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How To Build A High-Performing Software Sales Team From Scratch

by Rasmita Patro | Dec 22, 2023 | Sales

In the dynamic landscape of software sales, establishing a high-performing sales team demands a strategic blueprint that incorporates essential elements. Defining a streamlined sales process is paramount, ensuring a cohesive journey from prospect to conversion. Equally vital in sales metrics is the recruitment of skilled professionals, individuals who not only possess expertise but also align with the company’s standards. The incorporation of state-of-the-art sales tools serves as the cornerstone for operational efficiency, fostering improved communication and productivity. Success depends on the coordination of these elements, with each aspect contributing to a harmonious symphony of business achievement. The sales process serves as a guiding framework, while the recruitment process of the right individuals propels the team toward excellence. The infusion of cutting-edge sales assets empowers the team, streamlining workflows and optimizing customer interactions. Together, these components form a nexus, shaping a dynamic and high-performing sales hiring team capable of navigating the intricate landscape of Software Sales. Ultimately, the success of such a team is more than just a final stop but a continuous expedition, adapting to industry shifts and leveraging innovation to achieve and surpass business objectives consistently.

What We Cover In This Blog?

Proven Strategies For A Winning Software Sales Team

Proven Strategies For A Winning Software Sales Team

In this professional guide, we will delve into the meticulous steps and considerations for crafting a software sales team.

Define Your Objectives Before assembling your team, establish clear and measurable objectives. Understand the goals of your software sales efforts and outline the specific outcomes you aim to achieve. This clarity will guide your recruitment process and provide a benchmark for success. An adaptable sales process, informed by critical metrics and customer acquisition costs, ensures continuous improvement and resilience in the ever-evolving landscape of sales.
Recruitment Of Right Sales Reps Success in your sales team starts with recruiting the right talent. Craft a comprehensive hiring process that assesses not only a candidate’s experience and skills but also their alignment with the company’s values. Seek sales professionals with a combination of expertise, enthusiasm, and a proven track record of achieving sales targets, ensuring a team that is not only skilled but also aligned with the ethos of the organization.
Sales Performance Effective sales success management is an ongoing process. Instill a performance-driven culture within your team by setting clear expectations, defining achievable sales targets, and consistently assessing both individual and team accomplishments. Recognizing and rewarding exceptional sales representatives not only acknowledges their contributions but also cultivates a positive and competitive compensation environment, further fueling motivation and success within the sales team.
The Role Of A Sales Manager Skilled sales team leader’s role is indispensable for the success of a sales marketing team. Effective leadership extends beyond day-to-day activities, focusing on nurturing a team culture that prizes collaboration, professional growth, and the achievement of company objectives. A remarkable sales leader empowers their team member to excel by adeptly leveraging the right tools and techniques, like critical sales metrics, creating an environment conducive to sustained success and growth.
Ongoing Development Strategic investment in professional development is imperative for sustaining a high-performing, great sales talent. Providing tailored training programs, workshops, and resources enhances sales techniques and keeps the team abreast of industry trends, nurturing a culture committed to ongoing learning. This commitment not only sharpens skills but also significantly boosts morale and job satisfaction, cultivating a dynamic and motivated sales force poised for long-term success.
Sales Goals Define specific and quantifiable key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your sales goals. Regularly monitor these metrics to assess individual and team performance, providing valuable insights for continuous improvement. Harmonizing individual and team goals with the objectives of the company ensures a unified pursuit of a common purpose.Unlock unparalleled growth with our Digital Marketing Services, crafted to enhance your online presence and propel targeted traffic. Harness the power of strategic campaigns and data-driven approaches to achieve measurable success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Sales Tools Empower your selling team by furnishing them with the appropriate tools to streamline processes and boost productivity. From cutting-edge systems to impactful sales enablement tools, ensure your team has access to technology facilitating efficient communication, customer attraction, and seamless deal closure. CRM systems, analytics tools, and communication platforms are essential for streamlining processes and improving collaboration. This technological support not only enhances operational efficiency but also equips your team to navigate the sales professional journey effectively, driving overall success.

Proven Strategies For A Winning Software Sales Team

Sales Team Structure Crafting a great sales team is crucial for optimizing workflows and maximizing efficiency. Consider factors such as the number of account executives, the strategic role of marketing teams in lead generation, and the seamless integration of sales functions within the overall business structure. A thoughtfully designed structure ensures alignment with business goals, facilitating smooth collaboration and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your selling team.
Foster A Collaborative Culture Crafting an effective sales team is crucial for optimizing workflows and maximizing efficiency. Consider factors such as the number of sales representatives, the strategic role of marketing teams in demand creation, and the seamless integration of sales functions within the overall business structures. A thoughtfully designed structure ensures alignment with business goals, facilitating smooth collaboration and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your sales team.
Retail Empowerment Tools Empower your sales force by providing essential resources through sales retail empowerment tools. These tools facilitate seamless knowledge sharing, streamline content creation, and enhance communication, empowering sales professionals to engage effectively with potential clients and customers during the entire marketing cycle. By leveraging these tools, your team can achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness, leading to improved customer interactions and increased success in closing deals. Experience the epitome of digital excellence with the Best Digital Marketing Company in Hyderabad. From innovative strategies to targeted campaigns, propel your brand to new heights, ensuring a commanding presence in the dynamic digital world.
Customer Success Stories Showcasing customer success stories serves not only as a potent marketing tool but also as a source of inspiration for your sales force. By sharing testimonials, case studies, and success metrics, you illustrate the tangible impact of your software solutions, motivating your team to aspire to similar achievements. Harnessing the power of real-world success stories reinforces the value of your products and energizes your sales force toward continued excellence. Fuel your B2B SaaS product’s success with the expertise of the Best B2B SaaS Product Marketing Agency in India. Our agency combines industry knowledge and innovative strategies to amplify your product’s reach and impact, ensuring unparalleled growth in the competitive landscape of the Indian market.

Conclusion

Creating a high-performing software selling team demands a comprehensive strategy, addressing every facet of the sales process. From the meticulous selection of talent to cultivating a positive company culture and facilitating ongoing development, each element is pivotal for achieving business success. By incorporating these strategies and utilizing the appropriate tools, you can forge a sales force that not only meets but surpasses commercial goals, propelling the growth and prosperity of your software business to new heights.

Rasmita Patro

About The Author…

Meet Rasmita Patro, a content writer, a former teacher, and a former HR with a passion for storytelling, creating compelling content that engages and informs readers. She has a Master’s in Economics and an MBA degree in Human Resources. Her expertise spans a variety of industries, including finance, healthcare, technology, and others. She has a particular inclination toward crafting blog posts, articles, and social media content that resonates with the target audience. She loves reading different genres of books, love to experiment with cooking, and listening to soothing music.

How Virtual Reality Marketing is Changing the Face of Consumer-Brand Interaction

by Priyamvada B | Oct 23, 2020 | Sales

Would you agree if I say that customers do not purchase products just because you sell them? Well, they purchase it when they feel it is necessary. Virtual reality marketing is all about how you make a person feel the need for a product or service by providing them with a virtual experience of it. You can do it by bringing the brand close to the customer as the Alligator car did in the following story.

Customer’s Attitude Before Virtual Reality Marketing Introduces Itself

“Keep quiet, Karen!” Mr. Joel was furious at the continuous pleading of his little child to get their first new car. With all the stories that Karen has been hearing of his friends regarding their adventure trips on weekends, hiking, and more, Karen badly needs a car to enjoy trips with his parents and siblings. He has been bugging his father for it for a long time.

Mr. Joel had a phobia for cars ever since he got injured in his childhood due to a terrible car accident. He dreaded cars ever since and tried to keep his family away from it. Hence all of Karen’s pleas are in vain.

Alligator, The New Car Brand Launches its Gaming App for Marketing

Angry and upset with his Dad’s response, Karen took his phone to play a video game. He wanted to try out a new game and hence searched for new gaming apps. His fingers stopped scrolling upon coming across a virtual reality gaming app that promised a 5D experience of a car ride with the family. “Awesome!” he exclaimed, wore a pair of 5D goggles that he coincidentally borrowed from his friend out of curiosity, and bumped into the game with enthusiasm.

How Virtual Reality Marketing Gives the Customer a Feel of the Real Product

There stood a car with its door open, welcoming Karen. Karen boarded it and vroom! It took off! He drove off into a fantastic children’s amusement park loaded with a lot of special-themed roller coaster rides. There are beautiful gardens along the way. With his car along, he could take multiple drives all around the park with ease. Hoo la! Sometimes he would see some playful monkeys come close to him to snatch his cap, and sometimes he would nearly get drenched in the water splashes that decorated the boundary of the garden. It is his first driving experience, and it’s just amazing!

This thrilling 5D experience got Karen all the more determined to get a car. He resolved to convince his Dad that even while leading an eco-friendly lifestyle, a car is still a bare necessity and not a luxury in a state where public transport is uncommon. This time, he began to wait for the opportunity to take his Dad through the mock ride so that he could convince him to buy.

Virtual Reality Marketing Changes the Customer’s Opinion

The day finally came! It was Mr. Joel’s birthday. The family dined together, and Karen surprised his Dad with a new pair of 5D goggles that he purchased with his pocket money. He gifted them to his Dad and asked him to play a game with him. “It is just a game, Dad!” Mr. Joel unwillingly agreed. Karen was beyond all excitement. Click! The app went open again. There stood the brand new fancy car welcoming the father-son duo for a drive. Mr. Joel could see himself reluctantly boarding it, wanting to hug his son while the car was driving them along. Though the surrounding attractions did not excite him much, he noticed the drive was smooth and comfortable, and he realized that a safe ride is in our hands, after all.

“How did you like my birthday gift, Dad?” Asked Karen. “That’s so realistic and full of fun! Thank you, my dear Karen. However, I wish your Mom and sis came along with us on the virtual drive!” “Right, Dad! However, it would be more exciting to take them along on a real drive.”

“I know your intention, you clever boy!” Mr. Joel laughed. “No worries, we shall get a new car very soon!”

Virtual Reality Marketing - How it Helps

How Does Virtual Reality Marketing Influence the Customer?

While online marketing services mostly help to introduce the brand to the customer in theory, virtual reality marketing gives the customer a semi-practical experience of using the product. Like in the story above, it provides the customer with a face-to-face interaction with the product, which has a lasting impression on the mind. Some brands have used this strategy successfully in the past.

Through this marketing strategy, digital marketing services allow a customer to get a demonstration of the product without directly coming in contact with it. In this way, the customer gets convinced of the genuineness of the product too. It is easier to get a conversion once the user gets an impression through personal experience.

How to choose the CRM for your Business and what pricing model matches to your Business ?

by Prashanthi Kolluru | Dec 26, 2018 | Sales

Choose the Correct CRM for your Business

Do we need to choose a CRM with $X / per user/ per month ? or Can I host a CRM on my cloud which charges $Y / per month and which can accommodate the 100 users? Here is the tricky part. Most of the widely used CRM’s cost is an average of $10 /user/ month. Let’s extend our forecast’s on these numbers.

CaseStudy -1 – Sales team of more than 50: If your company has salespeople size more than 50, then costs will be $500 /user/ month (Annually – $6000 ) . You can choose a Self-hosted version of CRM and it might costs you less $500 including hosting charges and $900 for premium support. This will be straight away saving of $4600

CaseStudy -2 – Sales team of more than 10: If your company has salespeople size more than 10, then costs will be $100 /user/ month (Annually – $1200 ) . You can choose a Self-hosted version of CRM and it might costs you less $500 including hosting charges and $400 upgrade support. This will be a straight away saves of $300

CaseStudy -3 – Sales team of more than 2: If your company has salespeople size more than 2, (typically business extension) then costs will be $20 /user/ month (Annually – $240 ) . You can choose Subscription-based CRM and even OPALCRM will costs you $2/user/month for the first 5 users. This will give back return saves of $350 Annually when we calculate for 5 Users. Your total cost for 5 users -Annually -$240

All case studies are being evaluated on top market CRM’s in the world and next-generation CRM like OPALCRM focussed on the customer’s success.

The 10 Best Free CRM Apps

by Prashanthi Kolluru | Dec 17, 2018 | Sales

To be on track with your leads and clients, a start-up or an established organization prefer to integrate CRM into their business. It takes a lot of time and research to find the best CRM which perfectly suits your organization. There are several well-known CRM app providers who bestow their CRM for free, yes you heard it correct. However, the free version is equipped with limited features. Here is the list of 10 Best Free CRM Apps:

1. OPAL CRM

Opal CRM is a comprehensive customer relationship management tool which provides end to end tracking of client information through of the sale cycle. It is available in Cloud version, can be installed in-house too and also equipped with an easy to use Mobile app. Various features available are lead tracking from all sources, activity and calendar management, detailed reporting, quotation and invoice generation, API integration, two lines of Code Integration for website and e-commerce. etc. The free trial is available for a period of 1 month with full features limited to 4 users. For extended membership, there are various plans available starting from $1.99/user/month to $39.99/user/month. The features offered for free are Lead analytics dashboard, Lead flows, collected forms, contact activity, and management, contact & company insights, etc. However, for more features, one has to switch to paid plans which start from $50/month to $1,200/month.

2. Freshsales CRM

Freshsales offers excellent features for contact management. It helps in managing leads, contacts, and sales, with unlimited users. This CRM offers various integrations help desk, Zapier, Mailchimp, google apps etc. The free plan is exclusively to manage lead base. Sales management reporting, funnel views, various tracking functionalities, and smart notifications are available in the paid plans. Paid plans start from $19/user/month to $79/user/month.

3. Insightly CRM

Insightly counts as one of the widely-used small biz-friendly tools in the market. The free plan for Insightly offers 2 users, limited storage, and records maintenance. Most of the features like emails, file importing, reporting, templates, etc comes in a limited version. For more features like integrations, contact sync, role permission, automation, etc comes with paid versions. Paid plans start from $29/user/month to $99/user/month.

4. Zoho CRM

It is one of the popular free CRM currently used. It focuses on satisfying the small and medium service industry needs. The free plan supports up to 3 users, it provides sales force and marketing automation, provides access to standard reports and web forms, gives storage up to 1 GB. However, to enjoy the additional features you have to switch to the paid edition which starts from $12/user/month to $100/user/month.

5. Bitrix24

Bitrix is commended for small and medium-sized teams and more suited for the sales. The free version would give full access to almost all features for up to 12 users and 5 GB storage. Bitrix provides various server options, can manage projects, use video chats and an in-house social network. It is a compact solution and provides complete access to all the primary functions. For large organizations who would require access to more users and storage, various plans are available which starts from $39/user/month to $199/user/month.

6. Agile CRM

The free version of Agile CRM allows up to 10 users and 1000 contacts. You can get the marketing and service functions with unlimited transactions, two-way email, telephony integration, and document access. It can store up to 50,000 contacts and companies. For a growing or an established organization, additional features are available at a cost $8.99/user/month to $47.99/user/month.

7. Capsule CRM

The platform is designed to transform the customer’s relationships into the sales opportunities. Capsule CRM provides its users with the ability to create the contact lists, import and classifies users by interaction. You can get statistical reports, track social networks, and store the customer history. The Capsule CRM is built for small and medium teams, the private entrepreneurs. The free plan provides 2 users, 250 contacts and 10 MB data storage for wider opportunities, users will have to pay $18/user/month and $36/user/month.

8. Hubspot CRM

Hubspot CRM free version provides unlimited users and contacts to organize, track the leads and customers. All the core CRM features, manage contact information, create deals, and track them until the final sale, list tasks and appointments with contacts are available for free. The tool provides to track and run email marketing campaigns. It also has the ability to integrate with marketing automation software. The features offered for free are Lead analytics dashboard, Lead flows, collected forms, contact activity, and management, contact & company insights, etc. However, for more features, one has to switch to paid plans which start from $50/month to $1,200/month.

9. Streak CRM

Streak CRM is designed to transform your Gmail inbox into a CRM. Streak’s free CRM package is fairly limited compared to professional packages provided by other vendors. It has all basic email empowerment tools and is available for unlimited users. You can use it to track 200 emails per month and get unlimited boxes for private pipelines Import/export capabilities, limited pipelines, and basic API. For unlimited features, various packages are available at a price of $49/user/month and $99/user/month.

10. Sugar CRM

Sugar CRM is a powerful analytics & sales automation machine but it requires development expertise and PHP knowledge to install. The free plan includes lead forms & contact info tracking, email marketing features, reporting, project planning, real-time pipelines, etc. Advanced features are available in plans with price range $40/user to $150/user billed and is not always true that free products are not good enough or expensive products are of high quality. At the end of the day, a CRM that deliveries the best job gives more value to your organization than the one where you spent a lot of money but it is of little use to your company’s workflow. Good luck in choosing the best CRM for your business.

Salesforce vs Zoho vs OPAL CRM – Pick the one which suits best

by Prashanthi Kolluru | Dec 12, 2018 | Sales

Being a Business owner, we wonder which CRM to choose and which CRM software best suites our requirements. Here is a brief comparison about 3 widely used CRMs available in the market. Hope this article makes your decision-making process easy.

Features	Salesforce CRM	Zoho CRM	OPAL CRM
Who is this software for?	Salesforce is designed for small to mid-sized businesses and large enterprises.	Zoho is designed for small businesses to large enterprises.	OPAL CRM software is designed for small and medium-sized enterprise. Startups and established organizations.
Ease of use	Salesforce CRM is inconvenient at the beginning as there are several options to navigate and requires proper training from the consultant. The Interface is cluttered and is hard to navigate. Configuration and setup are difficult and time-consuming.	Zoho CRM has lots of features but the depth of features can be limited, it requires lots of customization for set up.	OPAL CRM set up is very convenient and learning the application takes hardly any time. All the modules are self-explanatory. The support team is 24/7 available for live demo.
Features	Salesforce offers the following features Web to lead, customizable and tracked emails, email sync, chat functionality, customizable dashboard, mobile app, ‘lightning dialer’ for tracking calls, lead scoring, a separate marketing tool to optimize outbound email and social media.	Zoho offers the following features Web to lead, email templates and tracking, email sync, mobile app, chat and collaboration, ‘Sales Signals’ from on social media, ‘Telephony’ allows for call tracking, trend analysis.	OPAL CRM offers the following features Lead Capture – Online/Offline channels, Detailed Reports, Approve & Reject Lead Quotations, Invoice Management, two lines of Code Integration to capture leads from Website, e-commerce leads, mobile app, Send email from the application, API integration for Enterprises.
Customization	Salesforce has the ability to customize, add third-party extensions and integrate with the apps.	In Zoho CRM Customization is possible and the ability to add additional modules but not at the scale of Salesforce CRM.	OPAL CRM is open for customization to suit any kind of business. The support team always looks forward to the business progression of the clients by designing a suitable CRM solution.
Pricing	Salesforce CRM has four Editions – SalesforceIQ Starter, Lightning Professional, Lightning Enterprise and Lightning Unlimited. The price ranges from $25 to $300, billed annually for per user/month.	Zoho CRM has four Editions – Standard, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate which are designed to sever various sized organizations. The price ranges from $12 to $100, charged per user/month billed annually.	OPAL CRM offers the most economical pricing $9.99 for up to 5 users (4+1 Admin)/month and any additional users would cost $9.99/user/month. There are 3 package editions available-Individual, Professional and Enterprise, the price ranging from $9.99 to $39.99 billed monthly.
Customer Support	Customer service support through phone and email is available between 8 and 8 Mon- Fri (24/7 is payable)	Worldwide toll-free support for 24/7 is included in the subscription fee.	Customer support from the experienced team is available through phone, email and video call during the business working hours Mon-Fri.
Free trial	30 days	15 days	30 days
About The company	The company was founded by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez in 1999. It was established as a company specializing in software as a service (SaaS)	Zoho corporation was founded by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas in 1996. Apart from Zoho CRM they also offer .com services, Manage Engine, WebNMS etc.	OPAL CRM is developed by KloudPortal, Mobile App and SaaS Product Experts. Being a successful software company for 5 years, KloudPortal is passionate to bridge the gap between Technology and Businesses. Apart from CRM they also offer mobile apps, Digital marketing and Magento services.

What is the best free CRM for a Start-up business?

by Prashanthi Kolluru | Dec 10, 2018 | Sales

Are you a start-up? Are you looking for the best free CRM solution? We present OPAL CRM tool for you, it is free for the first one month. You can use the CRM for

Updating leads from any channel

Keeping track of all communication with clients

Generating quotations and invoices within the application

Get the approvals from the team manager

Sending emails from within the CRM tool

Assigning leads to your team members

Obtaining detailed reports about your teams’ performance

Are you concerned that none of the CRM software in the market is meeting your business requirements, don’t worry we can customize the CRM application for you! We also offer a free mobile app for one month; the leads will be on your fingertips even on move.

Role of CRM software in Start-ups

There is a huge number of startups emerging every year. To outshine and become a prosperous business the company has to choose the right strategy. For an emerging company gaining a customer, trust is an utmost important factor. Although each start-up has their own way of capturing the market, everyone’s goal is to attract more customers and gain higher profits. When it comes to managing customer relationships, there is no better solution than a Customer relationship management application. Things to know before choosing the Best CRM software for a Startup:

Know what is required vs what are the features

The CRM software should be of right fit to your company and has to be an asset rather than an inconvenience. First and foremost, evaluate systems and programs you are currently using and choose a CRM that complements the existing system. Focus on what is needed and don’t go for redundant features.

Take inputs from team

CRM software is meant for the sales, marketing, order generation, and management teams. Because the teams would be assessing it day in day out, we have to consider their requirements, constraints, limitations etc. CRM could bring in major changes in the work process, hence it is necessary to understand if the team is ready to accept those changes.

Ease of use

If choosing appropriate software is one big step then how well it can be integrated with the current system is another major step. The set-up of software in cloud or in-house has to be easy and convenient. Check for training resources or if there is a CRM Software partner who will offer the training. Self-explanatory and user-friendly software is the most recommended to adopt for start-ups. If a software needs more time to learn the team will tend to make more mistakes during the learning curve.

Price

For start-ups, the budget is a primary concern. Evaluate licensing costs, cloud owning costs, training, system integration, and customer service costs. Also look out for future up-gradation and customization costs, because you don’t want to end up buying different software after a few years. Be aware of the hidden charges if any.

Will it improve efficiency?

Choose a CRM to streamline the Start-up business. Check if the software provides you real-time sales and marketing data, reports on customer behavior and marketing strategies. Choose a CRM that promotes you to take better business decisions.

Compatibility and integration with other systems, Consider your hardware.

Consider the aspects of software integration with other systems currently used in your business. CRM software either has to work on all aspects of your business like, sales, customer management, marketing, billing, quotation and invoices, email and mail generation etc. or it can have simple features but can easily integrate with other software which is used by the company. Mobile accessibility: With advancement in data access channels, work is not just confined to the office. The added flexibility of the mobile CRM proves to be a valuable resource. We can always stay up-to-date with clients anytime, anywhere. According to a research report, 65% of companies who are using mobile CRM software are meeting their current sales targets, whereas companies not using it are just meeting their sales targets by 22%. In general, 90% of the start-ups fail to succeed. To grab the remaining 10% success rate and become a successful company, know what you are doing and focus on key strengths.