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Sales analytics software estimates the likelihood of sales outcomes using algorithms based on existing CRM software data. In other words, sales analytics tools are meant to simplify sales forecasting and present predictive sales data in the form of statistical datasets and reports. Data is collected, modeled, analyzed, and then deployed within the tool in a readable manner that sales teams can filter and analyze. One of the major perks of sales analytics software is the ability to automate sales pipeline pattern tracking, eliminating the time-consuming task of tracking this data manually via spreadsheets. In terms of forecasting, teams can analyze pipeline activity over a period of time and compare multiple forecast models without the hassle of manually building a report.
Key Benefits of Sales Analytics Software
This type of tool ultimately helps sales teams make more successful decisions. It also helps teams analyze their overall sales process and recognize better sales opportunities. Compiled datasets can be used to examine pipeline insights in an effort to understand where sales are being lost, which industries generate the most success, and which sales tactics are most effective. While this feature is the lifeblood of the tool, there are a few other reasons to implement a sales analytics software:
More quick wins — Sales analytics help visualize sales projects and cross-selling opportunities that are considered easy to win based on forecasting patterns and pipeline location. This data helps sales teams prioritize projects that are most likely to make it through to the end of the pipeline and ultimately become a customer. The datasets also visualize the potential for risky sales, allowing managers to spend more time planning and analyzing the correct pathway to a win.
Team analytics — Not only do sales analytics tools help visualize sales data, but they also measure team analytics. Sales managers are able to keep track of the progress and performance of each sales team member, easily identifying the most successful team members and the efficiency of the team overall. Sales gamification software can typically be integrated with sales analytics software for additional team motivation.
Integrations — Sales analytics solutions easily integrate with other types of sales software offerings. By integrating with other sales software tools, you will also likely be able to simplify the workflow of your sales team. Rather than having several different tools open at a time, all of the information from all of your software will be accessible from one spot.
Sales analytics software is, unsurprisingly, a big asset to sales teams as a whole. Depending on the department, the tool is helpful in a variety of ways:
Sales representatives — Sales teams use sales analytics tools for forecasting sales outcomes, which efficiently helps with prioritizing easy versus difficult sales projects and helps measure the potential of closing sales.
Sales operations — Sales representatives often use sales analytics on their own, but sales operations teams help representatives filter and understand the effectiveness of particular datasets and help convey project success, where needed. The goal of sales operations teams is to help representatives focus on selling, so operations teams typically handle the project management and training with the tool depending on the experience representatives have with understanding the datasets involved.
Sales managers — Sales managers are able to keep track of the progress and performance of each sales team member, easily identifying the most successful team members and the efficiency of the team overall.
Dashboards — Sales analytics tools differ in the type and customizability of their dashboards. Some products offer dashboards that are highly dynamic, allowing you to view data in a large number of ways by segmenting information. Others have dashboards that are more static, so sales teams cannot customize them. These options are often less expensive and typically easier for sales representatives to manage.
Forecasting analytics — Forecasting analytics alleviates human error by automating forecasting predictions and eliminating the need for modeling manually via spreadsheets. The forecasting features provide informative datasets in a visual format to help sales teams predict sales outcomes.
Mobile capabilities — Sales teams, especially outside sales teams, are often on the go and rely on mobile phones to take care of a lot of their sales functions. Many solutions offer dataset visualization across multiple platforms, including mobile.
Lead analytics — A beneficial use for sales analytics software is predictive lead scoring, which identifies trends in the customer pipeline and uses these trends to predict how far along a lead is in the pipeline. This allows sales teams to qualify and prioritize opportunities based on which leads are most likely to close. This feature works similarly, and can be integrated with, sales intelligence software.