The Future of Sales Management Will Be About Managing Technology | Derrick Williams - 1497

The future of sales is evolving, with the main components of modern selling being drastically different from the pillars of sales twenty years ago. Namely, sales is no longer just managing people; it’s managing software and technology. Today Donald is joined by Derrick Williams to learn how to manage technology while still providing the same level of interpersonal communication.

Technology has become infinitely more important in the sales arena.

• Yet despite its importance, there is still a massive concentration on the people management side instead of the technical side.
• The modern sales leader needs technical aptitude to lead an effective team.
• Maximizing the effectiveness of sales engagement platforms, sequence building, and even data insights help sales professionals be more effective in their outreach efforts.
• It’s not just using the platforms provided to you, but how can you structure and optimize all aspects of it (like importing contacts and information)

Sales leadership sold in a completely different manner than salespeople today.

• Because of their experience, there might be a laggard mentality towards technology adoption, even in tech companies (yes, we see the irony.)
• Understanding the technology and how it works together can seem daunting, but you’ll find much more success by leveraging it than you otherwise would.

Technology has more applications than anyone initially thinks. 

• For example, do you want to know which SDRs are talking too much when interacting with customers? There’s a technological way to determine that. 
• Sure, you could do most things without technology. But technology will create an unbiased report that is far faster and more accurate than doing it on your own. (As well as saving time and resources.)
• If you don’t have the time or money to acquire technology platforms, leverage third-party implementation consultants (which exist in virtually every industry.)

How do you determine where to implement technology in your business?

• Put your process to paper. Use whatever tools you have to create a simple play-by-play of what SDRs go through each day.
• What software are they using? What’s involved in their process?
• Have salespeople give honest feedback and determine where in the process there are the most issues.

Derrick’s final fast fact? Casual Friday does not mean casual effort. To contact Derrick, follow him on Instagram or LinkedIn, and visit his company website.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

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This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

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Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com