How To Analyze Sales Data Across the Pipeline: A Comprehensive Guide Meeting sales targets and productivity goals has sales reps in a bind. To make the job easier, one of the first few tasks you may have undertaken is deploying technology. However, adding tools to the mix may not be the solution. As more and more sales tools come into play, you increasingly rely on digital systems and an increasing amount of data. You need actionable insights and predictive signals extracted from large amounts of data. This drives more value from analytics in real-time. It’s done using signals that suggest the next best action to move deals forward. It can seem intimidating to find these insights without first understanding how to analyze sales data. In this guide, we take a deep dive into how to analyze sales data and use it to maximize growth. What Is Sales Data? Before we move on to analyzing sales data, let’s get a clear understanding of the sales data definition. Sales data is the information gathered by tracking your sales activities, from customer touchpoints to engagements. Different types of sales data include: What Is Sales Data Analysis? Sales analysis evaluates the sales data and revenue generated over a specific period. It leverages technology and processes to analyze sales data and extract insights. You can improve rep performance in the short and long term by analyzing sales data. Plus, you can identify, model and predict sales trends or outcomes. Sales analysis is categorized into four types: 1. Descriptive A descriptive sales analysis shows you what happened in the past or what’s happening in the present. It tracks historical data and compares it to current performance. 2. Diagnostic Diagnostic analyses aim to find out the “why” behind sales performance data. It also tries to understand what actions caused a particular situation to occur. 3. Prescriptive Prescriptive sales analysis determines how to solve a specific problem to improve performance. It first assesses the data and prescribes (or suggests) the next best action. 4. Predictive As the name suggests, predictive sales analysis learns from past and current performance to gauge patterns. It then makes educated predictions of what will happen in the future. This gives you insights into building forecasts and setting optimum sales goals. Why is it Important to Analyze Sales Data? 97% of sellers say that sales intelligence tools are “very important” or “important.” But why is it so important for you to analyze sales performance? We found 8 reasons why: 1. To optimize future performance Analyzing sales data equips you with the insights to build better revenue strategies. Using actionable insights, you can improve future performance. Moreover, you can identify the actual sales figures to build accurate and reliable forecasts. As a bonus, your reps avoid chasing prospects with low intent. 2. To make informed decisions As leaders, you make better decisions when you have information you can act upon. That’s what analyzing sales data does for you. It shows you the areas of improvement. Not only that, it also helps you figure out which channels work best, which ones you can double down on and what locations or industries you should serve. Say you’re focusing on LinkedIn, but most of your leads come from email marketing. Using sales analysis, you can prioritize successful channels. 3. To understand the market The reports from sales analytics give specific insights into demand for your product(s). If there’s an increase or decline, you’ll know it. But that’s not all. Analytics also helps you round up the possibilities for demand changes. For instance, a decline could mean that your competitor offers a better product or better features. With market insights, you can determine when it’s time to find a new target market, improve your features or add more. You also get an assessment of market prices and the value of your product(s). 4. To drive better use cases Customers may use your tool for specific needs, or there may be features they prefer. Insights from analyzing sales data can drive better use cases for other buyers. When customers get a unique perspective and solution for their problem, they’re more likely to stick around. 5. To personalize the sales process Analytics evaluates your Historical sales data Patterns in closed-won and closed-loss deals Buyer needs Industry data It gives you a distinct peek into the buyer committee, defining individual stakeholder roles. Which means you get to personalize interactions suited to their needs. Buyers will more likely consider your business if reps engage in research. What buyers are looking for in sales interactions (Source: LinkedIn, 2022) 6. To drive productivity Find out which sales motions lead to more wins using analytics. Following this, you can double down on these motions and replicate them for all reps. Plus, you get rich insights and data-driven feedback for qualitative coaching. With these workflows in place, reps can focus on what matters most – personalized selling and winning more deals. 7. To improve cash flow Sales is one of the primary sources of cash flow. Analyzing it gives you a better understanding of your current cash position. You can take steps to refine your sales process in a way that benefits cash flow and your business. 8. To get on the growth track Change the path of your business by getting on the growth track with sales analytics. Use it to improve sales processes and, subsequently, revenue. With an improved cash flow, win rate, retention rate, productivity and forecasts, sales analytics can back you up for funding opportunities. The better the health of your business, the better your chances for acquiring investment. How To Analyze Sales Data? The following steps show how you can analyze sales data systematically. Step 1: Identify the sales data to collect You can identify what sales data points to collect using metrics. Below are some key metrics to watch out for: 1. Sales revenue It shows the total revenue you’ve earned from sales over a specific period. Use sales revenue to determine if you’re in a healthy growth situation, if you’ve hit business goals or if you’re setting

Top 5 Salesforce Communities to Join Success in the world of Salesforce development hinges on more than just mastering the platform’s tools and techniques.  It also depends on being part of a thriving community that fosters knowledge-sharing, problem-solving, and collaboration.  This article looks at Salesforce communities, shedding light on the essential forums and networks that have become invaluable resources for developers.  These platforms offer unparalleled support and insights to help you excel in the Salesforce ecosystem. So, let’s uncover the best communities you can consider joining. Advantages of Joining Salesforce Communities Salesforce developers and users operate within a dynamic ecosystem that is constantly evolving. In this environment, effective communication, support, and collaboration are critical. Salesforce forums and communities are an ideal and thriving place where developers can build their skills and troubleshoot challenges.  Here are some reasons why these digital spaces are indispensable for Salesforce developers. 1. Knowledge sharing Salesforce is renowned for its versatility, with many features and functionalities. Navigating this complexity can be daunting, especially for those new to the platform. Forums and communities offer developers a platform to share their experiences and best practices. Tapping into the community’s collective knowledge can help developers accelerate their learning curve. 2. Troubleshooting support Encountering issues and bugs is par for the course in software development. Salesforce developers can often experience unique challenges that require precise solutions. Forums provide a venue where developers can seek assistance from peers who may have faced similar issues. The collective problem-solving power of the community can help troubleshoot problems efficiently. 3. Networking opportunities Building a professional network is critical across fields, and Salesforce is no exception. Forums and communities allow developers to connect with like-minded individuals and potential mentors. These connections can lead to valuable insights, job opportunities, and partnerships to further one’s career in Salesforce development. 4. Staying informed The Salesforce platform undergoes regular updates and enhancements. Staying informed about these changes helps developers ensure their solutions remain up-to-date and compliant with best practices. Communities are hubs for sharing news and release notes, which help developers stay on the cutting edge of Salesforce technology. Five Best Salesforce Communities to Join Here are five options you can explore if you are looking to join a Salesforce community. 1. Wizard of Ops Wizard of Ops is a popular Salesforce community that beckons developers with its rapidly expanding membership base. It caters exclusively to operators, leaders, and Salesforce administrators. With over 3,700 active members, WizOps is a thriving hub for those deeply involved in crafting systems and integrations within the Salesforce ecosystem.  Members gain access to private online networking opportunities, workshops and webinars, and peer reviews. Most notably, WizOps offers all these benefits entirely free of charge. As a testament to its commitment to fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration, WizOps is an indispensable resource for professionals seeking to excel in their Salesforce endeavors. Sign up link 2. ISV Slack Community The ISV Slack Community is a tailored Salesforce community thoughtfully created by and for individuals engaged in go-to-market functions at Salesforce ISVs (Independent Software Vendors). They work with the shared goal of collective improvement. Within this community, participants include everyone from sales leadership, alliances, founders, and demand generation professionals.  Here, open and candid discussions thrive, where members exchange insights on what works and what doesn’t. To maintain a harmonious and collaborative atmosphere, access is exclusively for those who do not hold employment with Salesforce, ensuring a comfortable space for all. Sign up link 3. Trailblazer Community The Trailblazer Community is an inclusive Salesforce community that extends an invitation to developers and professionals from across the globe. As a member, you have the opportunity to cultivate and refine your skills, all while forging meaningful connections with fellow Trailblazers.  The vibrant community is a haven for those who seek to learn, grow, and collaborate, with millions of members actively blazing trails within the Salesforce ecosystem. Beyond professional development, the Trailblazer Community promises an enriching journey filled with valuable experiences and the chance to give back to the community. Sign up link 4. Salesforce Stack Exchange Salesforce Stack Exchange is a valuable resource within the Salesforce community. It offers a dedicated platform for Salesforce administrators, implementation experts, developers, and individuals from various roles. This question-and-answer site provides an efficient and user-friendly environment for knowledge-sharing and problem-solving within the Salesforce ecosystem.  With a seamless signup process that takes only a minute, Salesforce Stack Exchange encourages active participation. It enables members to seek and provide assistance promptly. Grappling with a complex development issue or simply seeking insights? This community offers a collaborative space where individuals of diverse expertise can find solutions to their Salesforce-related queries. Sign up link 5. Forcetalks Forcetalks, a thriving Salesforce community, is another leading option for developers and enthusiasts. Much more than just a platform, it is a living encyclopedia catering to the needs of Salesforce users globally. Forcetalks offers a wealth of content across comprehensive Salesforce topics for everyone from an aspiring developer to a seasoned professional. Within this dynamic community, you gain access to the latest Salesforce updates, tech blogs, explanatory articles, tutorial videos, and insightful statistical infographics. With Forcetalks, knowledge seekers can conveniently find all they need in one centralized location for better understanding and proficiency in Salesforce. Sign up link FAQs What are communities in Salesforce? Communities in Salesforce are digital spaces facilitating collaboration and information sharing among developers. These communities are created using Salesforce Community Cloud and remain customizable. They provide a way to connect and collaborate with specific user groups. There are features like discussion boards, knowledge sharing, and access to data. What are good examples of Salesforce communities? There are several notable examples of Salesforce communities across use cases. Some prominent names include Wizard of Ops, ISV Slack Community, and Trailblazer Community. What is the best Salesforce forum? Identifying the best Salesforce forum can depend on your preferences. There are several community platforms like Wizard of Ops and the Trailblazer Community. These are excellent resources for connecting with various Salesforce experts and professionals.  Bottomline

Sales Pipeline Coverage Ratio: A Guide In sales, every move counts, and every lead is a potential gem. To zero in on the correct opportunities, the sales team needs a guide. Sales Pipeline coverage ratio can be that guiding light. In the age of sales analytics, understanding and mastering this powerful metric is like possessing a map of the hidden treasures of successful sales. The sales pipeline coverage ratio serves as a safeguarding model used by sales managers to gauge the company’s health and ensure that revenue objectives are achieved. Let’s go through the sales pipeline coverage in detail. Let’s understand what it is. How does it affect the sales quota of personnel? What is the ideal pipeline-to-quota ratio? And what are some of the best practices and challenges of Sales Pipeline Coverage Ratio?  What is Sales Pipeline Coverage Ratio? Sales pipeline coverage ratio is a measure of how well a sales team is converting leads into sales. It is calculated by dividing the number of sales made in a given period by the number of leads in the pipeline.  A high sales pipeline coverage ratio indicates that a sales team is converting leads into sales at a high rate. In contrast, a low sales pipeline coverage ratio indicates that a sales team is struggling to convert leads into sales. A number of factors can affect a sales pipeline coverage ratio, such as the quality of the leads, the sales process, and the sales team’s experience. However, it is important to calculate the sales pipeline coverage ratio to get the actual picture of your pipeline.  The ratio provides a clear snapshot of your sales pipeline’s health and effectiveness. It offers insights into the quantity and quality of opportunities at various stages, enabling you to make informed decisions. How to Calculate Your Sales Pipeline Coverage Ratio? The Sales Pipeline Coverage Ratio can be calculated with this formula: You can understand it like this: When the average time for a sale to be finalized is 90 days, and the success rate of closing deals stands at 25%, the ratio between the pipeline and the sales quota becomes 4:1. This ratio signifies that to achieve the sales quota for a quarter, the total value of opportunities present in the pipeline should be four times the projected sales amount for that quarter. Although certain teams continue to employ this formula for determining pipeline coverage, a growing number now utilize advanced sales software to derive a more accurate ratio. Contemporary sales execution platforms, for instance, swiftly collect sales analytics from every stage of the sales journey and procedure, subsequently computing pipeline coverage (along with other pertinent sales analytics metrics) automatically for a precision-driven and current evaluation. Defining the optimal pipeline coverage ratio tailored to your business is advisable, as this aids your team in honing their computations. To understand the appropriate level of coverage required, it’s crucial to possess a solid understanding of the target benchmark you should be reaching at any specific point in time. How Much Pipeline Coverage Should You Have? Many sales experts recommend aiming for a sales pipeline-to-sales quota ratio of 3x or 4x. The majority of these recommendations are grounded in practicality. Is there an alternative method to precisely determine your sales pipeline coverage ratio? Let’s explore an alternative perspective on pipeline coverage. The sales pipeline coverage ratio signifies the proportion between active pipelines and the number of sales quotas that must be fulfilled.  Given that not every potential sale will be successfully closed, it becomes imperative to have an adequate number of opportunities to achieve your sales targets. A coverage ratio of 1x wouldn’t suffice to meet your quota, as it would necessitate closing every single deal in your pipeline – an extremely challenging feat. Therefore, maintaining a pipeline-to-quota ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 is advisable as a general guideline. However, to get the optimal number for your pipeline-to-quota ratio, you should consider the following factors:  1. Historical data and sales cycle Examine your historical sales data to understand how long it takes for leads to move through your sales funnel and convert into customers. If your average sales cycle is longer, you might need a larger pipeline coverage to ensure a steady flow of deals. 2. Conversion rates Evaluate your conversion rates at each stage of the sales process. If you have a high conversion rate from leads to opportunities but a lower rate from opportunities to closed deals, you might need a more extensive pipeline to compensate for potential drop-offs. 3. Market and industry factors Consider the competitive landscape of your industry and market conditions. A higher pipeline coverage might provide a buffer against market fluctuations if your market is highly competitive and unpredictable. 4. Sales quotas and goals Your sales quotas and revenue targets play a significant role in determining pipeline coverage. If your quotas are ambitious, you’ll likely need a larger pipeline to accommodate the necessary volume of opportunities. 5. Risk tolerance Assess your company’s risk tolerance. If your business can’t afford a shortage of deals, you might lean towards a more conservative pipeline coverage to minimize the risk of missing targets. 6. Growth and expansion If your business is in a growth phase or planning to expand into new markets, a higher pipeline coverage can support these endeavors by providing a cushion for unfamiliar territories. 7. Seasonality and trends Consider any seasonality or cyclical trends that impact your industry. Adjust your pipeline coverage accordingly to accommodate fluctuations in demand. The right amount of sales pipeline coverage strikes a balance between ensuring a consistent flow of potential deals and managing resources efficiently. It’s a dynamic metric that might need adjustment over time as your business evolves, market conditions change, and new opportunities arise. How to Ensure a Healthy Sales Pipeline A healthy sales pipeline encompasses a mix of early-stage prospects, active negotiations, and imminent closures. A healthy pipeline is characterized by consistent lead generation, effective lead qualification, and proactive deal management. Here are a few ways

10 Killer Tips to Use ChatGPT for Sales The buzz around ChatGPT is pretty hard to miss in any industry. You name the industry and it’s already there.  Chances are, you’ve already used the tool for more use cases than one.  From answering complex technical engineering questions to offering recommendations in any field, ChatGPT has revolutionized the way we interact with artificial intelligence (AI).  Its ability to understand and generate human-like text has opened up new possibilities everywhere. The best part? It can engage in back-and-forth discussions and provide contextually relevant replies. But, can ChatGPT work its magic in sales as well? Well, that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Know better to sell better! Check how Nektar helps you take control of your sales funnel. Learn more In this article, we will be answering this million-dollar question along with the how. We will also provide you with the prompts you can use to leverage ChatGPT for sales.  Let’s hop on the AI bandwagon.  What is ChatGPT? We know we are answering a very obvious question but for people living under the stone, here we go.  ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI specifically designed to engage in natural language conversations with users. ChatGPT is trained on a vast amount of text data and is capable of understanding prompts and generating contextually relevant responses. As of now, ChatGPT is trained based on data and information available up until September 2021.  In a nutshell, ChatGPT is the advisor/assistant you’ve always wanted.  You must have noticed we mentioned prompts, now let’s understand what are these.  What are ChatGPT Prompts? ChatGPT prompts are nothing but the textual inputs or instructions given to the ChatGPT model to initiate a conversation or request a specific type of response. They act as the starting point for the model to generate a relevant and contextually appropriate reply. Prompts should be as detailed as possible to yield the desired output. (more on that later) Surprisingly, prompt engineering has become a hot topic and a highly-demanded skill today.  How to Use ChatGPT for Sales? No wonder, ChatGPT has immense potential to impact the sales processes of your business but the bigger question is – how? Well, we got your back.  Let’s dive straight into the meaty part of the blog.  1. Sales Outreach  ChatGPT can assist with sales outreach by engaging potential customers in personalized and interesting conversations. It can generate customized email templates or social media messages that grab attention toward your product/service.  Wait, there’s more! ChatGPT can also adapt outreach messages to different languages and cultural nuances, allowing sales teams to expand their reach to global markets. 2. Upselling & Cross-Selling  With its understanding of customer preferences and purchase history, ChatGPT can be a valuable asset in upselling and cross-selling efforts. It can analyze customer data to identify complementary products or upgrades that align with their need and highlight the added value and benefits of these offerings. 3. Objection Handling Handling objections is a crucial aspect of the sales process, and ChatGPT can be trained with a wide range of objection scenarios and their corresponding rebuttals. When objections are raised by potential customers, ChatGPT can quickly analyze the objection, understand the underlying concern, and generate persuasive and empathetic responses.  4. Lead Qualification  ChatGPT works wonders for lead qualification. It streamlines the process of identifying potential customers by asking qualifying questions and gathering relevant information about a lead’s needs, budget, and decision-making authority.  The tool can then apply predefined criteria to determine the quality and potential of the lead saving hours of your reps’ time.  5. Market & Competitor Research  ChatGPT can assist in competitor analysis and market research by gathering and analyzing relevant data. It can extract public information, industry reports, and customer reviews to provide insights into competitors’ offerings, pricing strategies, and customer sentiment.  However, the knowledge available to ChatGPT is based on data up until September 2021 only. If you are looking for real-time information, it is recommended to use ChatGPT-4’s Beta version which comes with browsing capabilities. 6. Answer FAQs as a Chatbot Revolutionary ChatGPT can be trained as a chatbot to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) from customers. By understanding natural language queries, ChatGPT can provide accurate and consistent responses, offering 24/7 support and freeing up sales reps’ time for more complex queries.  7. Define Sales Strategies Guess what? ChatGPT can contribute to sales strategy development as well by providing valuable input and generating ideas. It can analyze data, feedback, and market trends to identify opportunities, target audience segments, and potential growth areas.  It can then assist in formulating sales strategies, including market positioning, target market selection, pricing models, and sales channel optimization.  8. Sales Training & Role-Playing  ChatGPT can be an effective tool for sales training and role-playing exercises. It can simulate realistic sales scenarios, allowing sales reps to practice their skills and refine techniques. ChatGPT may take on the role of a prospect, providing responses and objections that sales reps must learn to navigate.  9. Deal Scoring and Prioritization ChatGPT can also come in handy for deal scoring and prioritization by analyzing various factors and assigning a score or ranking to each potential deal. It can consider criteria such as the prospect’s level of interest, budget, timeline, decision-making authority, and fit with the company’s ideal customer profile.  10. Sales Enablement Collaterals  One more use case where ChatGPT can be a valuable asset is in creating sales enablement collaterals. By analyzing data and understanding customer pain points, it can generate content such as sales scripts, playbooks, product guides, training materials, and sales collateral that resonates with potential customers.  How to Integrate ChatGPT into your Existing Tools Integrating ChatGPT into your existing tools involves several essential steps for seamless integration.  First, identify the specific tools you want to integrate with and understand their technical requirements.  Next, choose the most suitable integration method based on the available options for ChatGPT, such as webhooks, APIs, SDKs, or pre-built connectors.  Access the ChatGPT API by signing up for an account and obtaining the

5 Ways Siloed Data is Burning Your Revenue There are various reasons why revenue might be falling for your company. Most of these reasons might be in your radar, and your strategy might include improving on those parameters in the next quarter.  But there is one silent killer in your revenue engine you might not be aware of. Ignoring this aspect can cost you heavily. This is the case of siloed data.  90% of organizations cite data silos as a challenge to growth. And data inefficiencies cost organizations an average of $12.9 million every year. Dependence on incorrect, incomplete, or stale data leads to erroneous decision-making that hurts revenue. Most of these issues related to data originate from data silos. What do we mean when we say data inefficiencies? Using incorrect data to drive decisions across the organization or basing a new revenue strategy on the shoulders of stale data in your systems are some examples of data inefficiencies. How can organizations make data-driven decisions that drive revenue? Is there a need for more data? Definitely not. Every organization has their own data that can be leveraged to make powerful data-driven decisions. But most of this data is stuck in systems that don’t talk to each other. Enabling this data to flow freely along the revenue engine can help capture critical information to understand your business better. Data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire new customers, 6 times more likely to retain them, and 19 times more likely to be profitable. First Up, What is Siloed Data? Siloed data is information from revenue-generating activities like sales, marketing or customer success that is stored in isolated tech stacks. This data is controlled by one team but inaccessible to others. For example, marketing team might create revenue generating strategies with the data within their own tech stack. This data is not related to data that sales or customer success has. As a result, these departments keep working within their own confines, without having access to the same data, or devising ways to support each other. Such silos hampers organizations as revenue generation is no longer the responsibility of just sales or marketing. It’s a team effort that demands all customer-facing functions to come together and refer to a single source of data. This is where revenue operations thrives as a function. A data pile-up leaves everyone puzzled, and organizations pay dearly in terms of unaligned goals, internal competition, siloed thinking, and stunted growth. How is Siloed Data Created? Most departments don’t have access to unified, strategic data for cohesive planning. For instance, 47% of marketers blame data silos as their most significant problem for extracting insights from data. Why is it that data silos thrive? Here are three key reasons: 1. Siloed departments Departments within the organization often have individual goals to achieve. Along the way, they may miss the point of setting these goals – for the organization’s collective growth. As a result, they operate in silos concentrating on their own targets. It mainly creates problems when customer-facing teams – marketing, sales, and customer support – start functioning in isolation. The common objective is to increase revenue and retain customers, and these teams must collaborate closely for success. But with differentiated tech stacks for each team, it’s incredibly challenging to use one department’s data for another. As a result, sales and marketing teams often end up at loggerheads and can’t align GTM strategies. The numbers are shocking because as much as 90% of sales and marketing professionals report misalignment in strategy, among other things. And it’s estimated that this misalignment costs businesses over $1 trillion each year. 2. Cultural resistance Even as digital transformation sweeps the world, 54% of organizations manage customer-facing operations in silos. In organizations that don’t follow a culture embedded with data, teams face challenges in deriving valuable insights from data. Only 25% of employees think they can leverage data to their benefit. Then there’s limited knowledge of new technologies. Sometimes, leaders find upgraded systems challenging to comprehend. Since they hold key positions, accepting this shortcoming and stepping up digital transformation could feel overwhelming. 84% of employees think leaders should move to more modern tech stacks to capture business opportunities. The result of this cultural resistance? Organizations end up sticking with legacy systems thinking these will perpetually perform well. 3. Separate tech stacks 72% of customer interactions are now via multiple digital touchpoints. Enterprises with data silos store information from individual touchpoints separately, giving rise to irregularities as data collected from each can be vastly different. And companies that don’t keep up with digital transformation risk losing nearly $7 million. Moreover, as technology evolves, companies may add more tools to their tech stack for various functions and departments. With each clashing effort, this stack keeps growing and creating unmanageable siloed data if integrations aren’t in place. And while applications are on the rise, integrations aren’t increasing equally. In 2022, an organization had 976 applications on average. But only 28% of these apps were integrated. 5 Ways Siloed Data Is Damaging Your Revenue Maintaining data silos is doing more harm than good to businesses. While you must uphold customer confidentiality, not sharing a ton of other information will impact revenue adversely.  Below are 5 significantly adverse effects of siloed data. 1. Missed business opportunities 30% of respondents in a survey by CMO Council and Televerde stated they faced challenges in hitting revenue targets because of organizational silos. And that’s not all. 84% of employees are missing business opportunities by not moving to modern data solutions. Fostering a ‘data ownership’ culture over a ‘data sharing’ one has a far-reaching impact on identifying new prospects and nurturing those in the sales pipeline. Unhealthy competition among teams further motivates them to fulfill internal targets while ignoring external possibilities. It also deepens the rift when leads handed over from marketing to sales don’t come with the right set of data. 2. Unfavourable customer experience This lead handover also translates into cumbersome customer experiences. Most businesses have multiple customer touchpoints. If data from each is unlinked, sales teams have less visibility on which part of the

7 Salesforce Data Enrichment Tools When data in Salesforce is stale and incomplete, it canhamper sales operations. This outdated and incomplete data can be filled using tools for data enrichmentthat will fill up the gaps. Best Data Enrichment Tools: Nektar.ai: It’s an all-in-one stop shop for everything Salesforce. It automatically updates contacts and opportunities with first party data as well as historical insights. ZoomInfo: Has a vast collection of firmographic & technographic data perfect for finding decision makers. Clearbit: Offers real-time appendage of data and integrates with marketing tools for lead segmentation. Crunchbase: Concentrates on startups, gives company profiles, funding history, industry trends. (Free tier available) Leadgenius: Customizable web crawlers that collect niche-specific information. Cognism: Blending of data enrichment with automation and multi-channel engagement. Ringlead: Ideal for telemarketing through features like call scripting as it cleanses and enriches B2B contactdata. Choosing the Right Tool: Think about your industry type, what kind of information you are looking for (firmographics or technographics), how much you want to spend, and whether you would like real-time updates or automation happening. What is Data Enrichment? Introduction Your ideal customer is not just a name or address. It is a full-fledged human with certain buying habits, persona and social media footprint that screams of “perfect- fit”. Your salesforce data might only present a distorted or very limited picture of your buying committee. It can act like a dusty attic with crammed boxes full of half- remembered details. Your CRM is the backbone of your business decisions and you can’t rely on skewed numbers. You would want to make it as much valuable as possible to base your future plan on a solid strategy. This is exactly where data enrichment can help you. What is Data Enrichment? Data enrichment helps to fill out complete information about your leads like contact number, address, company and even company related details like size, industry, location etc. Imagine you get a lead of someone names Adam Doe, from Acme Ltd. It might sound promising but what is Acme all about? Who is this guy Adam beyond his email address and phone number? Data enrichment snoops in and pulls out information from social media activity, business directories and even internal purchase history to prepare a 3D persona. Now, Adam Doe is a tech enthusiast with a knack for technology updates and purchase history of high end gadgets. There you go! It’s time to tailor your pitch and win Adam over. Your lead has become a real person with real interest who can be engaged with at a personal level. Data enrichment precisely adds valuable information into your existing customer data on Salesforce. This additional intel can give you a holistic picture of your target audience and prospects. It can be performed in three ways: Direct: Your leads might decide to provide complete information about themselves by filling out a survey. Internal: You combine scattered information about your lead across different databases into one External: You source this out to third party data enrichment services that can access external records. Salesforce data enrichment allow teams to create a single, unified source of all CRM data so that team members can make decisions efficiently. Data can be enriched via: Data Cleansing: This means getting rid of obsolete, duplicated, partial data and making the datasets error-free. Data Appending: By collating data from multiple sources, a unified dataset can be created that offers a complete customer profile. Why do you need a Salesforce Data enrichment tool? As per studies, 77% organisations struggle with data quality issues. While the reps are already grappling with an increasing buying committee data enrichment can essentially make their life easier by providing them as much information as possible about their leads. With right kind of data enrichment, sales teams can: Leverage better quality data: Data enrichment gives valuable context to the data by removing redundancy. This can help in creating an effective sales pipeline for your reps with less manual efforts. Craft Messages that Matter: You can uncover salient aspects about your prospects’ likes and dislikes like their favorite sports, hobby etc. This can help you tailoring your message in a way that grabs their attention and strikes the right chord with them. Target the Right People: With complete picture about your prospects’ company, you can understand the actual stakeholders and invest your efforts with accuracy. With better understanding of the buying committee, your reps are more likely to chase the right prospect and build effective account plans. Predict Success: Having proper data lets your reps understand their buying committee’s behaviour precisely. They can better equip themselves with the essential background information and forecast pipelines accurately. Bonus! Data enrichment can elevate your internal data too. Reps can identify patterns and discover new information by connecting dots and prevent potential customer churn. Our top 7 picks for Data Enrichment Now that we understand the importance of putting your CRM in a better quality. Let’s talk about the top tools that can help you achieve this. Nektar.ai Nektar.ai is a contact and activity capture solution that keeps and recovers client contacts as well as their participation details throughout various stages of the buyer’s journey, thereby becoming an invaluable resource for groups trying to harmonize their CRM procedures. It is first party data platform with zero user adoption, meaning that the admin teams don’t have to worry about adoption and enablement challenges. Why use it? Automated Contact & Opportunity Management: Teams using Nektar can automate the addition, editing and deletion of contacts in Salesforce. Contacts are automatically linked to opportunities so you are able to tell who is really going to make a decision. Its self-healing artificial intelligence (AI) makes sure that actions are taken based on current happenings and new information. Depth and Breadth of Activity Data: It has every single mail and information exchange between buyers and sellers across the customer journey. This enables syncing activity within leads, opportunities, accounts and their contacts for granular contact-level engagement visibility as well. Data Automation: Revenue professionals can define certain logic on

Everything You Need to Know About Sales Territory Mapping RevOps 10 min Successful sales strategies play a key role in achieving business goals. But what drives these strategies from inception to execution, improving sales operations and on-ground performance? Sales territory mapping.  Without the right sales territory map template, your sales team could face challenges, namely: Poor productivity Revenue mismatch or imbalance Subpar revenue performance  Poor customer experience Leading to the loss of clients, and Waste of valuable resources  So, how do you get sales territory mapping right to achieve business goals and grow your revenue? Let’s find out in this blog. Sales Territory Mapping: Setting On-Ground Sales in Motion Sales territory mapping defines and visualizes the area, sales amount, and revenue your sales team will target. It divides and categorizes customers based on specific characteristics within your ideal customer profile (ICP). A sales territory map template also helps you assign categories and customers to the salespersons best equipped to serve them.  It lets you reach the right customers in the right areas with the right characteristics to achieve targets and improve growth.  The task of aligning your sales plan with business goals in the most profitable way lies with sales managers.  From the larger business perspective, sales territory mapping is part of location intelligence. Today, location intelligence helps segment customers and find more relevant target markets for revenue success.  How Is Sales Territory Mapping Instrumental to Business Growth? A sales territory map template does more than act as a blueprint. Here are 6 more ways in which it contributes to growth.  1. Ties Back to Business Goals Sales territory mapping creates a blueprint for achieving your business goals. It clearly lays out sales targets and directs reps to the most profitable customers or verticals by strategically assigning territories. 2. Maintains Balance One of sales territory mapping’s primary objectives is to secure a balanced and fair distribution of work among sales teams. It moves and optimizes resources effectively to maximize revenue potential.  3. Increases Selling Time Reps can increase facetime with clients by cutting down time spent on planning. This is specifically made possible with sales territory mapping tools that decrease planning time from months to minutes.  4. Improves Win Rates Naturally, when reps spend more time selling, they can nurture clients better through the sales funnel. Moreover, each assignment is backed by data. This data offers more visibility into customers and prevents deals from slipping through the cracks.  As a result, reps can improve customer experience and uncover new leads to increase win rates.  5. Boosts Morale A sales territory map template encourages intelligent planning, further improving sales productivity. Additionally, when reps can increase win rates, achieve their quota, and earn more, it boosts their morale. And if reps are happy, it means your attrition rates are lower.  It’s not just that. A sales territory map template also highlights improvement areas useful for coaching.  6. Extracts Hidden Insights Sales territory mapping helps measure sales data by connecting the map to the CRM. Therefore, when multiple salespersons are involved in a deal, you can attribute the sale to the right person.  Recognizing the benefits of sales territory mapping is the first step in setting up your own template. Step two is understanding its different types.  Choosing From 5 Types of Sales Territory Mapping Conventionally, sales territories were based on locations. However, you can customize them today as per your customer, market, or even product needs.  Let’s take a look at the 5 types below.  1. Geography Geographic sales territory mapping is the most commonly used and also the oldest. It classifies your market based on, you guessed it, geographical locations—cities, states, countries, and zip codes.  For example, Sales Team A can serve Texas, while Sales Team B covers California.  To get geographic mapping right, your sales team must have a regional, cultural, and linguistic understanding of the territory they’re allocated.  It’s also important to ensure that the selected sales team is available when customers are active in the designated regions.  2. Product Product-based sales territory mapping can be used when you have multiple offerings. You can categorize and assign reps to specific products or technological offerings.  This method is useful when certain reps have in-depth expertise on specific products. For example, Team A has expertise in CRM solutions and is assigned to this offering, while Team B caters to clients looking for Digital Advertising software.   Assigning your reps to the right products will ensure they can sell to clients more convincingly.  3. Customer  The third way to divide your sales territories is based on specific customer characteristics like demographics or roles.  For instance, Sales Team A may sell to clients with a yearly revenue of $500,000. On the other hand, Sales Team B focuses on the higher margin clients with yearly revenue of $1 million and upwards.  4. Industry  Industry-based sales territory mapping assigns reps to specific industries or verticals.  It works best when your product caters to individuals or businesses from multiple industries.  For example, Team A sells to the construction industry, while Team B covers the education sector. Similarly, Team A could be selling to the education industry overall, while Team B handles specific verticals–like universities or higher education–and Team C is responsible for schools.  5. Sales Channel An upcoming type of sales territory map template categorizes territories per the sales channels your reps or clients use.  That’s because buyers now use ten or more channels, on average, as they move through the buying process. They use a combination of digital self-serve channels for certain activities and videos or in-person channels for others.  Consider this example. Team A is responsible for selling via digital channels like social media, and Team B sells through offline channels such as cold calling.  You may also get more granular by assigning reps with expertise in certain platforms to those mediums. For instance, Rep A sells via emails, and Rep B may use LinkedIn.  Knowing the key types of sales territories is awesome. But figuring out the type of

5 Steps to Navigate Buying Groups in 2025: A RevOps Guide RevOps 10 min In today’s business environment, B2B buying is never just one person. According to Forrester Research, more than half of global business buyers purchase in complex buying scenarios that include more people, more departments, and generally higher price points. And this buying group can be made up of 7 to 20 people! Unlocking the power of buying groups is a crucial aspect of the B2B landscape. This blog is a synopsis of our conversation with revenue operations leader, Nandini Karkare. She is currently the SVP of RevOps at Zywave. Nandini suggests strategic steps to navigate through the realms of Revenue Operations and helps uncover the strategies, insights, and best practices that constitute a comprehensive guide to mastering the dynamics of buying groups. Read on to get actionable tips on how you can navigate buying groups in 2025 (and beyond). And implement the learnings to create a winning GTM motion. Here are the 5 steps Nandini recommends: 1. Decode Your Buying Groups The buying groups typically consist of members from departments and they all contribute different aspects. It is critical to understand the scope of decision-making including the people who play the most significant roles in making the call. Gartner’s report on B2B Buying highlights that 77% of B2B purchases involve a buying group of four or more people. PS: The key stakeholder can turn out someone altogether different from who you had building a relationship with all along. a. Capturing Buying Group Members   Effective buying group management means considering not just decision-makers but influential stakeholders across departments. Misidentifying key players or focusing solely on the main contact risks derailing the sale. (i) How can you map the entire buying group efficiently? Leverage internal and external data to identify the key players Segment the Group by Role and Influence (ii) Not everyone in the buying group holds equal power or influence. Segment them into categories: Decision-makers (who give the final heads-up) Influencers (who sway the decision) Users (who use the product and provide feedback) Budget owners b. The Role Transition Within a Buying Group   Moving the focus from a buying group to a renewal or expansion committee includes knowing precisely who remains in the relationship, as well as who becomes more active as an account grows. (i) New roles may emerge in a Buying Group Technical or operational leaders may become more influential post sale, since they are now using the product. (ii) The focus shifts from buying to renewal The interaction should be more about the return on investment (ROI) of the product placed on the market, ongoing value delivery, and ongoing needs. (iii) Alignment between the buying groups and renewal committee Leveraging the same enthusiasm and relationships generated at the first-buying stage helps in anchoring the transitions and preventing any drop-offs in engagement. Related Resource: Navigate Enterprise Buying Committees: Strategies for Driving Alignment c. Understand the Personal and Collective Priorities of a Buying Group As per McKinsey & Company, B2B buying decisions increasingly require engagement across departments, with 60% of purchasing committees including members from outside traditional procurement, like IT and HR. (i)Alignment Between C-Suite and Technical Teams Decisions aren’t Made in a Vacuum Collaboration between C-suite and technical teams ensures a holistic approach to solving customer problems, creating stronger, more sustainable relationships Their cross departmental collaboration can help with: (ii) Alignment on Strategic Goals C suite executives need technical assistance to translate their strategic vision to reality that also aligns with company-wide objectives. (iii) Technical Validation These insights guide the C-suite in making informed decisions that fit technical infrastructure and future-proofing. (iv) Cross-functional Communication Bridging the gap between these two groups involves continuous, open communication, ensuring that technical evaluations don’t delay business goals but instead support them cohesively.   iii. Understand the Product Take product demos, listen to sales calls, and use tools that show how the product is sold. This helps in understanding the customer needs better. iv. Dive into Your CRM Understand your CRM (whether Salesforce or HubSpot) to assess how the data is organized. This is to check whether it’s easy to use, and identify immediate improvements. The CRM should be the central source of truth, with other tools supporting it. The data should be unified with easier adoption for the teams. v. Build Trust Internally Establish trust within your teams by listening carefully, asking questions about how RevOps can help, and addressing quick fixes to show you’re there to help. Having this trust shows them that you’re here to support their success. Quick wins, such as small fixes that make people’s jobs easier, helps in establishing credibility early. 2. Establish Clear KPIs   i. Understanding Team KPIs It is important to ask you stakeholders about the KPIs that matter to understand their goals and what their expectations are. ii. Aligning KPIs Across Teams Different departments oftentimes work in silos. RevOps should strive to align these departments and check if these KPIs match the overall business objectives. Gaps must be closed if their KPIs don’t align. iii. Setting RevOps KPIs As you approach the end of the first 30 days, start establishing RevOps-specific KPIs that match company goals, which may involve metrics like revenue increase, conversion rates, or improvements in overall efficiency. 3. Tech Stack Audit Deep dive into the existing tools that your company is using. Identify all redundancies, and find opportunities to streamline the entire tech stack. i. Map Out Tools Compile a list of all tools used by teams, noting their purpose and how they work with the CRM. ii. Evaluate Use and Cost Determine if tools are actively used or if there are duplicates. Look for cost-saving opportunities by consolidating tools when possible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVDJ9KI1tGw&t=869s Next 30 days – Alignment and Control The next 30 days marks a shift from discovery to alignment. The goals should be to create cohesion between departments (e.g., Sales, Marketing) and laying down effective controls. The improvements need to be implemented without overwhelming the teams. This phase combines

7 Salesforce Data Enrichment Tools for 2025 RevOps 10 min What is Data Enrichment? Introduction Your ideal customer is not just a name or address. It is a full-fledged human with certain buying habits, persona and social media footprint that screams of “perfect- fit”. Your salesforce data might only present a distorted or very limited picture of your buying committee. It can act like a dusty attic with crammed boxes full of half- remembered details. Your CRM is the backbone of your business decisions and you can’t rely on skewed numbers. You would want to make it as much valuable as possible to base your future plan on a solid strategy. This is exactly where data enrichment can help you. What is Data Enrichment? Data enrichment helps to fill out complete information about your leads like contact number, address, company and even company related details like size, industry, location etc. Imagine you get a lead of someone names Adam Doe, from Acme Ltd. It might sound promising but what is Acme all about? Who is this guy Adam beyond his email address and phone number? Data enrichment snoops in and pulls out information from social media activity, business directories and even internal purchase history to prepare a 3D persona. Now, Adam Doe is a tech enthusiast with a knack for technology updates and purchase history of high end gadgets. There you go! It’s time to tailor your pitch and win Adam over. Your lead has become a real person with real interest who can be engaged with at a personal level. Data enrichment precisely adds valuable information into your existing customer data on Salesforce. This additional intel can give you a holistic picture of your target audience and prospects. It can be performed in three ways: Direct: Your leads might decide to provide complete information about themselves by filling out a survey. Internal: You combine scattered information about your lead across different databases into one External: You source this out to third party data enrichment services that can access external records. Salesforce data enrichment allow teams to create a single, unified source of all CRM data so that team members can make decisions efficiently. Data can be enriched via: Data Cleansing: This means getting rid of obsolete, duplicated, partial data and making the datasets error-free. Data Appending: By collating data from multiple sources, a unified dataset can be created that offers a complete customer profile. In this article, we will walk you through the basics of sales methodologies and the top 10 sales methodologies to use for selling to the modern customer of today. Keep reading!  Why do you need a Salesforce Data enrichment tool? As per studies, 77% organisations struggle with data quality issues. While the reps are already grappling with an increasing buying committee data enrichment can essentially make their life easier by providing them as much information as possible about their leads. With right kind of data enrichment, sales teams can: Leverage better quality data: Data enrichment gives valuable context to the data by removing redundancy. This can help in creating an effective sales pipeline for your reps with less manual efforts. Craft Messages that Matter: You can uncover salient aspects about your prospects’ likes and dislikes like their favorite sports, hobby etc. This can help you tailoring your message in a way that grabs their attention and strikes the right chord with them. Target the Right People: With complete picture about your prospects’ company, you can understand the actual stakeholders and invest your efforts with accuracy. With better understanding of the buying committee, your reps are more likely to chase the right prospect and build effective account plans. Predict Success: Having proper data lets your reps understand their buying committee’s behaviour precisely. They can better equip themselves with the essential background information and forecast pipelines accurately. Bonus! Data enrichment can elevate your internal data too. Reps can identify patterns and discover new information by connecting dots and prevent potential customer churn. Our top 7 picks for Data Enrichment Now that we understand the importance of putting your CRM in a better quality. Let’s talk about the top tools that can help you achieve this. Nektar.ai Nektar.ai is a contact and activity capture solution that keeps and recovers client contacts as well as their participation details throughout various stages of the buyer’s journey, thereby becoming an invaluable resource for groups trying to harmonize their CRM procedures. It is first party data platform with zero user adoption, meaning that the admin teams don’t have to worry about adoption and enablement challenges. Why use it? Automated Contact & Opportunity Management: Teams using Nektar can automate the addition, editing and deletion of contacts in Salesforce. Contacts are automatically linked to opportunities so you are able to tell who is really going to make a decision. Its self-healing artificial intelligence (AI) makes sure that actions are taken based on current happenings and new information. Depth and Breadth of Activity Data: It has every single mail and information exchange between buyers and sellers across the customer journey. This enables syncing activity within leads, opportunities, accounts and their contacts for granular contact-level engagement visibility as well. Data Automation: Revenue professionals can define certain logic on the datasets to provide a quantitative output on Salesforce like engagement score to auto-fill Salesforce fields (eg, Competitor, MEDDICC) and even for auto-updating a sales stage like marking an opportunity closed lost if there was no engagement in last three months. This simplifies CRM data automation upto a great extent. ⁠ZoomInfo Zoominfo provides a 360 degree intelligence about individuals and companies like firmographic data (company name, size, industry & location). It is neatly optimized for Salesforce and automatically appends your data with existing or new records. Why use it? Massive database for comprehensive searches Deep data insights (firmographics & technographics) Excellent for finding hard-to-reach decision-makers ⁠Clearbit Clearbit offers real-time data appendage for all your prospects by providing information “early-on”. Its intent-based outreach can help teams identify when a lead does something that signals buying intent- like

Top 15 Guided Selling Tools for 2025 RevOps 10 min Imagine that you are planning to build a new house but are unsure where to start. You have a basic idea of what you want but are not an expert in home construction or design. In such a situation, you would need a skilled architect who understands your needs, preferences, and budget and then guides you through designing your dream home. The architect would help you make informed decisions about your new home’s design, materials, and features. Similarly, a guided selling tool uses customer data and sales expertise to help customers navigate the purchasing process and make informed decisions. It can provide personalized recommendations based on the customer’s needs and preferences, answer questions, and offer advice to help them choose the right product or service. What is Guided Selling? Guided selling is a strategy involving a structured approach to lead potential customers through the sales process. It is the process of analyzing current sales, historical sales, and customer data to help sales reps provide tailored product recommendations to customers and increase the likelihood of conversion.  Let’s say you are shopping for a new laptop. You visit a website that offers guided selling, and you’re prompted to answer a series of questions. The questions might include things like: What will you primarily use the laptop for? Do you need a large screen or a lightweight design? How important is battery life to you? What is your budget? Based on your responses, the website would then recommend a few different laptops that meet your needs. It might provide detailed information about each laptop, such as the processor, RAM, and storage capacity, as well as customer reviews and ratings. The website might offer additional guidance, such as recommending accessories or providing information on warranties and support. Throughout the process, the focus is on helping you make an informed decision based on your unique needs and preferences. Guided selling can be particularly effective for complex or high-value products or services where customers may require more personalized guidance and support to make informed purchasing decisions. By providing a more consultative sales approach, guided selling also helps to establish long-term customer relationships. How Does Guided Selling Work in B2B SaaS In B2B SaaS, guided selling typically involves a sales representative or a customer success manager who guides the customer. The process usually begins with the customer expressing their needs and goals and the guide using that information to suggest relevant products or services. The guide may use various tools, such as a software demo, to help the customer understand the features and benefits of each option. In addition, guided selling often involves providing educational resources to the customer to help them better understand the product or service and how it can help them achieve their goals. This may include case studies, white papers, or other content that provides valuable insights into the benefits and use cases of the product. Let’s have a look at the guided selling process in detail: The Process of Guided Selling Tools The guided selling process is a customer-centric approach to sales that involves guiding potential customers through the buying process by providing personalized recommendations, advice, and support. The following are the general steps involved in a typical guided selling process: 1. Gathering customer information The first step of the process involves collecting data on the customer’s needs, preferences, budget, and any other relevant information that can help the sales process. 2. Identifying customer pain points In this stage, the sales team uses the information gathered in the previous stage to identify the customer’s pain points or areas of concern.This is typically done through a series of questions or a needs assessment. 3. Providing product recommendations Based on the customer information and pain points identified, the sales team provides recommendations on the products or services that best meet the customer’s needs. 4. Presenting solutions At this stage, the sales team presents the recommended products or services to the customer and explains how they address the customer’s pain points. The sales representative provides information about the recommended products or services, including their features, benefits, and pricing. 5. Handling objections If the customer has any objections or concerns, the sales team addresses them and provides additional information or alternative solutions as needed.  6. Closing the sale Once the customer is satisfied with the recommended product or service, the sales team closes the sale by facilitating the purchase process. 7. Follow-up and customer support After the sale is complete, the sales team provides follow-up support to ensure the customer is satisfied with their purchase and offers any additional assistance or support as needed.   Examples of Guided Selling Tools in Businesses Here are some examples of techniques of guided selling tools:  1. Automate sales playbook To ensure consistent performance, sales playbooks should be automated. Guided selling relies on a solid foundation of methodologies, blueprints, and plays that facilitate the sales process. It’s important to choose a solution that simplifies the playbook for sellers, allowing them to follow the plan and consistently advance deals easily. 2. Identify specific needs In some situations, customers may need a clearer idea of what they are looking for when they visit your website. In such cases, a brief questionnaire can be used to determine and guide their specific requirements. For instance, if you run an online clothing store, you could ask customers questions about their preferred fit and fabric to steer them toward products that best match their preferences. This approach can increase the likelihood of a purchase by helping customers make informed decisions based on their needs. 3. Real-time response For a guided selling software to be effective, it needs to be adaptable and flexible, able to react to changing circumstances in real time. At a fundamental level, ensuring that sales representatives remain attentive to communication and other sales activities can reduce the time it takes to close deals and result in higher revenue velocity. In other cases,