Real-Time Availability of CRM Data: Reps can inform customer management decisions by accessing relevant customer data on account management, lead management, sales performance, and analytics or by participating in social CRM in real-time. Access to Business Intelligence and Sales Analytics: Reps can inform the sale by accessing business intelligence on customer accounts. The use of web, and now mobile, is changing the way customers make decisions. Increasingly, sales organizations too are recognizing the value mobile support provides to sellers in the field. MORE >>

In an earlier blog , we had mentioned five key mobile capabilities that companies use or explore to improve sales efficiency—task and schedule management, real-time availability to CRM, access to BI and sales analytics, customer collaboration and interaction, information exchange and remote coaching. On the other hand, analytical activities like BI and sales analytics or interactive activities like customer collaboration, internal information exchange, and coaching are less popular, but drive greater efficiency. How are you using mobile in sales? MORE >>

It can be very hard to find job candidates with a combination of analytical/technical and creative/judgment skills. (This is a guest post by Anna Bird of the Marketing Leadership Council , our sister program for heads of Marketing.). As the function responsible for the moment of intersection between markets and products, services, and brands, Marketing is under intense pressure to adapt – not only to the ways customers want information, but also to the increasing ubiquity of data. Want to develop a more agile team? 2) Use multi-directional career pathing. 3) Employ “reverse shadowing”. MORE >>

Blog Customer Analytics and Insight Sales & ServiceThis is a guest post by Anna Bird of the Marketing Leadership Council, our sister program for marketing professionals. Our recently held 2012 Sales and Marketing Summit in Las Vegas had a hugely informative panel discussion on building a commercial insight engine with Lori Morell and Fran Walsh from Kimberly Clark-Professional as well as Keith Clements and Paul Brown from DENTSPLY. How did you get started with commercial insights?  . Are there any low-effort ways to come up with commercial insights? How do you keep up momentum? MORE >>

Unfortunately, unless we’re starting from scratch, many of these analytical ventures yield little more than what we already know. As I speak with sales leaders and their teams, a common theme emerges – uncertainty. Indeed, in many cases, an answer reached today seems to yield additional questions tomorrow. In fact, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that companies are, “widening the range of their profit, revenue or other projections,” in response to this global economic uncertainty. In response, we have seen leading companies focus on this problem from a different angle.  MORE >>