Automate Redundant Processes -- the rewards of effectively using technology
With this technology in place (see previous posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4), the company gathered feedback on what was working. One of the biggest improvements the sales team acknowledged was centralized information and access to the right tools. They reported saving eight hours a week by not entering information in multiple places or having to search for what they needed.
Rolling this out to channel partners was another challenge. Prior to the centralized system, channel partners’ plans for each fiscal year were tracked manually in Word documents. They remained static and allowed the channel management team limited visibility into deals in progress.
This changed when the partner extranet was adopted and the business planning process became an interactive tool that both the partner and the channel team could access. Updates now happen dynamically as the year progresses. And because there is now visibility into channel activities, sales and marketing can provide useful, directed information to help partners close sales.
In the end, the technology exists to power sites with real-time updating, administration that makes life easier for your personnel, and tools to help sales and channel partners shrink sales cycles and close more deals. Any website can push, stack, or list information, but the portal that puts the right information at sales’ fingertips when they need it is ultimately the key to a unified brand.
Comments