Tag Archive for: Productivity

Productivity Tips For A High-Performing Sales Team

As a salesperson, are you as productive as you would like to be? If we’re all honest with ourselves we could all make slight improvements to better our productivity. You are well aware that the majority of your time is taken up by menial admin, where you would rather be doing what you’re passionate about, sales. Close deals faster and drive more revenue with these tips and tricks.

Implement a CRM System (Customer Relationship Management)

If you’re not making use of a CRM, you are already falling behind your competition. CRM provides solutions to issues that are potentially holding you back as a salesperson. Maximize the time you spend selling with productivity and collaboration tools.

We are all familiar with the ancient proverb “Time Is Money;” therefore it’s about time you optimize your schedule. Most CRMs will allow you to add tasks with a deadline or due date attached to it.

A key benefit of CRM is it allows you to store important documentation. This includes a resource library and templates for sales representatives, making it easier for you to find what you need when you need it. The proper leverage of a CRM will allow you to automate where possible, avoiding time spent on tedious manual data entry.

Some CRMs allow you to send emails from the software itself, preventing you from having to copy and paste what was said from your inbox into the CRM. This allows everyone to see what was said, and how the lead is progressing. Customer data and lead progression is no longer siloed in the inbox of the individual but is visible for the whole sales team where everything is tracked.

Making use of a CRM allows your company’s sales and marketing teams to collaborate. A high-performing sales team requires high-quality leads. Putting your customers at the center of everything with a comprehensive, customizable view of your clients across sales, service, and marketing creates a strong sense of customer service. We don’t need to tell you how customer service can make or break a company.

Find more sales opportunities with a complete CRM solution. Combine strong marketing automation with sales pipeline intelligence to win more sales. Allow sales reps to sell faster than ever, from anywhere with the use of a CRM. Data at your fingertips whether you’re at the office, on the road, or with a customer.

Popular CRMs include Salesforce, Zoho CRM, SugarCRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365, HubSpot CRM, and others. These systems can fit any budget, and can scale up as your business grows.

Your operations are managed by your ERP system (enterprise resource planning), and data between it and your CRM remain siloed. Increase your productivity with an ERP and CRM integration with Commercient SYNC, the #1 data integration platform for sales.

You’ll be able to access important ERP data within CRM, such as customer information, sales history, invoicing, A/R, serial numbers invoiced, inventory, etc. New sales, accounts, opportunities, etc., created in CRM are integrated to ERP, giving you a full view of sales. Take a look at our supported ERPs and CRMs here.

More Productivity Tips

It’s common sense to make an appointment for your important tasks such as meetings or demos, but it is also important to pencil in your “less important” activities. One example is checking and cleaning up your inbox.

For example, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed when you see hundreds of new messages awaiting your attention. Even if the majority of them are less important messages or junk that you haven’t gotten around to deleting. Make time to delete pesky spam and follow-up on quality messages. Unroll.me can assist by organizing your subscription emails, so you don’t have to spend time sifting through the clutter.

Finish the most dreaded task first, whatever that may be for you. Once you have that out of the way, you’ll be able to focus on what you like doing. Saving the worst for last may lead to procrastination in that regard. Organize your call list: Who do you have to call that’s most important? Who do you not want to call? And who would you be calling that may have you come off as annoying instead of you being attentive? Streamtime is a productivity software that may help you in this regard, helping you to easily assemble your daily to-do list.

Take time for yourself and schedule it. In our modern society, we value hard work. While it may make you viewed in a favorable light with your superiors to burn the midnight oil and work through lunch. Being highly productive may result in burnout. This will end up costing you in the long run. In some cultures, taking a nap at your desk is smiled upon, as it shows how hard you have worked.

Schedule that time for yourself. Take your lunch break, stand up from your desk and do some stretches. Make your workspace a place you want to be, where you feel energized and productive. Plan is a time management tool that places more of an emphasis on work-life balance than the other apps. You can keep track of whether you’re maintaining a healthy lifestyle or not.

Invest in some time tracking software. While we encourage you to prioritize personal health by taking time for yourself, it’s easy to get sucked into reading just one more post on social media. Or perhaps finishing just one more level on a mobile game. Schedule personal time, and stick to it.

Time tracking software will allow you to see what you spend most of your time doing. Scale back low-value activities, and focus on quality leads. Create time for all your ongoing projects so that one isn’t left behind. RescueTime, StayFocused and Toggl are all examples of time-tracking mechanisms.

If you’d like to learn how Commercient SYNC ERP and CRM data integration can improve your sales team’s productivity, please contact us today.

Does Your Business Need a Cloud Computing Strategy?

You’ve heard of cloud computing, right? Stratalux CEO Jeremy Przygode says it’s the norm for businesses today and it’s transforming the way we do business. A recent report shows that over 95% of businesses now operate on a public, private, or hybrid cloud platform. How about your company? Do you have a cloud computing strategy? Here are few reasons why you should consider developing one.

You can save more money

If you choose to migrate to the cloud, you can save a lot of money. Rackspace surveyed 1,300 companies and found that 88% of cloud users experienced significant cost savings and 56% of them noted an increase in profits. With the cloud, you reduce hardware costs because hardware repair and replacement costs are left to the vendor. It also saves on your power bills. Large data centers take up space and produce heat. You won’t have to worry about keeping that area cooled to optimal temperature if your hardware is offsite. You also save on labor and maintenance costs. That means your IT staff can focus on daily needs and development. If your company doesn’t have in-house IT, moving to the cloud will defray third-party hardware repair bills.

The cloud also allows you to take advantage of the pay-as-you-go model – you only pay for software as you utilize it, and it can be canceled at any time. The subscription model helps you avoid the costs that can come with defective software.

You can innovate and experiment

Migrating to the cloud will also help you innovate, experiment, and create new products and services. A study conducted at the London School of Economics and Political Science found that “One of the key ways that cloud computing supports operational and technological innovation is by moving an organization more briskly through the experimental or prototyping stages. With traditional IT models, a decision to prototype a new system generally involves the procurement and installation of expensive hardware, with the associated checks and delays that conventional purchasing requires. Cloud provisioning, on the other hand, can be implemented rapidly and at low cost.”

In other words, with the cloud, you can spend a lot more time on developing strategies and products to help your company grow and less time on maintaining infrastructure and hardware. In addition, because cloud software can be deployed within hours your staff can increase productivity because they won’t have to wait for installation.  

You can be more flexible

Cloud computing also allows you to be more flexible both inside and outside of the workplace. For example, if you need access to data while you are away from the office, you can easily access that data anytime and anywhere through any web-enabled device. With the cloud, you can also offer more flexible working hours to your employees and collaborate with them on the go and in real-time. An effective cloud strategy allows your employees to have more freedom, which yields happier and more productive workers.

You can increase security and protection of sensitive data

If you move to the cloud, you can also experience increased security, privacy, and control – all data sent to the cloud is encrypted and is hosted in a centralized and protected environment. Since your data is stored in the cloud, you can access it no matter what happens to your hardware. Commercient’s SYNC app, for instance, is a cloud-based application that provides a safe and secure environment for integrating data between ERP and CRM systems. The secure cloud environment makes it easier for you to grant your employees varying levels of controlled access to the data you sync into your CRM system. Hence, developing a cloud strategy allows you to take greater control of your data.

Cloud computing strategy or not?

Almost all apps and legacy software have already moved to the cloud. The scalability, flexibility, and increase in employee collaboration make a cloud strategy almost imperative for a growing business.  Cloud computing is also cost-effective, secure, and easy to maintain. A cloud solution simplifies hosting and allows your company to scale up or down as your business needs change. According to John Angove, CEO of Commercient, “In order to be nimble, moving your processes to the cloud is the best option for companies that want to stay competitive.”

The question isn’t whether you should adopt a cloud strategy, but when?

 

Commercient is pleased to introduce an amazing new product–IoT Pulse. Access to it is by invitation only, so contact us to get on the waiting list.

Examinando tu ERP: 3 signos de que tu sistema ERP está fallando

¿Cuándo fue la última vez que evaluaste el estado de tu software ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)? ¿El sistema ERP que utilizas actualmente es el mejor para tu negocio? ¿O tal vez tu actual ERP ya no funciona para ti tan bien como antes?

Así como el cuerpo humano necesita revisiones regularmente, lo mismo pasa con tu ERP. De hecho, evaluar regularmente tu ERP puede evitar que tus proyectos fracasen después. Según la empresa consultora Gartner, más del 75% de los proyectos ERP fracasan. Aquí hay algunas señales de quizá el tuyo está fallando también:

La gestión de proyectos se ha estancado

Todos sabemos que dormir es bueno para el cuerpo, pero si tu equipo de gestión de proyectos se ha dormido en la implementación de tu proyecto ERP, es para alarmarse. Los proyectos ERP exitosos son manejados por gerentes o supervisores que participan activamente tanto en la selección como la implementación de los mismos. Para implementar con éxito un ERP los gestores de proyectos deberían poder identificar y responder a los riesgos, gestionar la comunicación y verificar el nivel de preparación de la organización.

Según ResearchGate, el rol de un gestor de proyectos en la implementación de un ERP es “trabajar eficientemente en las siguientes áreas: decidir el alcance de los proyectos, gestión de riesgos, detectar necesidades, seleccionar al personal adecuado, prevenir el desgaste, definir el cronograma del proyecto, sincronización con otros sistemas, monitorear el progreso y manejar el caos.” Por lo tanto, tu coordinador de proyectos es una figura clave en el éxito o fracaso de la implementación del ERP. Un gestor de proyectos inactivo no es una opción.

Falta de experiencia de los usuarios

En cualquier compañía, necesitas contar con el talento necesario para desempeñar ciertos roles y funciones; y para tu proyecto ERP, necesitas personas que sepan utilizar las funciones que ofrece tu ERP. Incluso, tu equipo no debería solo conocer sus propios procesos sino los de otros departamentos.

De acuerdo a Pemeco Consulting, “es vital desarrollar e implementar un plan de entrenamiento ERP personalizado que le da a los miembros clave de tu equipo con las herramientas necesarias para tener éxito… el entrenamiento debería proveerles las bases necesarias para reinventar los procesos de la compañía. Después, estas personas se convertirán en los expertos a quienes recurrirán los otros empleados de la compañía cuando necesiten ayuda.”       

Claramente, sin el conocimiento y entrenamiento adecuados, ¿cómo pueden los usuarios sentirse confiados a la hora de hacer su trabajo? ¿O cómo podrían ser efectivos?

No se ha implementado la fase de prueba

Todo software debería ser probado; sin embargo, este no siempre es el caso en compañías que implementan un sistema ERP. Muchas empresas terminan saltándose esta fase cuando necesitan cumplir con fechas límite o metas de costos. Pero todos sabemos demasiado bien que fallas en la implementación pueden resultar en un software inutilizable en el futuro. Bistasolutions señala que “el propósito de la fase de prueba de un ERP no es verificar si funciona. El objetivo es ver si el sistema solventa las necesidades de su empresa y produce los resultados deseados.” Al final, la manera en que ese sistema se sincroniza con los procesos y prácticas de tu compañía será un factor determinante en su éxito a largo plazo.

 

Si todavía no estás seguro de cuál sistema ERP es el mejor para tu negocio, contacta a los expertos de Commercient hoy mismo. Nosotros podemos guiarte durante todo el proceso y hacer la transición lo más fluida posible.

¿Cómo las pequeñas y medianas empresas pueden competir con los grandes?

Los negocios pequeños y medianos merecen más crédito del que normalmente reciben. No es correcto asumir que simplemente por ser un “pequeño negocio” no puedes competir con los grandes. Si crees lo suficiente en tu empresa te darás cuenta de que tienes casi las mismas oportunidades que otros de competir -y ganar- en ventas con grandes empresas.

No te excluyas automáticamente sólo porque no eres tan grande como tu competencia. Usa estos tips para competir en ventas con grandes empresas y mostrarles a todos quién llegó para quedarse:

Aprópiate de tu nicho

Ser pequeño te da grandes ventajas por sobre grandes compañías porque puedes enfocarte en ser excelente en una o varias partes del negocio en lugar de tratar de ser todo para todos. Enfoca completamente tus esfuerzos en esto.

Ser un negocio más pequeño a menudo significa ser excelente en lo que haces. No necesitas preocuparte por competir con las grandes compañías por precio o proveer una gran gama de opciones.

Tus clientes saben eso cuando deciden comprarte, pues saben que ofreces productos y servicios de calidad. Podrías no verlo así, pero ¿no te da un poco más de tranquilidad el saber que obtienes un producto de calidad por sobre otras 50 opciones de productos “regulares”?

Cada vez que tengas una conversación de ventas encuentra una manera de mostrar por qué eres tan bueno en lo que haces y cómo beneficia todo eso a tu (potencial) cliente. Sólo porque no seas una empresa grande no quiere decir que no puedes competir en ventas y demostrar la calidad de lo que ofreces a tus clientes.

Adelántate a tu competencia

Las pequeñas y medianas empresas tienen ventajas a la hora de solventar necesidades de sus clientes. Al ser una compañía más pequeña, tienes la oportunidad de personalizar la experiencia de tu cliente mucho más que una gran empresa.

Puedes resaltar beneficios como un menor tiempo de respuesta ante cualquier inconveniente o entrega más rápida. En resumen, puedes proveer un excelente servicio al cliente. Busca maneras de aprovechar el tamaño de tu empresa para beneficarte a ti y a tus clientes.

La marca tiene sus límites, y de acuerdo a este artículo de Harvard Business Review (en inglés) el valor de la relación con el cliente se ha duplicado en una década, y aunque los clientes valoran una marca fuerte “lo que constituye una marca fuerte depende más de la experiencia directa del cliente con una oferta en particular, y de la relación que tiene con la compañía que la produce”.

Superar a tu competencia en lo que se refiere, por ejemplo, al servicio al cliente, te dará grandes ventajas y traerá más ventas, sin importar qué tan grandes sean las empresas con las que compites. Una reputación de trabajar duro para complacer a los clientes nunca hizo daño a nadie.

Aprovecha las herramientas online

Hay muchas herramientas online disponibles hoy para pequeñas y medianas empresas, como Google Adwords, herramientas de encuestas online como SurveyMonkey, e incluso softwares CRM en la nube como Salesforce que sería una locura no utilizar todos estos recursos.

Con el aumento de herramientas online y aplicaciones SaaS en la nube tu empresa puede adquirir varias suscripciones que se adapten a lo que tu negocio necesita. Dado que todo esto está a tu disposición, realmente no hay excusas para decir que no puedes competir con grandes empresas.

Usar herramientas actualizadas y un sistema CRM te da la misma cantidad de recursos que durante mucho tiempo solo estuvieron disponibles para grandes compañías. El campo ha sido “nivelado”, por lo cual no debes temer a competir por ventas.

Ahora, el éxito en ventas no se obtiene por el tamaño de una compañía sino por estrategia. Juega con inteligencia, acepta todo aquello de tu compañía que inspire a otras personas, y sal a vender.

Back to the Future: Key Technology Trends that Will Change Small Business

Are you and your company ready for the future? As technology is constantly evolving, so is the way that small and mid-sized businesses operate. Thus, to be successful, SMBs need to be constantly aware, staying on top of the latest technology trends. Here are a few technology trends that every SMB should implement.

 

Cloud Computing

Nowadays, small businesses are becoming more and more comfortable with putting information and data into the cloud. According to a Microsoft Infographic, 9.6 million U.S. SMBs are currently using cloud-based services, and 98% of them say that it’s is a critical factor in their success. Co-founder of the research firm SMB Group, Laurie McGabe, says, “There are a host of technologies available in 2016 that are giving small and SMBs the applications and devices they need to level the playing field against larger companies.” She also states cloud computing is one such technology. Forbes concludes that the growth in the use of cloud-based services will be due to the benefits they provide. As McGabe puts it, “Reduced upfront investments in hardware and software, quick access to application updates and new capabilities that help them serve customers better and contribute to market growth.” 

 

Going mobile

Nowadays who doesn’t use an iPhone, Android, or other smartphones to gain access to the Internet? Acces to the internet through a desktop computer is slowly becoming obsolete. As more and more people are accessing the Internet through their smartphones while on the go, SMBs  need to ensure their websites and applications are mobile-friendly. According to a new survey by B2B research company Clutch, about 50% of small businesses should have a mobile application this year, and most their online traffic will be through mobile access. Viktor Marhonic, the CEO of the app builder Shoutem, says, “Three years ago, a small business might see 10 percent of its total traffic coming from mobile, but right now it’s closer to 70 percent. Within the next couple of years, a shift to a mobile app or a mobile-friendly site will become obvious.”

 

Remote Working

In the past, it was hard for small businesses to accommodate remote workforces, but with the introduction of innovative technologies like Zoom and Slack, SMBs have been able to make the most of an offsite workforce while significantly increasing the amount of work that is done. A Virgin Media Business survey predicts that by 2022, 60% of office-based workers will work regularly from home. According to Xero.com, “There’s a financial gain behind working remotely: the U.S. alone could stand to save more than $700 billion if those who had jobs suited to remote work could do so. As asynchronous communication through email and chat services becomes ubiquitous, remote workers can batch their tasks and use the long uninterrupted times to get more work done.” In addition, not having to maintain an office space can offer significant savings to small business owners. A Stanford University study stated that remote workers also report a higher job satisfaction, log more hours, and log less sick days than their in-office counterparts. They study also noted that remote working can save a company $2000 per year per employee.

As a leading provider of CRM and ERP integration apps, Commercient is on top of all these technology trends. Contact us today.

¿Debería invertir en un sistema ERP?

Según el reporte Software Advice’s Enterprise Resource Planning BuyerView 2015, “dos tercios de los negocios buscando un sistema ERP nunca antes han utilizado uno; el 59% mencionan la necesidad de mejorar la integración de la información entre distintos procesos y áreas del negocio; y un 47% asegura que la necesidad de mejorar su CRM es una razón para la compra de un sistema ERP”.

Cada negocio es diferente, y no habrá una señal del cielo que te indique “necesitas un sistema ERP ahora mismo”. Sin embargo, si te identificas con esto, probablemente sea tiempo de considerar invertir en un ERP. Si recientemente te has preguntado si deberías invertir en un sistema ERP, sigue leyendo y descubrirás 5 señales importantes de que es momento de comenzar a considerar opciones:    

 

Tienes varios programas para muchas cosas diferentes

Tómate un minuto para pensar en cómo tus empleados dan seguimiento, almacenan y procesan la información. ¿El personal de Contabilidad usa un programa de software para las cuentas por cobrar y cuentas por pagar, mientras que el equipo de ventas utiliza otro para procesar las órdenes de compra?

Cuando los sistemas front-end y back-end funcionan de manera separada, puede crear problemas donde todo debería marchar de manera más fluida. Puedes aprovechar las ventajas de tu sistema ERP mediante aplicaciones de integración y conectar todos tus sistemas de información front-end y back-end para que cada función de negocio esté localizada en una sola base de datos. Un software ERP ayuda al staff a tomar mejores decisiones, libera espacio y ayuda al negocio a crecer.

 

Las ventas y la experiencia del cliente resultan afectadas

Cuando tu compañía crece, uno de los principales retos es el manejo de inventario. Asegurarse de que la cantidad correcta de productos esté localizada donde debe estar en el tiempo correcto es una parte vital de las operaciones del negocio.

Mantener separada la información de los clientes, ventas e inventario puede traer serios problemas a tu compañía. Por ejemplo, si un cliente llama para preguntar sobre el estatus de una orden y tus empleados no pueden rastrearla -no pueden ver si ya fue enviada o ni siquiera si el producto está en existencias- tu compañía será reconocida por brindar mal servicio y ser poco o nada confiable. Pero con un sistema ERP, tus agentes de ventas no tendrán problemas para responder a las preguntas de los clientes y ayudarte a construir una reputación positiva en vez de negativa.

 

No es fácil acceder a la información de tu negocio

Si alguien te preguntará hoy cuál es tu margen promedio de ventas, ¿cuánto tiempo te tomaría responderle esa pregunta? ¿Y si quiere saber sobre indicadores clave de desempeño? Si solamente cuentas con hojas de cálculo en Excel y otros sistemas no integrados, probablemente te tome más tiempo del deseado.

Todos vivimos y trabajamos en un mundo que se mueve rápidamente, y los actuales o potenciales clientes no están dispuestos a esperar demasiado por la información que desean. Quieren respuestas ahora, y si no se las puedes dar buscarán a alguien que sí las tenga y se las dé más rápido que tú. Esto significa que tus empleados necesitan acceso instantáneo para importar información. Los sistemas ERP hacen esto posible.

 

La gestión de Tecnologías de la Información (IT) es una pesadilla

Tener múltiples sistemas para distintos procesos en tu negocio puede convertir la gestión de Tecnologías de la Información en un proceso demasiado complejo y tomar demasiado tiempo. Personalizar, integrar y mantener estos sistemas a base de arreglos y actualizaciones constantes puede resultar a la larga muy caro y requerirá invertir tiempo que podría haberse dedicado a otras funciones.  

La tecnología ERP ha reemplazado sistemas ineficientes para introducir la simplicidad y agilidad necesarias para responder con rapidez a las necesidades cambiantes de tu negocio. Seleccionar soluciones basadas en la nube es crítico para cambiar la manera en que opera tu negocio y simplificar la gestión de las Tecnologías de la Información.

 

La contabilidad tarda demasiado

Con frecuencia, esta es la razón principal por la que más negocios consideran la implementación de sistemas ERP. Si tu equipo está obligado a recurrir a órdenes de venta y facturas en papel, tómate un minuto para reflexionar la cantidad de tiempo que toma eso. Ahora considera el hecho de que un sistema ERP puede manejar esas y otras tareas de manera casi instantánea.

Un sistema ERP le ayudará a tu personal de Contabilidad a ser más productivo y a generar reportes críticos a tiempo según sea necesario. Sin tardanzas ni frustración. Sólo procesos de negocios sin complicaciones innecesarias.

 

Una vez has decidido invertir en un sistema ERP -por ejemplo, Acumatica o Sage Live-Commercient puede ayudarte a mejorar tu experiencia con el sistema CRM integrando esa información a un sistema ERP, a través de la aplicación SYNC. Para aprender más acerca de nuestra app SYNC para Salesforce y los otros sistemas ERP con los que trabajamos puedes revisar la información en Salesforce AppExchange.

SYNC también está disponible en Sage Marketplace.

Two Remarkable Ways Bots Can Help to Improve Your Business

Are you familiar with bots?  If you run any kind of service- or retail-based business, you need to be. According to Mark Armstrong, a managing director of EMEA at Progress, bots are a necessity for businesses that want to succeed in the digital age. Armstrong says, “Bots, specifically chatbots, are being hailed as the next big thing, replacing the need for downloadable apps. Integrated into an already viable platform, a bot can do things that a normal human chat wouldn’t necessarily be able to accomplish easily, like check the local weather, order pizza, or hail a cab.”

What is a bot?

So what exactly is a bot? Recode.com defines it as, “Software that is designed to automate the kinds of tasks you would usually do on your own, like making a dinner reservation, adding an appointment to your calendar or fetching and displaying information. The increasingly common form of bots, chatbots, simulate conversation. They often live inside messaging apps — or are at least designed to look that way — and it should feel like you’re chatting back and forth as you would with a human.”

To put it another way, bots are like human agents or assistants which make it easier to get things done more quickly. Different types of bots include chatbots, crawlers, transactional bots, and game bots. Some of these bots appear in apps like Skype and Facebook Messenger.

Bots will significantly affect the way companies use technology. Here are two ways that bots can help to improve your business.

Focus on more complex issues

With bots, you can provide customers with personalized,  immediate customer service and support. You can use bots to answer frequently asked questions and create custom answers. This means that your customers can have their questions answered instantly instead of having to experience long wait times as with a call center. This will allow your customer service representatives to focus on more complex tasks and issues. It will also allow your business to handle more customers and add value to your business overall.

Anant Kale, CEO of AppZen, says that, “Bots will be doing processes and transactions that today require human understanding. It may be checking for that payment issue on your credit card [or] contacting the help desk in your company to fix a problem on your laptop.”

Boost sales and increase profit

Since bots are automated agents which are available 24 hours, your customers can get their questions answered quickly and make a purchase right away. Otherwise, without having their questions answered, they may decide to put off the purchase or forget to return. This could result in you losing business to your competitors in the end.

Some companies like H&M are using bots, particularly chatbots, to influence their sales. Ohmybot.net reports that, “These bots ask users a number of questions about their clothing style and then offer them a variety of clothing choices. This type of Chatbot can also recommend accessories or outfits related to the questions asked. This helps employees gain more time as consumers can turn to sales consultant 24/7.”

In short, bots have infinite patience and endless time to devote to your customers, assets that your employees may not have. In that manner, bots can help improve every aspect of customer service and support.This will give your human employees more time to concentrate on the more complicated facets of their job.

 

If you would like to know more about how integration and automating processes can improve your business, please contact us at Commercient.

44 Must Read Productivity Tips

The weather is getting warmer and the temptation to do just about anything other than your job is growing with each passing day. Maintaining a balanced level of energy and time management between your job and your life outside of work can be a real struggle sometimes and as a result, your productivity suffers.

Luckily, there are ways around a productivity slump. And getting more done in less time so you can go out and enjoy your summer won’t necessarily require a complete schedule overhaul. A few small changes in your daily routine can be more than enough.

Check out this helpful infographic from STL to discover 44 little ways you can start being more productive right now.

 

44-ways-to-be-more-productive

 

New Syncs That Your Team Needs For Salesforce

Are you a sales rep that’s spending more time doing CRM admin than selling? You’re not alone. There are a few tricks you can use to speed up the time you spend in Salesforce so you have more time for prospects, and maybe, just maybe, some extra time for those cat videos on YouTube everybody’s always talking about.

Picture this: life without time-ravaging CRM routines. You come into the office, fix your coffee, and devote your time to building relationships with prospects and pitching deals. There’s no more staring blankly at the computer monitor or overwhelming amounts of data entry that needs to be taken care of. It almost sounds too good to be true right?

The average sales rep spends nearly 4 hours every single week updating Salesforce. Is it possible to spend less time updating Salesforce and still maintain a robust CRM? You bet!

3 Tricks for Improving Your Productivity in Salesforce You Have to Try Today

  • Sync your tasks. On average, sales reps spend about 2 hours of their week updating Salesforce. Why? They’re tracking their actions or putting in reminders for their to-do list. Many of these tasks—scheduled meetings and phone calls—already exist in your calendar/email server. By automatically syncing your Microsoft Outlook account to Salesforce, you can save precious time updating tasks.
  • Sync your emails. Sales people spend 18% of their time in Salesforce updating leads—changing phone numbers, job titles, and logging a note every time a lead has been contacted. Outreach is done primarily through email so that’s another time-saving reason to sync your Microsoft Outlook account with Salesforce. After syncing your leads you’ll have an 18% time boost to spend how you want.
  • Sync your contacts. Reps spend nearly as much time updating their contacts as they do updating their leads—17%. You can keep all of your contact and communication information updated in Salesforce via an automatic sync. This keeps your Salesforce accounts fresh and frees up another chunk of time for you to spend elsewhere.

Want to save time in Salesforce? There you go! Syncing your Microsoft Outlook account (emails, tasks, contacts, events, etc.) is an easy way to eliminate 3 of the biggest time-suckers in Salesforce that reps encounter. Have your own tips to share? Let us know how you save time on your CRM routine and increase productivity in Salesforce.

Resources

Getting Microsoft® Outlook® and Salesforce In Sync ‘16