Does Technology Have A Place In Sales?
January 18th, 2010
Does technology have a place in sales? The answer? Yes, but it’s place in YOUR sales efforts depends on you. In essence, you get what you put in.
I cannot tell you how many people have considered me to be a “computer person” since I was twelve. The truth is that while I have been using computers to perform better at my job throughout my career, I have yet to build a computer or program one element of software.
True, my experience has helped me to learn software for web site design, graphic design and Flash animation. And yes, I have learned how to utilize tools that help with internet marketing, usability and drafting technology solutions, but I still had to learn to use the more available tools that have helped me to generate business and increase exposure the same as anyone else.
I know, it can be overwhelming to learn the ins and outs of all of these different technological sales tools. I can relate and believe I will never stop learning. But I can tell you that it is worth it. After learning how to utilize a blog, build an online network using social media, create and implement an email marketing program and configure a customer relationship management software to help me stay on top of my sales efforts, I can say I have generated sales I would otherwise not have generated, created a much larger audience than I ever could have in person and have landed a position with Realistiq out of Las Vegas, marketing and selling a comprehensive set of technological sales tools for Real Estate Professionals. The proof is in the pudding.
I understand that sometimes a certain tool may not fit into your approach due to industry specifics or some other obstacle may prevent you from utilizing a certain tool, but generally a company or individual must look at the capital and time invested into these tools as an investment that will yield large benefits in the long run–and often (as in my case) various levels of benefit in the short run. You will not learn all of the available tools overnight. You certainly won’t master them. But good luck even keeping up with your competitors without learning them at all. And better luck staying in front of your competitors without a holistic approach to utilizing technology in your sales efforts.
You don’t have to take MY word for it. Visit www.passivepipeline.com and download sellsmarter2009.pdf from there. I am completely independent from this publication and hope you will find it useful as a second reference. Of course, if you are in the real estate industry and would like to learn more about how our tools can better help your or your agents’ sales efforts, please feel free to contact me. Either way, while technology cannot replace a handshake, it plays an integral role in the success of many sales professionals today and will do the same for even more sales professionals in the future. The same goes for most industries. Don’t get left behind.
One Response to “Does Technology Have A Place In Sales?”
1Frank
January 18th, 2010 @ 5:00 pm
I definitely agree with you. Technology absolutely has a place in sales. However, it’s all about how well you utilize and adapt the technology to your business. Even though these technologies are available to everyone, the majority of people out there don’t know how to use it in terms of helping their business.
Social media is definitely the place to start like you mentioned and you can build an online network with the tools provided. The biggest thing when using social media to convert users into a sale is interacting and caring about your users. The more you show you care, the more they listen. When you do that, that’s when the user turns into a sale and it helps your business in a positive way. The best thing you can do is have your reader view you as someone who recommends solid products instead of a salesman.
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