Sales Automation 101: The Complete Guide for 2023

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In this comprehensive journey, we’ll explore the power of sales automation in enhancing efficiency, improving customer relationships, and boosting revenue. Discover how automation can transform your sales processes and propel your business to unprecedented success in 2023 and beyond! Let’s dive in!

How Does Sales Automation Work?

When software is used to improve the sales process, this is called sales automation. Sales automation software cuts down on the amount of manual work that the sales team has to do. It also makes the sales pipeline process more consistent and makes workers more productive. 

Steps to successfully implement sales automation

Automation of the sales process necessitates both planning and the utilization of the proper instrument. Low-code automation enables teams to automate sales workflows with an intuitive visual interface as opposed to writing code for each automation individually. The phases and actions required to automate the sales process are detailed below.

 Here give a bullet point list of steps before actually explaining them.

Map the Sales Process

Ensure you have a thorough understanding of your sales process before proceeding. Specify each pipeline phase. You can do this informally with pen and paper or a whiteboard, or you can construct a map with flowchart symbols. The typical sales process is outlined below:

Step 1: Finding ability customers

Find possible customers and get in touch with them. Data capture for signups email cadences, and reducing the amount of repetitive data entry are all possibilities for automation. 

Step 2: Make sure you can lead 

Work with marketing to make sure that MQL (Marketing Qualified Leads) and SQL (Sales Qualified Leads) have the same categories and criteria. Depending on how good a lead is, marketing should directly send it to sales. As the lead goes through the sales process. You can set up automatic follow-up and communication. Track what people do and how they interact with you to increase the number of leads that become buyers. Find out where the best leads come from by following where they come from.

Step 3: Show and/or make a plan

Putting on a demo and making a request could be seen as two different steps. During this time, you may also handle objections. Opportunities for automation include email reminders for the demo, automatic document creation. And approval flows if the plan needs a manager’s signature. Automation can also record e-signatures. 

Step 4: Negotiation

If the prospect wants changes to the plan. Automation can make it easier to talk back and forth. Automation can also be used to manage approval processes, update papers, get signatures, and send reminders.  

Step 5: Finish

Once the details of the proposal have been finalized. The prospect goes on to the last step, “closing,” where formal approval and/or signatures are needed. With automation, you can get signatures and move a new customer into onboarding, execution, and support steps.

Step 6: Retention

 Automation can be used to set up regular follow-ups. It records incoming requests for customer help, and update customer records.

B. Identify Automation Opportunities

Step 1: One step at a time

Once you know how each step of your sales process works, look at each one to see if there are any jobs that can be done automatically. Pay attention to each step of the sales process at a time. 

Step 2: Make a list of everything

Make a list of all the tasks and activities and mark the ones that can be done easily. Make sure everything is done right and that the sellers are directly involved.

Step 3: Opportunities

Some parts of the process will work better when done by a machine than others. Pay close attention to what’s going on. This is especially important when things happen on their own.

C. Make The Automated Tasks

Step 1: Trigger

With a low-code automation tool, you can use a visual user interface to set up the process. 

Step 2: Rules, conditions, and result

After figuring out the trigger, set the rules. And conditions for when and what the automation should do (the result).

Step 3: Test the software

Before putting the system into place, use it a few times to make sure it works as planned.

Step 4: Teach your sales team how to use the software

Even if this new way of doing things is easy, it may take some time for your sales team to get used to it. Make sure you give them the right training and tools so they can understand how the system works.

Sales Automation Software Program Features

When looking for a sales automation solution, you should look for key benefits such as:

Low-coding user interface

Low-code sales automation software is a tool made for sales teams and the IT teams that help them. The sales team can handle their pipelines more easily with low-code because it has a visual user interface. Using an IT-approved toolbox, sales teams and managers can keep an eye on and change the processes.It requires less code and can replace costly adaptations. 

Pipeline Management

Sales automation streamlines and controls pipeline management. Reps and managers may track prospects and leads from diverse perspectives. And reports and screens assist teams make decisions. Follow-ups and nurturing of leads are made easier by automated notifications and interactions. 

Form Builder

With sales automation software, sales teams can make forms for a wide range of needs, such as capturing leads, getting orders for marketing materials, and updating lead information.   Forms can only be seen by people inside the company, or they can be shared with people outside the company via a link or site. 

Integrations

There are many apps and tools that sales teams use.To find leads and make customers out of them. The other parts of the stack work with sales automation tools to create workflows and a system of interaction. Automation also helps businesses get more out of the apps they use.

Routing 

Another feature that helps sales teams is that new leads. They are immediately sent to the right person based on rules and conditions set by the team. This allows keep away from bottlenecks and offers agencies leads primarily based totally on their size.

Best Sales Automation Tools

Sales teams need a sales automation system. That helps them make more money and reach their business goals. Here are some best tools for automating sales;

1.ProcessWurks:

ProcessWurks is an all-in-one operations management software designed for accounting and bookkeeping firms. ProcessWurks is a valuable tool for enhancing productivity, saving time, and providing better client advisory and higher-level services. 

Features of ProcessWurks:

  • Lead Management: Efficiently track and manage leads through the sales process.
  • Automated Email Sequences: Set up automated follow-up emails for prospects.
  • Appointment Scheduling: Easily schedule meetings with prospects.
  • Communication History: View a comprehensive history of interactions with each lead.
  • Source Tracking: Identify the sources of leads for better marketing insights.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Monitor key performance metrics and revenue.
  • Integration: Seamlessly integrate with email and calendar.
  • Task Assignment: Assign follow-up tasks to team members.
  • Lead Qualification: Use custom qualifier questions for lead information.

For Whom:

Ideal for accounting and bookkeeping firms to streamline operations and improve sales.

Pricing:

Monthly: $79

Annual: $711

Lifetime: $1943 (one-time payment)

Pros:

Comprehensive lead and sales automation features.

Automated email and text sequences for follow-ups.

Integrates with email and calendar.

Customizable qualifier questions for lead qualification.

2. Pipefy

Pipefy is a sales automation and low-code CRM platform that empowers sales teams to take control of their pipeline and integrate with existing apps and tools. Its dashboards and reports track essential KPIs like lead status, sales reps’ lead distribution, phase duration, and revenue earned. Sales teams can manage emails, alerts, approval flows, document generation, and data entry effortlessly.

IT teams appreciate Pipefy for its database, rules engine, and user-friendly interface, enhancing current tech stacks and integration capabilities. Its low-code features reduce dependency on IT for customization.

Ideal for sales teams seeking an easy-to-customize solution. That connects workflows with other departments like finance, customer service, marketing, and IT. Pricing starts at $24 per user per month, with options for enterprise and custom plans available. While Pipefy offers a great user experience and templates, some advanced features may be limited in the free plan.

3. Hubspot Sales Hub

The automation tools and data collaboration in HubSpot Sales Hub make the sales process smoother. HubSpot Sales Hub offers automation tools and data collaboration, streamlining the sales process. Its features include email and call tracking, conversation intelligence, and document management. Best suited for teams already using other HubSpot Hubs. For two seats, plans start at $45 per month, but if you want to use advanced management tools, you’ll need a program that starts at $450 per month for five seats. Pros: Email tracking and notifications. Cons: Difficulty adding emails to sequences and lead movement rules. Some mixed feedback on lead assignment and document attachments features.

4. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is an all-in-one sales platform that lets you send emails and handle your sales pipeline. Pipedrive is a versatile sales tool catering to small businesses with 50 workers or less. With its intuitive interface and drag-and-drop functionality, it excels in pipeline and deal handling, sales assistance, and workflow automation. The software efficiently manages contact information and generates smart reports, empowering users to make data-driven decisions.

The pricing for Pipedrive starts at $14.90, per seat per month for the Essential plan. More advanced plans begin at $24.90 per seat per month, while those with additional benefits cost between $49.90 and $99.00 per seat per month.

Users praise Pipedrive for its seamless integration with other services and ease of use. However, some reviewers expressed a desire for more robust attribution features for inbound lead programs, and a few experienced occasional software crashes.

5. Pega Sales Automation 

Pega Sales Automation leverages artificial intelligence to enhance sales efficiency. Its key features include contact and account tracking, sales estimation, chatbot functionality, and opportunity management. Pega is ideal for teams dealing with complex or high-volume sales.

The pricing for Pega starts at $140 per month. Customers appreciate its powerful capabilities, but note that its AI functions perform best with abundant data. However, Pega lacks templates and some essential sales automation tools, which could impact the smoothness of sales processes.

6. Calendly

Calendly is a solution that works on managing meetings and automating them. 

Calendly offers automated calendar management for easy meeting setups, time zone adjustments, and automatic reminders. It’s an ideal choice for sales teams looking to improve client communication.Seats cost $8 per month, with free and paid subscriptions.. Calendly streamlines meeting scheduling with a clean and user-friendly interface. However, the free version has limited features compared to the paid plans.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Sales Automation in 2023 has emerged as a vital tool for businesses seeking to enhance efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction in their sales processes.   Embracing automation empowers sales teams to streamline tasks, optimize communications, and focus on building strong relationships with clients. From lead generation to personalized interactions and data-driven insights, sales automation paves the way for success in today’s competitive landscape.Are you ready to revolutionize your sales operations and take your business to new heights? Don’t miss out on the game-changing opportunities offered by Sales Automation. Visit our website at https://www.processwurks.com/   to explore how ProcessWurks can be your all-in-one platform to boost efficiency, streamline operations, and delight your clients. Embrace the power of automation and elevate your sales game today!

Want to automate your firm? Try ProcessWurk free trial today

ONE Software to run your entire business. From Marketing to Sales to Client on-boarding to Client deliverables to Firm Operations

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