Do the Sales Tools in Your Toolbox Need Updating?

Now that we are more than halfway through 2014, how are your sales numbers? Some industries are still suffering due to the economy, while others are starting to turn a corner and come out of the slowdown that has been taking place the last few years.

Regardless of the industry, many sales professionals have “tried and true” tools to help them achieve success on a daily basis. Sometimes, the longer a tool has been in the toolbox, the less comfortable someone is willing to give it up, even if it might not be as relevant as it once was. As hard as it may be, change, sometimes is a good thing. Here are some ideas and tools you may want to consider adding to your toolbox.

LinkedIn

Unlike general social media sites, like Facebook, LinkedIn is a way of conducting online networking and learning about the latest news and information about a multitude of industries. The site has a wide variety of groups on just about every topic, from sales, to engineering, to hospitality management. These groups are often quite active and are a great source for information on the current issues of a specific industry, questions about best practices, and product recommendations. You will see the intermittent job post, and on occasion, someone recommending a blog post they wrote.

Corporate Affiliations

LexisNexis Corporate Affiliations provides in-depth profiles on companies. This can prove very helpful when preparing for a sales call. You will have access to more than just general, unverified information you can find by searching around the Internet. Their business information database provides verified in-depth insight on directors, executives and their professional interactions. This information will help you build relationships that encourage business success and close more sales.

Yesware

Nothing is worse than waiting for someone to respond to your email. You aren’t even sure they opened it. Yesware helps you identify better prospects for follow up by determining who actually opened your emails and clicked on your links. You can also set reminders and use email templates to help you stay organized and efficient when utilizing email to help you with your sales and marketing plans.

DocuSign

At the end of the day, the most important part of the sales process is getting someone to “sign on the dotted line.” Docusign helps sales professionals tackle that problem. This system provides e-signature technology so your customer can sign documents electronically and then easily send them back. Everything is stored in the Cloud, and it is a safe, secure, and legally binding. The entire process can be monitored by sales reps and managers alike, to ensure the deal is closed in a timely manner.

So don’t be afraid of taking a “tool inventory” every so often. You might be missing out on a new strategy that could help take your approach to the next level.