Recently, CarEdge reported a mind-blowing fact about the automobile industry that has big implications for auto dealer marketing. For complete clarity, I'll quote the entire statement here:

Today's sales teams face unique challenges in a very competitive global marketplace. If you’re in sales, you know how hard it is to communicate your differentiation, especially when  technological advances and shifts in consumer behavior move at the speed of light. For example, 67% of the B2B buyer's journey is digital. Research shows that 35% to 50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first.

To be competitive, sales teams must be more than skilled. They must continuously improve and find new ways to connect to customers. Effective sales teams constantly evaluate and enhance their performance, adapt to changing circumstances, and focus on delivering value to customers. Sales coaching software can be transformational for a sales team, leading to a more results-driven and adaptable sales force. 

"Good salespeople are not born, they are trained," according to 35-year sales development industry veteran Dave Kurlan.

There is data to back this up. Studies have shown that companies with a formal sales coaching and training process reach 91.2% of their sales quota. Also, organizations with a coaching program see 7% greater revenue year over year.  

In the dynamic landscape of sales, where customer interactions and relationships are pivotal, conversational analytics has revolutionized how sales teams understand, evaluate, and enhance their processes. Why? Because customer service is critical to success. According to a study by Microsoft, 90% of Americans use customer service as a factor in deciding whether to do business with a company. 58% will change companies due to poor customer service.

A recent Harvard Business Review article reported that while lagging behind other business functions incorporating digital technology, "Sales is primed to quickly become a leading adopter of generative AI… AI-powered systems are on the way to becoming every salesperson's (and every sales manager's) indispensable digital assistant."

Sherlock Holmes once said, "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." While he may be a fictional detective, he is absolutely correct. He is essentially saying that theories without facts to back them up are just assumptions. This can be dangerous in sales. With millions of dollars in both expenses and revenues at stake, launching any sales initiative by merely assuming you understand your target customer and their wants, needs, and pain points is risky.

If you have followed my articles, you know that I am a huge fan of technology, when used correctly. I try to avoid pushing Calldrip in my articles as much as possible. However, sometimes there is no way around sharing the features that the incredible team at Calldrip has created.

Sales technology can transform your business. Today, we’ll be looking at one that may be new to you: lead to call automation. Lead to call automation is a unique strategy that automatically converts inbound leads into a phone call, almost instantaneously. This technology can unlock speed-to-lead. Plus, sparking a real conversation at the peak moment of interest can build strong relationships and dramatically improve sales.

To be successful in inside sales, you need strong communication skills, solid industry knowledge, confidence in your abilities, and persistence. All of these elements are in play when a salesperson picks up the phone. Even today, the phone call is a powerful tool for building connections and generating sales opportunities. So what call tools are you using to make your sales calls as effective as possible?