Huthwaite Global Survey Reveals Smartphone and Tablets Give Sales Reps the Competitive Edge in Communications and Collaborations with Customers
Pharmaceutical Industry Dominates Trend, Driving Bottom Line Impact
Arlington, VA – December 9, 2011 – Smartphones and tablets are speeding up communication between sales reps and customers, according to a new survey by Arlington, Va.-based Huthwaite, the world’s leading sales performance improvement organization. Of the 8,500 managers, directors and associates who participated in the worldwide study, 47 percent cited that accelerated pace as the devices’ greatest advantage.
The survey found that about half the sales reps who said they benefited from faster communication also met their third-quarter sales targets. The correlation suggests that sales reps who are easiest to reach are the ones who seal the deal with customers.
“This just shows that when you give your salespeople the right tools, they can focus on the person who matters most: the buyer,” said John Golden, Huthwaite’s CEO and President. “Quick and efficient information is the currency of sales conversations. It is clear from the survey that smartphones and tablets will be a driver for successful companies in the years to come.”
The survey also included the following findings:
- Only 13 percent of companies gave tablets to their employees. Of those companies, 85 percent gave their employees iPads. Although Android leads in the consumer market, the tablet lags severely in the business world, with only five percent of surveyed companies using it.
- 64 percent of survey respondents had a company-issued smartphone, the majority being BlackBerrys.
- The pharmaceutical industry had the most sales reps using tablets, at 18 percent of survey respondents. About 35 percent of companies in the financial services industry said their websites contained mobile-friendly content and apps, compared to other industries, where only 19 percent of companies offered apps.
"Technology solutions combined with Huthwaite’s selling methodologies significantly enhance our ability to support the buyer," said Golden. "Our Business Development team can now respond to clients more rapidly, stay more organized and build stronger customer relationships. Combined, this give us better insight into buyer trends and enable us to better anticipate their needs."
Golden recommends the following ideas on how sales teams can better leverage smart technology to enhance their sales efforts:
- Arm sales team – or at least some of your team – with a tablet that can be used to plan sales calls and be present during a sales meeting.
- Sales managers/coaches should work with sales reps to measure the productivity of using the tablet. i.e. length of sales cycle, time between advances, preparedness for sales calls.
- Take advantage of apps that will sync with office computers such as CRM apps, LinkedIn or 3rd party apps.
- Coordinate with the marketing team to create a mobile friendly website and content.
- Develop apps that work with multiple platforms.
For more information about Huthwaite and sales excellence, or to request the full results, visit www.Huthwaite.com, follow them on Twitter and like their page on Facebook. Huthwaite’s latest whitepaper, “Focus on the Buyer” can be downloaded at http://www.huthwaite.com/en/Resource%20Center/Whitepapers.aspx.
Lauren Russ
Connect Communications, Inc.
773.972.7060
lauren@connectcomsinc.com
Amy Levitt
Huthwaite
703.467.3848
alevitt@huthwaite.com
About Huthwaite Inc.
Founded on scientifically validated behavioral research, our methodologies—which include the internationally renowned SPIN® Selling—guarantee sales success. Huthwaite assesses your organization's needs and develops customized sales performance improvement and coaching programs for sales and marketing professionals that drive real business results. For more information, please visit us: www.huthwaite.com. Follow Huthwaite’s blog, Twitter stream and Facebook page.
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