With databases being the first touchbase of any marketing campaign, they are almost like a gold mine waiting to be explored. It is only when a database throws up good contacts that a marketing campaign takes off! These contacts are followed and nurtured through their entire lifecycle.

A good contact/database management system can do a lot more than being a directory. It can be a very effective tool to increase sales effectiveness. Some of the ways are:

1. Centralise your interactions

If every interaction made with a contact is recorded, it can be accessed by everyone in the sales & marketing teams. From the first call to emails & meeting details, everything logged diligently with the contact’s information will make it easy for everyone to be on the same page. All the information can be pulled out at a moment’s notice. Along with historical data, every point of contact with the contact can update the next plan of action. Every contact will truly have a delightful experience because the sales team will truly offer a personal touch and be prepared to cater to the customer’s needs.

2. Information Sharing

With a centralised contact management system, it will be easy for everyone in the company to “know” without the need for emails, messages, meetings and other communication tools. While a contact travels through the entire sales and marketing cycle, a lot of stakeholders in the organisation become responsible for the overall experience. With easy information access, a lot of valuable insights can be passed at every stage. This will ensure that the contact has a consistent and authentic experience. This will boost the sales process.

3. Boosting the sales team’s confidence

With contact management software, the entire data can be efficiently organised. All the company contacts and clients can be in centralised place to be extracted anytime easily. With data at their fingertips, the sales team can channelise all their energies towards pursuing sales targets only. They would not have to worry about bad data, starting over with contacts, not knowing what a particular contact wants, etc.

4. Analytics

To spot patterns, one needs to look hard look. Whether or not you know where to look or not, the scope of looking needs to be there. With all the data being recorded diligently, efficiency is a likely outcome. Analysing the sales and marketing activities at every stage of the lifecycle will help understand the weak spots. And it also will offer precious insights into how the contact base behaves and how to connect better.

5. Mobile sales team

Feeding constant data to the sales team spread across multiple locations is a cumbersome job. It means heavy investment too. A laptop, phone, dedicated resources to work on this data flow, etc. With a mobile contact management system, everything from contact information to task scheduling can be done conveniently. And a lot more at lesser cost and higher efficiency. The flow of work will be smoother and in control of the sales & marketing teams. It will also act as the anywhere anytime communication medium between the sales team and other critical teams.

In this new age of sales, it is all about really unearthing what the clients want. Technology can help do this task at less cost, in less time and with more effectiveness. A contact management software must do all of this and do it flexibly. It must empower the sales and marketing teams to perform better and do so with confidence.

Does your sales team get the advantage of the contact management system you have in place? Please share your experience with us.