Time is a funny thing. It’s the measurement we base many aspects of our lives around – the recently observed Daylight Savings Time is a prime example. Despite how time manages us, it can seem difficult to manage time. However, this isn’t a philosophical exercise. One of the most challenging parts of any sales environment is making productive use of time. Since our perceptions about how we use time can often be vastly different than reality, this effort would be a lot easier if there are tools that can actually reveal how we use time. Sales effectiveness software is highly valuable for just this reason – it can provide insights about time management that may otherwise escape our notice.
Managing time productively is the sign of a smart company. Shortening sales cycles and speeding up order processing are two ways that sales teams look to better distribute their time, wrote Smart Company contributor Sue Barrett. At the same time, velocity and volume shouldn’t come at the expense of quality. Sales teams increasingly rate the effectiveness of lead generation and reeling customers in based on the quality of the catch, rather than simply on the number of the fish. Therein lies the challenge – how to accelerate sales cycles and increase quality simultaneously.
Using sales effectiveness software to boost time management
As anyone who works in sales knows, timing is everything. People aren’t as likely to bite on a pitch on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend. The sales team member might not be at his or her best, either. A granular look into the best times of day for different parts of the sales cycle can help organizations refine their strategies. Without sales effectiveness software, it’s difficult to generate data that would make this effort worthwhile. This software can generate metrics that track how successful making contact and lead qualification efforts are at different times of day. An employee might stick out as an anomaly, or it may be evident that the entire team sees a drop in performance at a certain time.
Armed with this knowledge, sales teams can take steps to revise their sales cycles, thereby making future efforts more effective. They can also reorganize the workday to improve overall productivity, wrote Business 2 Community contributor Lauren Licata.
“Once you have that basic understanding of your strengths and weaknesses in regard to scheduling, then you can make better choices about how to plan your workday,” Licata wrote. “Put your major meetings with clients at a time when you know you’ll be on the ball so that your customers get the best experience. Make your cold calls when you’re at your mental peak. Catch up on paperwork or data entry at your quiet, low energy times when you’re best suited for repetitive work.”
