Benefits of sales automation for a small business
Sales processes have become increasingly automated over the years as more sales automation software has become available. In short, they help you do more with less… and that’s something just about any small business would love.
Some of the big benefits of sales automation include the following:
Increased productivity
Improved accuracy
Streamlined processes
Faster route to closed deals
Improved customer satisfaction
Let’s dig into these a little more…
Increased productivity
Ask any good sales rep how they’d prefer to spend their time, and you will probably hear that they want to concentrate on the tasks that actually help them close sales, not the tedious manual processes that can drag them down.
When you automate these repetitive tasks, sales reps become more productive because they can focus their attention on the parts of the sales process that require a human touch rather than spending their time on other, more time-consuming and less productive tasks. Think of sales automation as jet fuel for your sales process.
Just as jet fuel propels an airplane on its upward trajectory, the right automation tools can speed up the sales process and put your revenues on an upward trajectory.
Improved accuracy
By eliminating much of the manual data input involved in the sales process, automation also reduces the probability of human error and increases the probability of data consistency.
Automation tends to improve data quality. Higher data quality, in turn, can result in more accurate sales forecasting, more targeted sales messaging, fewer instances of mistimed or misaddressed sales outreach communications, and more accurate measurement of the results of your sales efforts.
Streamlined processes
According to McKinsey research, almost one-third of the sales process can be successfully automated with today's technology.
Streamlining different parts of the sales process leads to multiple benefits. For example, the same McKinsey report noted that when one advanced-industries company implemented automation in its bid process, it reduced proposal time from three weeks to just two hours, which led to a 5% uplift in revenue. As another example, automation in order processing cut the time from confirmed orders to confirmed delivery from two to three days to one to two hours, increasing customer satisfaction and revenues simultaneously. Further automation resulted in an overall cost savings of 10 to 15%. What could your business do with results like that?
Faster route to closed deals
Some sales automation tools enable you to capture leads automatically, which can shorten the time it takes your sales team to respond appropriately. When you improve your speed-to-lead time, you will likely also see an increase in closed sales.
Sales automation can also be leveraged in the nurturing process. With the right sales automation tools, you can automatically route leads that are not quite sales-ready into the appropriate nurture campaigns. Nurtured with the right content at the right time, these leads will likely convert faster than they would via manual nurturing efforts.
By automating your lead follow-ups, you ensure that your sales team reaches out to leads before they change their minds or reach out to your competitors. Then, as the deal progresses through its natural steps, sales automation tools can speed the delivery of vital documents and signed agreements, helping you move from first contact to final delivery more quickly.
Improved customer satisfaction
Customers will be more satisfied when the sales process unfolds with clarity and precision. Automated follow-ups and forms mean less uncertainty and less likelihood that the process will break down at any point. Customers benefit from a responsive system, but your sales team does not have to engage in constant hand-holding because there is no place for a customer to fall through the cracks.
Ready to explore how sales automation can help your business?
Reach out to us today and schedule a complimentary, no-obligation strategy call. At the very least, you’ll walk away with new knowledge on how to help your business thrive with automation!