Do you have the right tools for sales tracking?

If you have a designated sales process in place then you need to be aware of the best sales tracking practices to monitor that process. Knowing how to identify the key stages in your pipeline, which stages can be improved, and where you’re wasting time and effort are vital to your sales strategy.

You need the right tools and features which can help you manage the whole process, plus give you the power to identify any hiccups, faults, and blockages, and rectify them immediately.  Teamgate sales CRM comes equipped with all you’ve ever need, and then some.

Let’s take a closer look at how to manage your sales tracking, and which process is best for you.

But what is sales tracking and why is it important?

To put is simply, sales tracking is the act of keeping detailed accounts of everything which happens within your sales process. Being aware of all of these actions in your sales process, and having them organised in an easily understandable manner helps sales managers to maintain a vital, and profitable sales strategy from start to finish.

Analysis of the information you gather across your entire sales process ensures that your sales KPIs stay on-target, and never stray unwittingly from their intended course.

Detailed and systematic sales tracking gives sales managers up-to-date insights into the fine-tuning of their sales process. Analysis of these insights creates an acute awareness of every stage of the sales pipeline and creates a valuable understanding of the process of converting prospective customers into real customers.

There are two main methods of managing your sales tracking process; manual tracking using traditional spreadsheets, and; automated sales tracking using modern sales CRM software. Regardless of whether you choose traditional spreadsheets, or advanced sales tracking software, the goals are the same – an advanced insight into your whole sales process.

Traditional and modern sales tracking methods

Traditional spreadsheets

If your business handles a small volume of sales, or perhaps you’re a startup with a limited cash-flow, using traditional spreadsheets for sales tracking might just be your best option – at least for now. With more flexible sales KPIs and a less stringent sales process, spreadsheets may offer you some insight into the practice of sales tracking.

The pros of spreadsheets for sales tracking

• Spreadsheets offer you a simple, and straightforward representation of your sales process which is both basic, and easily understandable.
• Offers insights into your sales process all in one place.
• When sales volumes are low spreadsheets are easy to manage.
• A spreadsheet sales tracking system is fully customisable to your needs.

The cons of spreadsheets for sales tracking

• The level of insights that spreadsheets offer is of the most basic nature.
• Spreadsheets require a lot of manual attention and take time to complete.
• It is difficult to share documents between multiple users.
• The quality of sales analysis is far inferior to what is offered by sales tracking software.
• Spreadsheets are unattractive when making detailed sales presentations.

Modern CRM software

Modern CRM software already comes equipped with a host of ultra-smart tools and features to help you track sales right across your sales pipeline. Along with managing your sales tracking process, your CRM allows you create in-depth analysis and reports to continuously check the health of your sales process.

The pros of automated sales tracking using a CRM

• Sales tracking results generated by your sales CRM can be easily shared among colleagues offering great insights on collaboration and teamwork.
• Saves huge amounts of time when generating sales tracking results.
• All data is tracked automatically for inclusion in tracking insights and reports.
• Your sales CRM allows you to analyse performance at a moment’s notice.
• There is no need for manual updating of spreadsheets. All data entered into your CRM adds value to the quality of sales tracking.
• Make attractive and easily understandable sales presentations at any time, and covering any period.
• Sales tracking can benefit your whole process from day one.
• Keep track of your critical sales KPIs instantly.
• A smart sales CRM is scalable and capable of growing as your business grows.

The cons of automated sales tracking using a CRM

• Sales CRMs for small companies, or startups, may seem like an expensive option.
• Unless you have a defined sales process it is difficult to accurately track your sales journey.
• If sales teams are unable, or unwilling to update the data in the CRM sales tracking can prove inaccurate.

Which is better for you, traditional or modern sales tracking?

Do you have a decision to make; spreadsheet or software?

If you happen to be a small business, perhaps even a one-person organisation, then spreadsheets might be the way forward for you. They’re cheap, they’ll do what you want them to do – so long as you remember to fill in all the information – and they can offer you a decent – but limited – means of sales tracking.

But what happens if your company wants to grow, or is already a multi-person organisation? I’m afraid that spreadsheets just won’t cut the mustard anymore. Your sales tracking method has to be scalable and offer you the answers to the questions you need to know to remain productive, and profitable.

If you’re serious about the process of sales tracking why not start the smart way and avail of the power of modern CRM software. Make use of great features and tools which manage your tracking seamlessly; a dashboard which continuously updates the state of your sales pipeline; insights, graphs and charts to let you fine-tune your sales process; fully mobile; top-level communications features; lead scoring to let your sales team work on priority leads, and a whole lot more.

Sales CRM software like Teamgate can help you identify:

• The most important stages in your complete sales pipeline
• Which stages of the pipeline can be improved to help close deals faster
• Where you’re sales team are wasting their time and energy

CRM software is not as expensive as many people think; in fact, most good CRM solutions offer you monthly payment plans and can be upgraded as your business expands. Whatever the cost of your CRM, the ability to track and analyse sales can greatly benefit your entire sales process, and eventually pay for itself

Here’s how:

• Great graphs, charts, and insights let you minutely track and tweak every stage of your sales process.
• A well-designed dashboard gives you instant access to up-to-the-minute sales data. This data lets you make smarter, more insightful sales decisions. Armed with both past and present data, sales tracking can help you make more accurate sales forecasts and predictions.
• A sales CRM, while tracking your sales process, can free up valuable time. Time which can be spent in a much more productive manner.
• Smart sales tracking with a quality CRM helps sales teams to surpass their sales quotas.
• Using sales tracking software sales managers can identify sales individuals who are performing best, and allow them to assist those with poorer performance records.
• Your sales tracking is not just limited to the office, take your CRM on the road with you and track from anywhere, any time.
• As your company grows your sales tracking ability should also grow to keep pace. Teamgate, as a quality CRM, provides you with the power to scale and track your sales process, even across ever-growing sales teams.
• Great sales tracking lets you keep pace with your sales KPIs, such as; quantity of leads and deals in your pipelines; sticking points; reasons for lost deals; source of successful deals; win/loss ratios; top sales performers; length of time deals stay in the pipeline; etc.
• Your customers are your most important asset; by tracking the sales process intensely you can get to know your customers better and align your sales process to match their expectations.

Ultimately, the decision is up to you, but if you really want to stay ahead of your competitors you’re going to want to choose the smartest sales tracking method available.

If you’re happy filling in countless forms and tables in a spreadsheet, go ahead, and be our guest. But, if you want to use smart sales tracking as an integral tool for growing your business we’re pretty sure that a smart and powerful sales CRM is just what you need.

Why not take a demo today, and see for yourself?