Four Trends Shaping the World of Sales

The success of a business is often pegged on how it accommodates change, which often finds many people unprepared. The world of sales is taking a completely new direction. Many companies are moving from the field to the virtual world.

Here are four trends shaping the world of sales today:

# 1. Mobile technology

This includes the use of smartphones, PDAs, laptops and tablets. The overwhelming popularity of these devices continues to play a significant role in office environments. Smartphones and tablets provide sales teams an on-the-go access to communication platforms such as email, internet scheduling and calendars.

Many mobile business applications allow salespeople to make presentations, streamline social collaboration between team members and prepare invoices. In addition, mobile technologies also allow salespeople to work from anywhere and have become an extension of the office environment.

The technology enhances how salespeople interact with clients. Because most interactions between salespeople and their clients are based on visual presentations, mobile devices such smartphones and tablets allow salespeople to create multi-dimensional presentations to drive home a selling point.

# 2. Big data analysis

Many big companies conduct data analysis in order to respond and adapt to changing market conditions more quickly and make highly data driven decisions. This analysis involves identifying each step in their business processes and client attitudes towards the processes. Big data analysis allows companies to track changes in the market, serve their customers better and more efficiently and bring to the surface sales process inefficiencies so that suitable changes can be made proactively instead of retroactively.

Access to actionable data is at the forefront of business intelligence and when we are adding 2.5 quintillion bytes of data to the information age database every day, it should come as no surprise that innovators in the software industry are rushing to provide small businesses with cloud-based tools that provide access to same analytical insights and reporting as big companies have.

# 3. Cloud technology

With the invention of Cloud technology, sales teams can now access various software packages without having to install them in their desktops, laptops or tablets. The types of business applications that can be accessed through the cloud include accounting software for business, business intelligence tools and project management applications, just to name a few.

Not only has the cloud proven to be a flexible format for securely creating, managing, and sharing information across multiple platforms and devices, the technology is also proving to be a lot less carbon intensive for businesses than maintaining the same types of data services they provide in-house.

# 4. Social media

Social media has made it easier for sales teams to communicate more effectively with consumers. A company Facebook page can help your team maintain constant communication, respond to client and reader comments, assess feedback on company brand and spread awareness of new products or services as well as build trust and relationships.

Social networking has also provided an easy means of advertising and marketing. Many social networking sites provide tools that salespeople can use to keep track of the number of visitors and their demographic area allowing you and your team to easily assess the popularity of their products and services and the demographic characteristics of the consumers who use your products or services.

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