Best Sales Software for Small Businesses

You may sell the most innovative product on the market, but if no one buys it, your business won’t survive. Having sales agents cold-calling random prospects with a generic sales pitch won’t lead anywhere either. Acquiring leads is possibly the most critical aspect when it comes to your business’s success, and it’s essential to come up with a sales management plan to build the appropriate sales strategy. You also need the right team and for them to be engaged, which will ultimately lead to sales. While this sounds like – and sometimes is – a rather lengthy process, sales automation can help you out by managing emails and keeping an eye on statistics. The ultimate goal of sales automation is to free up time normally spent on administration, allowing you to focus more on improving your product.

Sales Outreach Automation

Customer outreach is challenging, but running an easy-to-navigate website is a great start. Having a live chat on your website will also help by implying that you’re always available, and regular posts on social media – preferably with links to your website – are imperative. But don’t stray from traditional methods either: a well-placed email and a friendly voice at the end of a phone line remain essential.

Automating even one of these processes will save you a significant amount of time. Your client base should be gradually expanding, and when these clients have questions, the first place they’ll look is your website. An automated chatbot directs your customers to your FAQ section in mere seconds. Meanwhile, automated emails (such as newsletters) grab clients’ attention, whereas well-thought-out social media posts help make them feel even more connected.

Sales CRM tools play a valuable role here. With all automated processes accessible from just one platform, it makes it easier for you to follow up with your leads and customize offers, allowing you to close more deals.

Recommended Sales Software for Small Businesses

Sales automation software is designed to help you spend less time doing marketing and more time perfecting your product. These tools are essential for streamlining your sales processes and helping you better understand your customers’ needs.

Phone Sales Tools: Nextiva

Communication is an essential aspect of dealing with customers, but it’s also crucial for keeping your team up to date. Enter Nextiva, the software that supports an unlimited number of text messages, conference calls with your whole team, peer-to-peer video calling, and more. An integral part of the program is the Cospace collaboration package that lets you communicate with team members at any time as well as manage tasks together. Of course, the priority is the handling of your customers, and Nextiva wouldn’t be one of the top VoIP systems on the market if it didn’t deliver. A built-in CRM platform lets you manage all automation tools in one place. While not particularly expensive, a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee offer the possibility to dive into the software without taking any chances. Read our Nextiva review.

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Email Marketing Sales: AWeber

Many businesses fail to realize that relevancy is key to a successful email marketing campaign. For example, a lot depends on customer segmentation, meaning you divide up your clients based on criteria such as their geographical location, which websites they regularly visit, what they usually purchase, and their gender. Aweber comes with a simple interface that helps you separate your subscribers into subgroups, so you can tailor their emails. It comes with premade customizable templates for sign-up forms and newsletters, and you can create automated email sequences in just a few clicks based on specific criteria. To further simplify your business management, the software supports over 1,000 integrations, such as social media websites, webinar platforms, and content management software. All this comes with a 30-day free trial to try out all the benefits the program offers risk-free. Read our Aweber review.

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How To Optimize Your Sales Funnel

A sales funnel has seven stages, and it’s best not to skip any of them, especially when kicking off your business. At the ‘mouth’ of the funnel, potential customers become aware of you but don’t know much more than that. They then enter the stage of interest. The third stage is where they need to positively evaluate your service to then arrive at decision making. This can lead to the fifth stage, where clients make a purchase. This is often the final part, but two more stages follow if you are successful: customers will renew their contracts and repurchase what you’re offering.

Optimizing your sales funnel is no small task, but it’s more than doable with the proper practices. A well-thought-out social media post will initiate the funnel’s first stage. By posting regularly, you’ll steadily boost your company’s visibility. Meanwhile, tailored email sequences will pique your customers’ interest, making them feel you’re paying attention. It’s great if they buy something. However, working towards the increase of your client’s loyalty will ensure they come back for more. For example, thanking clients for their purchase and keeping them in the loop will increase the probability of them repurchasing what you have to offer.

Additional Advice To Boost Your Sales

While these solutions will likely jack up your sales significantly, there’s more you can do. Content creation tools can help you position your brand, and if you decide to start a blog and market your product through content, there are several content marketing tools that can help you streamline the process. The goal is to convince your clients that they need your product and so the focus should be on them rather than what you have to sell.