Sales Management Software: The Ultimate Guide to Selection and Implementation

In a time when 72% of reps expect to miss quota and 85% of sales leaders have no budget for headcount, it has never been more important to improve results from existing reps. And while investing in the right technology for sales reps is important, it’s just as important to ensure that sales managers have the software they need to drive results. That’s where sales management software comes in.

Sales management software has become necessary for managers to improve rep performance, their sales processes and interactions with buyers. With the right sales management software, businesses can enhance rep performance, make pipeline more predictable, improve sales forecasting and automate tedious sales processes. As a result, managers can drive team productivity, have more impactful conversations and scale greatness across their organization.

However, not all sales management solutions are the same. In this blog post, we’ll look at what sales management software is, how to select the right solution for your business and the factors you need to consider to implement a sales management solution successfully.

What is Sales Management Software?

Sales management software refers to a set of tools used by businesses to manage their sales activities, track customer interactions, improve and scale coaching and make intelligent forecasts.

Sales management software typically includes features such as lead and opportunity management, conversation intelligence, contact management, sales reporting and analytics and sales forecasting. With the right solution, managers can increase team productivity, enhance customer experiences and boost quota attainment.

Why is Sales Management Software Important?

Sales management software is crucial for businesses for many reasons. First, it helps businesses improve their sales productivity by automating their sales processes. One example of this includes the ability of the Revenue.io platform to reinforce training in real time across every conversation.

Second, sales management software helps businesses improve their customer relationships by providing a centralized database of customer interactions. While CRM solutions like Salesforce have been an amazing first step for managers, it’s likewise important to capture actual conversational insights. This is necessary to provide prospects and customers with the personalized interactions that they expect, which results in improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Finally, sales management solutions provide businesses with valuable insights into rep performance, allowing managers to make data-driven decisions and improve their sales forecasting. This can help businesses identify new opportunities for growth and action successful sales strategies.

How Can Businesses Benefit from Sales Management Solutions?

Data That’s Trustworthy and Actionable

One of the primary benefits of sales management software is ensuring there is trustworthy data in central repositories. The best management solutions start by offering the ability to capture key data points automatically. This not only gives reps more sales time by automating mundane tasks; it also automatically captures data points that can be used to populate reports and dashboards for managers.

As an example, the award-winning Revenue.io sales management solution delivers hundreds of turnkey reports and dashboards out of the box. So as reps take calls and host video meetings, key insights are captured for managers.

By having trustworthy and actionable data, managers can make decisions that result in more closed won deals.

Empower Reps to Overcome Sales Objections

Sales management software can surface common sales objections and help managers quickly see how top performers are overcoming those objections. That knowledge can then be scaled across sales teams.

As an example, Revenue.io offers conversation intelligence that can automatically surface conversations with objections like “I don’t have budget.” Managers can see how top reps speak to those objections. These takeaways can then be scaled team-wide using real-time guidance during calls.

Better Sales Forecasting

Sales management software provides businesses with valuable insights into their sales performance, allowing them to make data-driven decisions and improve their sales forecasting. By analyzing data on sales activities, businesses can identify trends and patterns that can help them optimize their sales strategies and identify new opportunities for growth. This can result in improved revenue and profitability.

One recent development in sales management software is AI-assisted forecasting. In fact, one of the biggest opportunities that AI offers sales managers is the ability to improve forecasting with next best actions. Forrester’s B2B Benchmark Metrics Data shows that 93.6% of B2B organizations report missing their first-day quarterly forecast by 10% or more. However, advances in technology and changes in the economic climate are driving an increased desire for smarter forecasting.

Companies are increasingly capturing these interactions thanks to AI-powered Conversation Intelligence solutions like Conversation AI. The adoption of Conversation Intelligence is steadily on the rise. From 2021 to 2022, companies investing in Revenue Operations & Intelligence platforms, many of which include AI-powered forecasting, doubled. Simultaneously, Conversation Intelligence, which already experienced robust adoption, went from 38% adoption in B2B companies to a planned 51%.

Streamlined Sales Processes

Sales management software can help businesses streamline their sales processes by automating workflows and providing real-time data on sales activities. This can result in faster sales cycles, improved deal tracking, and increased revenue. By providing sales teams with the tools they need to manage their sales pipelines, businesses can ensure that they are operating at peak efficiency and closing deals as quickly as possible.

Improved Collaboration and Communication

Sales management software can also improve collaboration and communication between sales teams and other departments within a business. By providing a centralized database of customer information and sales activities, sales management software can help sales teams work more harmoniously with customer success, revenue operations and marketing teams.

How to Choose the Right Sales Management Platform

Choosing the right sales management software can be a daunting task. With so many options available on the market, be sure to select a solution that meets your business’s unique needs. Here are some important factors to consider.

Does it Meet Your Needs?

The first step in choosing the right sales management software is to identify your business needs. Ask yourself questions like: What are my sales goals? What sales processes do I need to streamline? Which features are essential to my business? By understanding your business needs, you’ll be able to choose a solution that meets your specific requirements.

Is it Intuitive?

Another important factor to consider when choosing sales management software is usability. The solution should be easy to use and navigate, even for employees who are not tech-savvy. It should have a clear and intuitive interface that allows users to access the information they need quickly and easily.

Does it Integrate with Your Stack?

Sales management software should integrate with other tools and software that your business uses. Consider the integration capabilities of the software you’re evaluating and ensure that it can work seamlessly with your existing systems. This will save you time and effort in the long run and ensure that your data is consistent across all platforms.

As an example, if your company is using Salesforce, it’s important to evaluate a solution’s Salesforce integration. A lot of tools claim to integrate with Salesforce seamlessly when, in fact, the integration slows down Salesforce and doesn’t sync in real time. Revenue.io was built from the ground up to offer the industry’s most robust Salesforce integration. So it’s a perfect solution for Salesforce customers. But companies using a different CRM might potentially choose a different sales management solution than Revenue.io.

Is it Flexible?

Your business is unique, and your sales management software should be too. Look for a solution that offers customization options, allowing you to tailor the software to your specific needs. This will allow you to get the most out of the software and ensure that it meets your business needs.

Is it Scalable?

Consider the pricing and scalability of the sales management software you’re evaluating. Determine whether the software is affordable for your business and whether it offers the scalability you need to grow. Look for a solution that offers flexible pricing options and the ability to add new users or features as your business expands.

Will it Be Easy to Implement?

If a solution meets all of your other criteria, it’s essential to look at how difficult implementation will be. Did the company give you a timeline? Are there implementation resources in place? How much of the implementation process will be white glove vs. driven by your operations department? These are all important questions to answer before choosing a solution.

How to Successfully Implement Your New Solution

After selecting the right solution for your business, it’s time to kick off implementation. Implementing sales management software can be a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline their drive results. However, without the right plan in place, implementing a new software solution can present challenges. Let’s take a closer look at how to implement sales management software effectively.

Define Your Objectives

The first step in implementing sales management software is to define your objectives. What do you want to achieve with this software? Are you looking to improve sales efficiency, streamline processes or improve customer relationships? By defining your objectives, you’ll be able to create a clear plan for implementing the software.

Train Your Employees

Once you’ve chosen your software, it’s essential to train your employees on how to use it effectively. Work with your vendor to provide training sessions and resources to help your employees get up to speed quickly. Consider setting up an internal onboarding team to assist with any questions or issues that arise during the implementation process.

Allocate Resources

Ensure that you have the right people at your company in place to handle each part of implementation. This cross-functional team might include RevOps, CRM admins, IT and, of course, sales managers.

Establish KPIs

Make sure you have KPIs in place to define what success looks like. Consult with your vendor to set expectations based on the experience of similar companies. As an example, some KPIs might include improving forecasting accuracy by 10% or SALs by 20% within two fiscal quarters.

Monitor Your Progress

Implementing sales management software is not a one-time event. You need to monitor your progress regularly against set KPIs and adjust your processes as needed. Use the software to track your sales activities, analyze your results, and make data-driven decisions. This will help you continuously improve your sales performance and drive revenue growth.

Looking to implement a sales management solution? Revenue.io was awarded with the best sales management solution by G2 based on our customers’ independent reviews and feedback. We’d love to help your sales managers drive more pipeline and revenue.