Aligning your sales and marketing with integrated software - From the Rolodex to Excel to Outlook, storing names for sales leads has changed over the years. But if you’re still merely storing information versus using it strategically to move your business forward, you’re missing out on opportunities to understand your best prospects and market to them to close the deal.
System integration software can help you not only gather your leads in one centralized location, but also help you use a variety of data to reach out to those potential customers with sales and marketing alignment, turning a warm lead into a solid customer.
One centralized repository
The number one benefit to system integration software is the creation of one centralized repository for all your leads, prospects, customers and contacts. You’ll move from a static list of prospects to a dynamic customer relationship management system.
When salespeople individually track their own sales leads and contact information in separate lists, information will be lost if they ever leave your organization. With one centralized database, you’ll have access to all sales prospects, leads and statuses in real time.
Visibility and tracking
Once a new contact is entered into your centralized database, it’s there for anyone with approved access to view and nurture. Use tools to create automated follow ups such as phone calls, e-mails or mailing sales literature. Enter specific notes to indicate where a prospect is in the sales process. Track all prospect interactions. Any authorized individuals can open a prospect’s file and see the latest status and information.
Attribute Tracking for Strategic Marketing
Know who your prospects and customers are and how you can reach out to them most effectively!
Opportunity management
You need to know where everything stands in the sales cycle. What’s in the sales pipeline? Where are negotiations with a particular contact? Where are you in the lead stage?
An integrated database means you’re no longer in the dark. You’ll know what you need to do to close the deal. Track vital contacts and negotiations all through the sales nurturing process. Create an opportunity record and begin to put quantities and dollar figures on potential sales to help you forecast. Track who you’re negotiating with and who may need follow up efforts to move the sales process along. Reporting functionality allows you to see your pipeline opportunity information by selling stage, dollar amount, product line and sales person.
Attribute tracking for strategic marketing
Designing a marketing campaign? You need specific information about your target market. What is their industry? How big is their company? What individual in what department is your primary contact? What level is that person? Once you have all of these attributes associated with a customer contact, you can start to build marketing campaigns based on those attributes. You’ll build a more effective, targeted message that appeals to the group you need to reach.
Let go of static tracking systems that only show you names, numbers and few general notes. Use system integration software to know who your prospects and customers are and how you can reach out to them most effectively.
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