Searching for the Best Sales Technology?

Why You Need a Sales Technology Digital Strategy and Process First

When it comes to sales technology selection, so many companies get the entire process backward…and don’t even realize there’s a problem with their approach. They identify a problem they’re having and then select a piece of sales technology that addresses that problem. It seems logical and innocuous, but more often than not, it leads to poor adoption and significant financial ramifications. When the financial benefits aren’t seen, the company moves on to the next solution. And repeats.

If you want sustainable, scalable success with your sales technology selection, adoption, and integration, here are four key tips to help:

4 Tips for Identifying the Best Sales Technology

1. Sales Technology Should Be the Last Step in Your Sales Technology Digital Strategy

With sales technology, too many companies jump at the “shiny object.” They start their search with the sales technology tools themselves when they should be turning inward. For real success with any sales technology tool, you first have to address the business challenges that exist within your systems and processes. You can then identify your most pressing priorities and start to assess sales technology with the aim of addressing those identified priorities.

(To get a personalized report of recommended sales technology solutions based on your priorities, check out this free sales technology selector tool.)

"No matter your vertical, the size of your company, or your annual revenue, the best sales technology is the solution that fits your unique challenges, strengths, and needs. You must create the right sales technology strategy and process to create the framework that allows you to identify what that means for your business."

2. The “Best” Means Different Things to Different Companies

No matter your vertical, the size of your company, or your annual revenue, the best sales technology is the solution that fits your unique challenges, strengths, and needs. You must create the right sales technology strategy and process to create the framework that allows you to identify what that means for your business.

3. Audit Your People, Processes, and Existing Sales Technology

A successful sales digital technology strategy is always going to start with an audit of your stakeholders. Interview the people who will be asked to use the sales technology solution every day.

Find out what their challenges are, what they see as the biggest organizational priorities, and what sales technology solutions they believe will fill the most pressing needs.

(Giving your stakeholders a voice is one of the best ways to help ensure adoption. Check out these other ten tips for increased sales technology adoption.)

After a thorough stakeholder analysis, complete another audit of your existing sales technology landscape. What are your gaps? Where do you have overlap in functionality? How can you align this information to an overall sales organization strategy, as well as business strategy?

4. Judge Sales Technology Solutions through the Lens of Return on Investment

In today’s selling landscape, many companies are doing massive damage to themselves by focusing on specific sales technologies rather than creating a sound sales technology strategy first.

They are losing a tremendous amount of revenue—both in terms of spending money on unused, underused, or misused sales technology and missing out on potential revenue if they had a more fitting solution in place.
They are experiencing frequent, costly, time-consuming churn with their sales technology solutions.
They are losing sales reps, who don’t feel they’re being armed with the tools or resources they need to have success.
They are seeing a negative return on their sales technology investment.
They are stunting their growth and scaling potential by burning money on sales technology that isn’t as effective as it could be.

With these consequences in mind, it’s vital to view the best sales technology solutions as those that can positively move the financial needle. By selecting the solutions that have the most dollars-and-cents impact, you’re able to get the buy-in and momentum you need to successfully scale your sales technology stack.

Remember, if any given sales technology solution can’t be tied to a net financial gain, that’s a solution that isn’t doing anything to further the company’s success or growth.

Have Questions? Want to Learn More?

Interested in learning more about how to successfully and profitably select sales technology? Check out these resources on how to develop a digital technology strategy: