Why should your business care about a mobile sales app?
As consumers, we use apps on our mobile devices every day. We expect to be able to do anything from our smartphones or tablets. The B2B world has realised their customers are consumers in their personal lives, with the same expectation of using apps for professional purposes too.
A mobile sales app is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ tool. If you are a brand or wholesaler, it is an essential resource for optimizing your sales process, increasing your sales revenue and running a successful and efficient operation.
It may be hard to convince your sales reps to adapt to the new technology, especially if they are creatures of habit and like doing things their way. So how can you make a case for why your business needs a mobile sales app?
You can streamline your order taking
In the past taking a sales order from a B2B customer was a long process. Sales reps would write orders by hand, fax them through to the office, find someone to decipher the handwriting, correct mistakes and so on.
A mobile sales app makes life much easier for order taking. The entire order-to-cash process is automated and combining ERP integration means orders placed are automatically sent through to the back office for processing with an instantaneous confirmation email sent to your customer.
Once your platform is integrated you eliminate redundant data entry, not only reducing your labour costs, but also ensuring a higher degree of accuracy (no more trying to decipher that weird hand-writing). The money you save can be reallocated to activities geared to winning new customers and satisfying the existing ones.
You can improve your customer relationships and your revenue
Previously, B2B buyers were reliant upon their sales rep for any information pertaining to the product they wanted to buy. Now, the average B2B buyer does not contact a sales rep until 57% of their purchase process has been completed. Because they have the resources to do a lot of research themselves, they are far more knowledgeable than they were.
As a result, your sales reps need the right tools to keep them prepared. They need to be armed with sufficient customer knowledge to provide a totally personalised experience. The advice and guidance they provide must be accurate and up-to-date.
Customer data from your mobile sales app will empower your reps to up-sell and cross-sell ultimately increasing your sales.
At the heart of any business experience is a relationship. These are created in different ways in the B2B world, but B2C techniques can be used. Providing shipping information, the ability to track orders, and see previous purchase order information are all common practices in the B2C world that can be easily replicated in the B2B world by using a B2B mobile sales app, thereby managing your customers’ expectations.
With a mobile sales app, you can showcase your products with an attractive e-catalogue.
In 2017, 56% of B2B buyers bought half or more of their products online. So, an e-catalogue is a must.
The benefits of a visually appealing B2B e-catalogue are numerous. With a much broader reach than a printed catalogue, you are opening a world of opportunities for potential new customers to view your product.
With detailed information pages for each product at their fingertips, customers can locate an item within seconds. Related PDFs and marketing documents can be accessed, including brochures, specs, care and assembly instructions, consumer reports and warranties.
Videos can also be incorporated to showcase a product’s features and benefits, providing a memorable customer experience.
Always stay connected with no lost revenue
There are no guarantees in this world, but you can be sure you will lose your vital wifi connection just as you’re about to close that one big deal you’ve been waiting for.
Using a mobile sales app with offline capability means no revenue is lost when your wifi goes down. Orders can still be taken and synced with the platform once wifi is restored.
Results in more confident sales reps
One final reason why your business needs a mobile sales app could be the most underestimated one. Empowering your sales reps with the knowledge and resources they need will fill them with confidence. And a confident salesperson is a productive salesperson.
