Is Your Sales Process Future-Proof?

When creating and maintaining a sales process, many businesses focus far too deeply on their current state, challenges, and goals. This is obviously an important piece of the puzzle, but there is often little thought into what will happen to these processes as they scale. 

It seems strange to say, but growth can cause a lot of problems for your business if you aren't prepared. What works on a list of 50 people might take too much time to do with 500. In today's article, we will discuss some common challenges we see businesses face as they begin to grow, how you can spot these issues before they occur, and what to do about it. 

Common Challenges

Too much manual work 

Often, the most obvious problem we come across is everyone doing too much work! Now in most cases, a lot of work being done is a good sign. But when that work is manually updating information in spreadsheets, comparing multiple lists to get a full picture of a customer, and constantly switching between applications, there isn’t much time left to focus on strategy and execution. 

Think about your sales/lead management processes step by step. Consider the amount of personal input required for each of the steps, are you doing the same thing without much thought every time, or does this step need a bit of personalization to be effective? Steps that are very similar or the same every time can likely be automated, freeing up time to focus on those where a personal touch matters and adds value.  

Misalignment with Other Departments 
The second issue we often discover is a misalignment with other departments within the business. This is a bit harder for an organization to spot as at a top level, departments are obviously working towards the same goal: the success of the company, so they are aligned, right? 

Alignment is much deeper than just having the same goal, it starts from the planning stage and extends to how information is stored and what is being done with it. The most common cause of this misalignment is data silos, when different departments, units, or sometimes even people have different databases they work out of, with no communication between this data. Even with the perfect plan that takes everything into account, unexpected things will happen, and disconnected databases will at least cause a slowdown to compare information, and at its’ worst, cause miscommunications and lose opportunities for your business.

Not Leveraging Technology Effectively 

Businesses often invest heavily in their technology, but not nearly as much in the plan behind it. Having a detailed plan and clear goals for your technology is crucial for achieving true, sustainable growth. Technology like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are not just magical tools that inherently improve your sales process. Instead, they are platforms that allow for more streamlined and efficient operations, but only when used correctly. 
CRM systems, for instance, offer a centralized place to store customer information, track interactions, and manage leads. However, without a well-thought-out strategy, these systems can quickly become underutilized repositories of data. It's essential to define specific objectives and workflows that align with your business goals to leverage the full potential of your technology investments. This includes regular training for your team, continuous evaluation of the system's performance, and making necessary adjustments to stay agile. 
In essence, technology should be seen as an enabler rather than the solution. By integrating it thoughtfully into your sales process with a clear roadmap, you can enhance your team's productivity, improve customer relationships, and ultimately drive growth that is both scalable and sustainable. 

What Can You Do?

The only way to find and fix these issues is to take a step back and evaluate how your processes and technology align with business goals and objectives. Continuous analysis and improvement are critical as your business grows. A growing business needs processes that evolve with it, ensuring sustainability and scalability. By regularly reviewing and refining your processes, you can identify inefficiencies, adapt to changing market conditions, and maintain a competitive edge. 
Take the first step towards transforming your sales processes and achieving your business goals. Reach out to us today and let us guide you to sustainable success. Together, we can turn your challenges into opportunities and your aspirations into achievements. Contact InfoGrow today to learn more.