Email is one of the most important pieces of technology that we use today. While we might even rely too much on email, it’s a necessary part of the sales process. However, if you really think about it, the way we use email hasn’t changed all that much over the years. Sure, we now have email in our pockets (via our phones) but the actual tools we use are pretty much the same.
Or so you may think…
This is where some of the leading sales enablement companies (like HubSpot Sales) come into play. They are helping make salespeople smarter, faster, and able to improve one-to-one email communication in some big ways. Let’s take a quick look at some of the tools your salespeople shouldn’t be doing business without.
Having email templates isn’t something new necessarily, but the way we can now access, use, and track them is definitely shifting for the better. The old way of doing things might have involved housing example email templates in a Word doc or old email, ready to be copied, pasted and re-worded to fit each salesperson's needs.
The new way of using email templates involves turning your best and most repetitive sales emails into templates that you can personalize, optimize, and share with your team. These templates live in a centralized location (your sales enablement software) so everyone can access them — yet they are pulled in directly from your Gmail or Office 365 inbox. No more searching for the document, no copying and pasting, no asking or looking around for the copy you’ve crafted in the past. Sales enablement tools make it easy to utilize the email templates that are proven to work (with superior analytics and tracking) across your organization.
Imagine that every sales scenario, objection, or type of decision maker that your salespeople come across had the perfectly crafted email with links, resources, and proven wording ready to go. It’s a game-changer.
Yes, it’s true. It’s possible to easily track — with the click of a button — every email you send to a prospect or customer. The value of knowing exactly when a prospect opened your email (or did not) is imperative in knowing exactly when to follow up. And we all know in today’s busy, time-starved world, timing is everything.
Not only can you know when recipients opened or clicked your email, but you can also get these notifications delivered to your desktop, inbox, or phone. This means you have on-the-go, real-time data and insights into when your prospects are engaging. This could help you determine when to follow up, pick up the phone, or take a next step.
Sales enablement technology allows us to take things even further with use of scheduling and email workflows. Scheduling strategically-timed emails based on past open times can help increase engagement, response, and conversion. Being able to automate a series of one-to-one emails depending on an action (or inaction) will save salespeople valuable time and ensure they are properly nurturing and following up with prospects. We all know that multiple touch points over a short period of time is necessary in almost every sales process. These tools will help salespeople make those touches without having to remember.
These tools are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the power of sales enablement technology available. In my humble opinion, these tools can be the single most valuable addition to a sales team in 2017.