There always seems to be a gap. Something is keeping us apart. Some tell me it's a lack of effort on the others part, like, "they are lazy" or "misguided." Others say it is just the way it is. "It's how we have always done it." That is policy, how it works, there has always been a divide.
That breakdown, the distance, is often a failure in the way we work and communicate with each other. So how can we move from these barriers to bridge that gap?
When it comes to selling, the gap I frequently see is between the seller and sales operations.
Operations have the blueprints, and the course set for what a successful year will look like for the seller. If you hit these metrics, these quotas, you could make this much money.
Sellers need to know this. I often hear the question, "Where am I at?" A salesperson needs to know, with high frequency, the state of the deal. A good seller has hundreds of balls in the air at one time. Calls, email, contacts, appointments, and they need something that helps them stay centered on the reality of all this activity.
Software is what makes that easier. The collaborative process of transparency bridges that gap between expectation and reality. At any point in the day, a seller may need to know where to find that extra inch that will help them win. Seeing that data, of what will close, what is in flight, and where payouts are landing are only more balls to juggle.
Software allows these two teams, operations, and sales, to see a clear path laid out. It sets forth the expectations of what potential is ahead. Advancements in Augmented Intelligence <link to symon.ai>, Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) can help to answer questions and find answers immediately. It's like a turn by turn navigation in your car for the road map ahead.
Other parts of software aid in the collaboration of what is expected, what metrics need to be carried out and completed. Which metrics may have been added, changed, or are now an additional accelerator to success.
Because of the constant changes in marketplace opportunities, we can little afford the time it takes for sales to slow down. Our support systems, through software, need to be collaborative and work at the speed of business.
