How much time does your sales staff devote to interacting with customers and promoting products? Most professionals will spend up to four hours tackling other tasks such as filling out forms, sending emails and performing administrative duties? There are two problems with this scenario.
First, the chances are high that your sales figures will suffer as a result. Motivation can also be sacrificed as a result; leading to higher employee turnover rates and a lower ROI (return on investment).
Thankfully, there are ways to avoid the scenarios mentioned above using document management software (DMS). What is document management software? What purposes does it serve and how can these packages provide your business with a much-needed edge over the competition? If you are struggling with poor sales figures or disappointing profit margins, all of these questions deserve a closer look.
What is Document Management Software?
The main intention of document management software is to expedite many of the traditional processes that would otherwise have to be performed manually. Some examples include:
- Data entry
- Email tracking
- Pipeline management
- Interdepartmental communications
- Records management
- Document imaging
- Storing client-related information
By removing these and similar tasks from the equation, sales professionals can return their focus to other core concerns such as client engagement, lead generation and following up on any enquiries that have been made. Let’s now look at some of the primary benefits that document management software can provide to your enterprise.
How Can Companies Streamline Their Proposals?
The average sales proposal may require between eight to 20 pages of written material, images and similarly pertinent information. Some could even take an entire day to complete. This is not very efficient when dealing with the challenges associated with a fast-paced organisation. As opposed to delegating tasks to your sales team, document management software can collect, collate, interpret, and present these details in a fraction of the time.
Can These Systems be Used in Conjunction with a CRM Platform?
Many top-tier salespeople now desire to obtain qualifications to better showcase their skills and expertise. However, these titles will be of little use to people who are forced to perform redundant tasks such as importing data from an existing CRM (customer relations management) system.
Document management software can be fully integrated with most current CRM platforms. Thus, it is much easier to pull up the right data at the appropriate times. Common examples include proposals, quotations, customer details, past sales figures, and contracts. The result is that professionals will spend less time accessing and retrieving data; helping to ensure better sales figures and more robust levels of client satisfaction.
How Can Document Management Software Benefit Collaboration?
Due in no small part to the Internet of Things (IoT) and the digital marketplace, sales professionals are more reliant on collaboration than ever before. This is why traditional document management systems are no longer viable. It is instead necessary to adopt a much more streamlined approach so that the right information can be shared at the right time with the appropriate stakeholders.
For example, documents can now be edited instantaneously so that every member of a sales team is kept up to date. Information (such as a recent customer enquiry) can likewise be sent to a sales representative with a single click. It is also important to mention that bespoke solutions will help management and team leaders identify any problems that may be present (such as data that was entered incorrectly). Small mistakes can therefore be rectified before they evolve into more major concerns.
How Does this Software Influence Data Retrieval?
A centralised sense of organisation is critical today. Traditional office environments would often fall victim to a cluttered approach to document storage. Perhaps a customer file was misplaced, or the information provided was not updated as it should have been. Either way, these represent less-than-optimal situations today. Document management software will help your team avert such potential pitfalls.
Can Document Management Software be Used Remotely?
One of the most predominant trends in recent times involves sales professionals who work outside of a traditional office environment. So, it only stands to reason that equally effective document management solutions need to be provided. Document management software packages can be accessed on a 24/7 basis by those who are working miles away from their office. This is also beneficial because remote sales are excellent ways to establish a strong rapport with prospective clients.
What About Quality Control?
Are you frustrated with the quality of your sales leads or do your in-house teams always seem to fall just short of their monthly target margins? These are two symptoms which could indicate that your in-house document management solutions are outdated. By automating many traditional processes, it will be much easier to appreciate how your current sales strategies are impacting the overall “bottom line”. Changes can be made when required and employees can leverage their talents as opposed to performing mundane and repetitive tasks. This sense of flexibility will ultimately be appreciated by individual clients; illustrating that your firm is keeping up to date with the latest digital solutions.
It is now clear to see why organisations of all sizes are looking to get reliable document management software. From accessing important data and updating client information to targeting the appropriate leads and finalising a proposal, these clever bundles can truly revolutionise traditional approaches to sales.
If you are hoping to capitalise on the latest digital opportunities, there is no doubt that document management software should represent an important facet of any strategy.
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Ray Brosnan is the co-owner of Brosnan Property Solutions, a property maintenance and facility management company based in Ireland.
