Sales tracking is a strategy that divides opinions. There are those who love it and believe that it is effective and those who prefer not to implement it excessively. In fact, 44% of salespeople give up after a follow-up because they think they might upset the customer.
If this is the case for you, you probably don’t know of an effective sales tracking method that generates results.
Remember! Persisting is not annoying.
Do you want to know how you can increase your numbers by tracking sales strategically and effectively? Continue reading our article and find out!
What is sales tracking?
Sales monitoring , also known as follow up , is the process of monitoring and analyzing the different stages within the sales process . Its main objective is to measure the success of current sales strategies, as well as to find areas that can be improved.
Sales tracking identifies exactly where the customer is in your sales funnel so you know how to meet their needs. This allows us to answer all your questions, maintain active contact and help you make a decision.
To effectively track sales per customer, you need to meet a few prerequisites:
1. Know your buyer person
Knowing your buyer persona is knowing who your ideal client is. Because it is important? Because you must make sure you find the best sales tracking format according to the right consumer profile for your business. For example, you should know if they are responsible for making purchase decisions, what their needs are, through what means they seek information, etc.
2. Communicate with the lead at the right time
Communicating at the right time means having a communication and marketing strategy adapted to the stage of the sales process in which your prospect is. In other words, you need to know where the customer is in the shopping journey.
For example, a lead who signs up to receive a demo of your product is different from the one who just filled out a form to receive your newsletter . Therefore, the communication with those two clients cannot be the same. The sales follow-up process with each is different.
While one already knows what his problem is, has already considered buying your product and only needs an incentive to make the decision to close the sale, the other is still discovering how your company can help him.
How to make an efficient follow up?
An effective sales follow-up is made up of 3 phases:
Phase 1: Presale
This is the first phase and the keywords are: planning and knowledge .
You cannot contact a lead without knowing the reason. In this phase it is necessary to investigate to know what the problems and needs of the potential client are. This way you will know how your product or service will help them.
Phase 2: Sale
Phase two is decisive to carry out the sale. Your team cannot leave the client alone in the decision-making stage.
You should always be close to know if there are doubts about the budget or any functionality of the product. It can be a call or an email. Offer your customers all the necessary information to make them feel confident.
It is necessary to know that the follow-up does not end after the dreamed “yes” and the handshake. Get in touch a few days after delivering the product or service and provide the necessary customer support . In this way, your customers will be able to express if they are satisfied or if they have any other needs.
Phase 3: Post-sale
Carrying out an appropriate after- sales follow -up is one of the most important strategies to retain your customers . Not accompanying your clients is like saying “I don’t care about them” and you certainly don’t want them to think that about your brand.
A study by DNA of sales revealed that loyal customers spend 33% more than new customers, are potential ambassadors of your brand and can attract more people to close business with your company.
Benefits of sales tracking
1. Know your customers better
Tracking sales will help you recognize your customers’ buying patterns and predict their needs.
For example, if you notice that your customers use your products or services less frequently, it could mean that they are losing value to them. A good option would be to contact them – through a survey, for example – and review their needs.
On the other hand, you may notice that your customers are more open to purchasing new products or services, as their needs are changing.
Customer relationships require time and dedication. Worry about teaching the new features of your products or services, offering training or simply asking what you can do to help.
In many cases, sales tracking can save the relationship with your customers or even open up new possibilities for cross-selling and upselling .
2. Identify problems early
Keep in mind that your clients may require attention at different times; not just when they experience problems with products or services.
It is important to periodically review the client portfolio and contact them to verify that everything is going perfectly. Being proactive when it comes to taking care of your customers is necessary to keep them happy and ensure that your business continues to grow.
Regular contact will allow you to identify problems early and take action to correct them. This will strengthen the relationship with customers and show that your company cares about the well-being of each one of them.
3. Improve the performance of your work team
Sales tracking allows you to get to know your customers better and also provides timely data on the performance of your team. Analyzing this type of data is the opportunity to refine the service and review best practices when it comes to sales, marketing and support.
By gaining insight into what’s appealing to your customers and what isn’t, you can quickly identify and close the gaps between the service you want to provide and the service you’re actually providing.
Noticing that some sales or technical support reps are outperforming others can be an indication that your staff can improve in some areas. In this case it could be beneficial to conduct training on products or services and best practices, in addition to company processes and guidelines.
This data can also help reward outstanding reps with financial bonuses or praise to keep them motivated.
Top Sales Tracking Metrics
Sales tracking metrics indicate the performance of the business in terms of sales progression and future growth. Some of the most important metrics include sales KPIs that are used to measure the performance of the entire company.
Below you will be able to know the main sales monitoring metrics:
1. Calls made
It is important to calculate the number of incoming and outgoing calls, demos, and customer trainings to see how they move up the sales pipeline . This metric is essential to understand if your team is tracking sales properly.
2. Email Marketing Metrics
Emails are a great tool for tracking sales . Sent every time a potential customer has engaged in a conversation with your business or taken a certain engagement action on your website.
Follow-up emails work because they are relevant to the recipient, who receives information, and to the business, which follows up on the lead and collects data for its customer base .
To monitor customer engagement you can analyze the following metrics:
- Email open rate;
- Click rate;
- Response rate;
- Conversation rate;
- Conversion rate.
3. Conversion rate
The conversion rate is used to compare the improvement or decrease in sales in a certain period. They can be segmented by product, sales team, marketing campaign, or competitor to gain insight into performance variances.
The formula to calculate the conversion rate is:
TC= number of sales / number of leads x 100
Example:
TC= 275 ventas / 1000 leads x 100
TC= 27,5%
4. Length of the sales cycle
The sales cycle is the time that elapses from the first contact with the client until a transaction is closed (it can be won or lost). Measuring its duration is important to make an accurate sales forecast. With this metric it is possible to predict the flow of income and cash in the coming weeks and months.
3 steps to track sales
To define the best sales tracking format for your company, it is necessary to set a strategy that matches your objectives. However, this may vary according to the profile and needs of each of the clients.
It is important to take into account the stages of the sales process and follow them to maintain a pattern of attention and customer service. Next, we list the steps to follow to do your sales follow-up:
1. Plan contacts
Respect the stage in which the client is: pre-sale, sale or post-sale. Plan the best way to get in touch – it can be a phone call, a personal visit or an email – to find out exactly what the customer needs.
Also, worry about suggesting a new contact as this will allow you to track sales accurately and effectively. For this you can use any of the following phrases:
“I’ll call you again tomorrow, because I think that until then, you can make a decision, right?”;
“What time can I get in touch again: in the morning or in the afternoon?”;
“If you have any concerns, we can schedule a new meeting.”
Remember that for each action you take you must have the next one planned.
2. Implement a CRM and record everything
CRM software can do wonders for your sales tracking strategy. In it you can record each stage of your contact with the client, not only to know what the next step will be, but also to improve the sales tracking formats.
With CRM software you can improve customer service, keeping a history of contacts and preferences, as well as automate the stages of the follow up process .
Among its most important functions you will find:
- Email automation;
- Search for leads according to the preferences of your company;
- Call log;
- Notifications on your tablet or smartphone;
- Activity reports and metrics;
- Application and integration with public applications .
- 3. Do not give up on the first calls
- Did you know that only 2% of sales are closed after a single contact ? Therefore, do not give up on the first calls. It is normal that at this moment your client is getting to know you and considering doing business with you. It is essential to be close to your customers and accompany them in each of the stages of the sales process.
When should you stop tracking? Ideally, you should stop only if your client requests it or informs you that he has no interest in what you offer.
