Up-and-coming Sales Enablement Technologies in 2020

Even as technology rapidly advances in 2020, customers will continue to be the most important part of any business. In order to add value to an organisation, any technological investment a company makes must be chosen carefully, and have customers’ needs at its core.

According to Forrester’s ‘Tech Tide’ report, sales enablement technologies must enhance customer engagement, have market traction, be commercially available at the enterprise level, and solve current and future customer issues in order to be worthwhile.

Investment, however, doesn’t simply end when a piece of sales enablement technology is purchased. Sellers must be well versed in these new technologies so that they can effectively use them to satisfy customers, and in turn, increase revenue.

As sector experts, we’ve compiled this list of customer-focused technologies that will drive your sales and services, whilst increasing your ROI and adding lasting value to your business.

Chatbots & AI

Chatbots have revolutionised customer service by offering a more connected, seamless and efficient experience. Seamlessly integrated into social media platforms and transactional systems, this technology bridges the gap between a business and its customers. Thanks to artificial intelligence, chatbots can analyse large quantities of data quickly in order to develop tailor-made solutions for customer queries. Additionally, they are also more efficient and cheaper than human agents.

This technology is already gaining popularity thanks to existing messaging services, such as WhatsApp, which are offering easy-to-integrate chatbot services. In fact, by the end of 2020, it is predicted that 85% of customers will engage with businesses without any human contact. From here on out, chatbots will play a critical role in the future of business.

Sales engagement platforms

With productivity down 14% in the last five years, and despite billions being invested in sales operations, it’s evident that investment in technology must be channelled into the right areas. Sales engagement platforms must also have a quantifiable ROI and automate many common tasks – such as voicemails, sales messaging and workflows – in order to capitalise on human talent elsewhere.

A sales engagement platform can produce personalised and automated emails, text messages, calls, social media posts and more. When using this type of technology, businesses can track sales performance and identify what works and what doesn’t. Businesses are realising that this affords a more focused effort which secures customers and boosts profits.

Social engagement tools

With social media increasing in popularity, a recent Forrester report shows that ‘social engagement tools enable sellers to interact effectively and efficiently over the social channels that matter to their prospects and customers’. Integrated with other business tools, such as CRM technologies, social engagement tools use automation and customisation to increase customer engagement across various platforms.

Considering today’s strict compliance requirements, investment in carefully controlled and effective social engagement tools is critical. As social media continues to redefine how people interact with businesses, it is becoming an increasingly important way of increasing ROI.

Partner relationship management

Going forward, it is predicted that partner experience value will rise to match customer experience value. Integrating a comprehensive PRM with a CRM and other marketing platforms allows businesses and their partners to offer more connected, innovative and holistic solutions to their clients.

Additionally, PRM simplifies recruiting and onboarding partners by providing them with the skills and information they need to align their sales strategies with yours. As a result, sales run faster and easier and simultaneously promote your brand, ultimately adding value to your organisation.

A personalised omnichannel experience

In today’s data-driven world, customers’ expectations are higher than ever.

Having the right sales engagement tools that capitalise on insight-driven decision-making to deliver intelligent, personalised and omnichannel experiences will allow you to provide next-level services.

This means you will more easily attract and retain customers and increase your ROI.

Using its 15 years of experience as technical consultants and CRM experts, redk supports companies looking to enhance efficiency and profitability through world-class tools that optimise performance across organisations. Talk to us to make sure you’re delivering the best experience to your customers.