Easy Tips for Using Mobile CRM to Sell Better
13 Hacks for Salespeople: Use Mobile Technology to Serve Customers Better
Over 90% of salespeople have cell phones and many have tablets. However, many of us are not using mobile technology to its fullest potential.
Learn 13 mobile technology hacks to serve your customers better.
#1 Gather (a lot) of customer data quickly
Using your cell phone to capture contact information is a no brainer, but do you go beyond the basics? Consider collecting more than a name and a phone number.
Basic Contact Information:
- Name & Position Title
- Phone Number
Going beyond the basics helps you personalize future communications:
- How did you meet?
- How does your new contact PREFER to be contacted?
- What industry / department does your contact serve?
- In a few words, what challenges can you help them solve?
- Will others be involved in the decision making process?
- What’s his or her passion? (personal and professional interests)
#2 Use mobile Customer Relationship Management
You can manage all of your contact and account information directly from your smartphone or tablet, using Claritysoft’s mobile CRM solution. Not only is this an easy way to gather all of the customer data quickly, you can access leads, opportunities, and sales activities. Some applications allow you to call, text, email, Skype, log activities, and map the location of your contacts right from your mobile device.
#3 Respond to customer questions faster (and look smarter)
If you’re in sales, you probably have your best technical, product and support experts on speed dial. Another way to answer customer questions quickly is to access product information on your phone or tablet. Before visiting a client site, build a folder on your mobile browser, listing your most important product manuals, resources and support documentation in one single place. (It’s usually easiest to bookmark websites.) There’s a bonus to this approach: showing customers product information in writing increases your credibility and makes it easier to overcome objections.
#4 Take notes & pictures (that you can search later)
You can use your smartphone or tablet to take notes throughout client meetings. Make your notes more meaningful by adding photographs related to the client project, including images of part numbers and accessories. One great thing about digital notes is that you can search them later, looking for key phrases.
#5 Plan sales routes
According to the Pew Research Center, 74% of American adults use their smartphones to get directions and location information. Rather than bouncing from location to location, plan your entire sales route by plotting all of your contacts on a map at one time. This option is available in some contact management software, such as this example.
#6 Improve CRM adoption
Sarah Sluis states, “For many field sales representatives, CRM is a burden. After a long day of selling, they have to enter information from the day’s calls and appointments, culled from hastily scribbled notes, into their company’s system.”
Mobile CRM makes it easier for field sales teams to manage customer information on the go – you don’t have to wait until get back to a desktop to capture customer information.
#7 Check calendars & schedule appointments immediately
We’d be lost without the “buzz & chime” alerts that remind us of our next appointment; digital calendars have become an important part of our lives. While using and sharing calendars helps us be more efficient, there’s a more important reason to use online scheduling. You want to check calendars and schedule appointments immediately to keep momentum going with customers. You don’t want to wait to get back to the office to schedule the next meeting and risk losing the deal to a competitor.
#8 Carry all your marketing materials with you
If you’re one of the 33% of salespeople who carry printed marketing binders and brochures with you, you might want to re-think your approach. Creating digital brochures & binders allows you to make marketing materials interactive so that you can include links and videos for a much more engaging sales pitch. Plus, providing digital marketing materials gives you a great reason to collect your prospect’s email address and follow-up later with personalized emails.
#9 Personalize marketing materials on the fly
Marketing materials on a mobile platform also allow you to add, subtract and modify the sales pitch on the fly. As you meet with the client and learn more about their challenges and issues, you can hone in one what’s really important, and build a specific sales pitch based on their needs.
#10 Check inventory in real time
If your inventory system can be accessed via the internet, then you can access it from smartphones and tablets. Rather than making phone calls “back to the warehouse”, you can check inventory in real-time while you’re sitting with the client. This means you can commit to orders on the spot and reduce the likelihood of lost deals.
#11 Accept customer payments on the spot
Mobile payments have skyrocketed in recent years. Many credit card providers and mobile app vendors are making it easier for businesses of any size to accept payments. (Square is the first one that comes to mind.) Accepting payments on site is another tactic that will help you increase your close ratio and reduce the amount of time it takes to complete the sales cycle.
#12 Track expenses more efficiently
For sales teams that travel, recording expenses has always been a hassle. The monotony of scanning receipts is often left until weekends or the last day minute. Some sales teams have found success in capturing and categorizing expenses with their mobile phones – freeing up Saturday mornings for more enjoyable activities.
#13 Keep up to date on industry trends
Did you know that 93 million people play Candy Crush every day? While you’re waiting at client sites and traveling, consider using your downtime to better yourself instead. Download a few great books or white papers to your mobile device for reading at your leisure.
