Report Overview
Research from Aberdeen Group has
pinpointed the processes and technologies which
help companies beat sales quota. This work
concludes differentiating inside sales methods
can enable an average of 84% of Best-in-Class
reps to achieve their minimums compared to 21%
of Laggard companies. Top enablers of successful
sales programs include E-mail integrated CRM and
real-time web visitor tracking.
Aberdeen’s work, entitled “Streamlining the
Top of the Funnel: How Sales Teams Source,
Qualify and Close Business,” examined the
sales organizations that are most successfully
increasing the quality and flow of leads
presented to their “closers,” as well improving
their overall revenue and sales effectives.
Aberdeen has found they are deploying
well-supported and carefully structured inside
sales teams to handle the top layers of the
corporate sales funnel. With the ultimate goals
of beating sales quota and improving their lead
conversion/closure rates and profit margins,
Best-in-Class companies are going far beyond the
simple act of employing low-value staff to “dial
for dollars” into aging, purchased contact
lists, and instead showing demonstrable return
on their extensive investments in advanced
processes and enabling technologies.
Two key
technology enablers were identified as most
likely to drive higher levels of sales
productivity. E-mail integrated CRM is the
leading Best-in-Class enabler with four out of
five top performers supporting it. Next is the
use of real-time
web visitor tracking. According to Peter
Ostrow, Aberdeen’s Research Director for Sales
Effectiveness, this "allows inside-sellers to
know “who is visiting my web site right now.
These web analytics solutions empower nearly two
thirds of the Best-in-Class with incredibly rich
and valuable knowledge that allows them to
proactively call or contact the prospect or
customer at the precise moment when perceived
buying behavior is at its peak.“
