclosure System" or some other system where only tools that meet certain conditions are certified.
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