But what happens when your sale scenarios don’t fit neatly into the template you’ve created? Do your sales processes go out the window when you’re dealing with more dynamic sales environments?
Even after automating and systematizing your sales process with CPQ solutions, CRM, and sales automation, it can be easy for your sales reps to succumb to the thinking that “Those processes are really only for the really simple sales.”
No two sales are ever going to be the same. The solution? Creating a dynamic process that can adapt to each individual sales situation. In so doing, you will ensure that your sales solutions are being properly utilized and empowered to succeed. In fact, companies with “dynamic, adaptable sales and marketing processes” can expect to see 10% greater sales quota achievement.
As you begin to build out this adaptive sales process, here are a few tips to help guide your dynamic sales quoting processes:
Configure as Many Solutions as Possible
The more complex and customizable your solutions are, the more data your reps will be required to enter. In light of this fact, it’s hardly a surprise that 71% of sales reps say they spend too much time on data entry.
To enable your CPQ solution to generate proposals that are truly adapted to each prospect’s preferences, you need to map out and preload all possible configurations into your system. With the right solution, this shouldn’t take long, and it will save your reps a significant amount of time.
Define Clear Rules for Dynamic Environments
If a client needs X, he or she may also benefit from Y. If he doesn’t want either, pitch him or her Z.
These are the kind of rules that used to come from years of experience and hard lessons. Without a CPQ, these rules would stay in a sales rep’s head and the knowledge would seldom be transferred to new reps.
Now, you can create rules to improve the intelligence of your CPQ’s guided selling functionality. This will significantly reduce your sales rep’s learning curve and guarantee that your prospects are always getting sold and quoted the best configuration.
Enforce Your Dynamic Sales Processes
Automated and enforced sales processes generate 88% quota attainment. The key word here is enforced. Your CPQ solution does nothing for you if your reps still avoid using it when they feel a configuration or sale is too complex for the system.
Achieving full adoption of your sales enablement solution requires you to educate your reps on the true power of the new platform and regularly touch base with them to make sure they’re using the solution to its fullest.
A CPQ solution can greatly increase a sales rep’s effectiveness and profitability but if not properly implemented, reps will see sub-optimal results and ultimately be less inclined to carry on using the solution.
CPQ Empowers Sales Reps
While dynamic sales environments present greater challenges for sales reps, they also present great opportunities. Putting systems in place to enable your reps to successfully navigate through a complex sales process will give you a much higher competitive advantage in an industry where everyone is struggling to simplify and streamline their sales strategy.
Learn more: What is CPQ?
Article originally published December 8, 2015. Updated June 26, 2018.
