Evolution of Technology

Do you remember “The Jetsons”? George and Jane, with their kids Judy and Elroy and their household of Rosie and Astro the Dog?  Mostly, I remember how intuitive the technology seemed. All the futuristic technology and the relationships always seemed to matter the most. These days, like those Jetsons days, we have finger-tip access to information, and the evolution of the sales industry continues to propel forward.

However, with all the resources out there, how do you maximize investments and develop an intuitive, informed sales team?

The sales profession has rocketed into intuitive technologies in the last 15-20 years. No longer able to close with a solid pitch and a handshake, the evolved buyer has forced the adaption of new sales principles and resources.

Especially over the last five years, COACT has seen significant evolution internally. Every year, we advance our approach to the sales process, and COACT has taken advantage of many resources to learn about solutions and technology to improve our systems. The ability to manage and process data changes many things, but it allows the team to overcome new challenges coming with educated, consensus-focused, and elusive decision makers.

One of the many things COACT has taken away from the new solutions available is that data and more importantly, its management, will continue to be the #1 way to help teams improve performance – being able to talk to more people, tailoring the message, and managing more effectively the process of the sell. Since joining the company, I have watched our teams drive client results to a new level using training and technology.

Over the last year, significant investments in the Salesforce platform – and various applications – to provide the teams access to actionable data has changed not how we sell, but has changed how quickly we sell.

There is a process to moving potential decision makers at the top of the sales funnel, and working them through the funnel more effectively – creating a speed to the insight of the buyers’ needs.

Additionally, being able to hit decision makers with key value propositions of the sale in a timely manner creates a relevancy to what sales teams are saying. Helping to create Challenger sales teams.

Decision makers seek sales experiences that educate and offer unique, valuable perspectives about the market. When teams are thoroughly equipped, COACT’s tools help our teams see through the strategy and focus in on the core conversations to the right people.

For example, through Salesvue, COACT customizes how we engage our prospects. ZoomInfo investments are speeding up and changing the way we connect to prospects. Other market research tools such as IBISWorld provide the team invaluable information about the markets we’re reaching out to and selling for. Pardot is also a leading technology platform that provides the background to identify interested prospects and capture their engagement with the brands, products, and services COACT serves.

Where do technology investments take a sales team?

• By creating informed and evolved sales people, COACT has a fully armed and empowered team.

• Data helps the team make decisions about how we’re reaching the markets, but also when.

• Giving the buying decision makers relevant information.

• Seeing improvements in most of the metrics COACT looks at for indicators, COACT continues to push the teams and the technology to their bounds – and in the process, creating new foundations to build our campaigns and strategies on.

The brilliance of sales technology and data infrastructure investments is how achievements result – the creation of creative sellers, indirectly approaching conversations, and the opening of new opportunities and growth of longstanding relationships.

Now, I wonder if I can find a Rosie to bring me a cup of coffee while I make some calls…?

*Written by Elizabeth Murawski