My upcoming book titled “WebTools for SalesMakers” is nearing completion and on schedule for a fall release. With so many new and exciting developments on this topic, I thought would ask for some help from each of you.
Which web tools, products and services do you consider a “must have” in your sales efforts? Which tools are you using in your daily sales activities that are really making a difference? Think back to a year or two ago and consider how your approach to prospecting, nurturing and developing your prospects and clients has changed. Which tools do you want to check out that you haven’t had the time to explore yet? They might include social networking tools such as LinkedIn®, CRM tools like Salesforce.com or email enhancement tools like Gist or Xobni. Which tools have helped you increase sales, work more effectively, and maybe even enjoy the effort more?
Add your recommended favorites in the Comments area below. Pass this along to others that you respect in sales and ask them to contribute. Both SalesMakers and Sales Leaders, jump in and add your favorites to the list.
Beginning Tuesday, September 2nd, I will be highlighting a different Web Tool for SalesMakers each day for 30 days. I’ve been compiling my WebTools list but I need your favorites to complete the project. You never know, you might make it into the book!
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Fear Friends,
I believe that the main “sales tool” should be salesforces consultative skills to understand customer needs, help them to realize the impact of their present problems and offer solutions they would never think of without the sales representative help. Of course it requires a previous planning, web research, industry understanding etc.
I surely see a high value in IT sales tools – it would be a non-sense not to – but I have seen a lot of ultra-high-modern-IT sales reps without the basics: asking intelligent questions and listening attentively to customers.
Regards, Andre Santos
Andre, I agree with your thoughts about Consultative Skills. Anyone that substitutes tools for core sales training and sales process will ultimately fail in their efforts to win business. All the leads, email, phone conversations and meetings in the world will be of no help if you don’t have core selling skills locked down solid.
I tell clients that I can bring no value to their sales efforts with my training if they do not already have an identified sales process in place.
If you are new to sales, get your sales training down first, then select and deploy the appropriate tools that will fit with your sales training and sales process. The books listed in an earlier post listing the Top 20 Sales Books will be a great place to start with your training: http://budurl.com/md7h. Many of these books are on my Recommended Reading list on the right hand side of the blog. Start with one and see where it takes you.
Here’s a few tools I use:
VerticalResponse
CoTweet (cool web app)
TweetDeck (cool AIR app)
Facebook Fan Page
Linkedin Group
Jigsaw
and..Gist (to automatically build and monitor company and person profiles)
I would say web and mobile based Sales Enablement applications will be increasingly important as they become better and their search functionalities become smarter / more tailored to the individual sales person. I have been blogging about Sales Enablement applications for example here http://salesenablement.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/information-architecture/
Tweetlater.com – I set up 8 tweets per day spaced out 3 hours between each. This takes only about 15 minutes – effective and easy!
Xobni is a really great enhancement tool for Outlook – I love it.
LinkedIn
Google
Bing
Hoovers
Landslide.com (Salesforce.com killer)
ConstantContact.com
AudioGenerator.com (audio/video testimonials on email/web)
Hubspot.com (Blog, SEO and Analytics
LinkedIn.com
Outlook
Google
InsideView
salesforce.com
Jigsaw
Linkedin
Active Conversion
twitter
Use them EVERY single day…all day.