How To Prepare Your Marketing And Sales Technology For 2021

The importance of technology in modern marketing and sales strategies is critical to running a profitable business.

As technology advances, consumers have the freedom to research products and services before making a purchasing decision, and this means you can lose leads from your hook if they are distracted with a reason to wiggle free. In order to attract, nurture, and convert leads, organizations need access to marketing and sales technology that can automate certain tasks while streamlining others.

Ultimately, tech helps businesses grow, create relationships, strengthen the effectiveness of their organization, and it improves the way companies communicate with prospective clients. 

Technology is a highly important and strategic tool necessary for helping organizations increase their efficiency while staying on top of the competition. Though technology hasn’t changed marketing roles (the dynamic potency between buyer seller relationships), the corporate attitude towards the marketing function and approaches have been impossible to separate with the exception of change inaugurated by the fast-growing evolution of technology. 

Is Your CRM Appropriate for 2021 Buyers?

Old CRMS that were used when people were still wearing snap bracelets and listening to Nirvana were used to keep track of customer records, but this technology only fostered a basic way for brands to communicate with their buyers. 

As CRM technology advanced, sales and marketing teams were able to use individual customer data to scale communication vis real-time messages, dynamic content, and more.

As 2021 approaches, organizations are reaching out to HubSpot partner growth marketing agencies like WEBITMD to implement modern CRM technology and marketing automation alongside a multi-channel strategic approach to deliver an unforgettable customer experience while harvesting the right data that can be used for ongoing optimization, and increasing sales while solidifying year-over-year growth. 

This article is intended to help members of the C-Suite, as well as marketing and sales managers, learn how to prep their tech to help make 2021 the year they meet and exceed all of their growth goals. 

Make Sure You Have a COMPLETE Platform

Not too long ago, before CRMs truly evolved into the power houses they are today, marketers were forced to juggle multiple platforms to market to prospective customers. Going into 2021 it is possible to find a single platform that allows you to create and optimise content, nurture leads, monitor contacts and manage the process in which they nurtured into customers while examining how the overall marketing approach you are using is progressing.

All of this can be done from a single tool, and both your marketing and sales departments can work from the same platform with your digital marketing agency. 

Determine if the Technology Will Cut Your Internal Costs

Your main goal is to hit sales targets and improve your bottom line. Investing in a growth marketing agency that has a robust CRM with a custom set of tech tools and strategies can not only help you attract more leads and convert more sales, it can also pinpoint opportunities for organizations to make some internal changes that can save them thousands. 

For example, HubSpot says that the average sales team spends more than 80 percent of their time trying to manage leads. These time-consuming tasks include lead scoring, segmenting leads, writing custom email marketing messages to each lead, and staying on top of the engagement by responding to each one in a timely manner, with the right messaging.

The average mid-size business has a sales team of 15 people (not counting managers and executive roles). With an average salary for a sales lead averaging out around $55K, your salaries alone (if they hover around the national average) come out at nearly $825K a year. 

When partnering with a growth marketing agency that offers comprehensive CRM technology, you can reduce your sales force to three people who work alongside your agency team, and not only save hundreds of thousands, but there will be greater efficiency and all-around better results.

Whether you choose to disband a large chunk of your sales team in favor for cost-efficient and effective technology, or designate your team members to other  areas of your business, the right CRM technology can significantly slash operating costs, while nurturing leads and increasing sales in a seamless effort. 

No Lead Left Behind

Organizations waste thousands of dollars on mismanaging leads where time is spent on contacts that are poor quality. At the same time, qualified leads likely to convert often slip through the cracks–things due simply to human error.

The right marketing and sales technology comes together in a CRM to make sure that EVERY lead is properly scored and segmented in its appropriate place, thus eliminating the human error flaw that costs companies thousands every year. 

Going into 2021, be sure to seek out various growth marketing agencies and ask them about their tech tools and capabilities for aligning technology with sales and marketing strategies, and invest in one that is capable of shortening your sales cycle, reaching more people, and converting more leads in an efficient, scalable manner.

If you can take the time to do this in the months to come, 2021 can be your most profitable year yet!