There are many pieces that make up the puzzle that is a company, but let\u2019s face it \u2013 sales teams are the money makers. They\u2019re the customer communicators, the product delivery drivers, the profit promoters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re also often the most hamstrung by admin, red tape and \u2013 worst of all in today\u2019s digital-first world \u2013 manual processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stop! In the name of success. If you haven\u2019t yet, it\u2019s time to go digital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a unanimous point of view: Digital transformation is no longer an option \u2013 it is a necessity. Some industry professionals have even gone so far as to put forward that companies that fail to digitally transform will become obsolete and die. Ouch. \ud83d\ude16<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrast, companies that do take up the challenge and transform their operations, are guaranteed to reap the many short- and long-term benefits of digital transformation. Some of the deeply significant upsides include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, given the undeniably valuable benefits to be had from businesses taking the plunge and committing to transformation, why do so many struggle to get their projects off the ground, and why are so many stuck in phase one: getting a foothold?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presumably, many find it daunting and fear that it will be difficult to transition. Plus, change management is often an obstacle for businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, when we ask companies why it is that their workforce’s systems are still manual, we get the answer that manual is just less complicated, and more familiar. Our answer (or counter-question) to that, is: How much time are you already spending online \u2013 both professionally and in your personal capacity? Why then is it difficult to conceive of moving your work systems online?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then again, another hurdle is that it is not just the workforce that needs to be considered. Another big obstacle organisations face, is convincing decision-makers that a transition is not only needed, but also highly beneficial to the company at large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost without fail, when we talk to customers about digital transformation, the million-dollar question arises: \u201cWhere do we start?\u201d And then, of course, with that comes questions around where, when and how it will end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With no clear vision in mind (because it\u2019s new to most), many companies are left with no idea of where or how to kick off their journey. Another question decision makers ask before they give the green light to start the journey, is: \u201cHow will I recoup the expenditure that goes with such a journey?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fair enough \u2013 any profit-driven business wants to know its ROI chances before making a major transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To answer this specific million-dollar question, it helps to look at the people and processes that bring in the money. The elements that are crucial to generating income. And these, by and large, are tied up in the sales department<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But before we go fixing it, let\u2019s check that it\u2019s \u201cbroke\u201d in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are the obstacles that your salespeople face? More specifically, how long does it take them to go from A to Z of their sales process using manual methods?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a typical manual process in a company. Let\u2019s use Steve. Steve\u2019s a good salesperson\u2019s name, right? \ud83e\udd14 And let\u2019s say Steve\u2019s company sells branded hoodies. Because everybody loves a branded hoodie. We’ll call the business “Hoodie House”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phew. It\u2019s tiring just reading that, right? And that’s before you consider that a process like this takes days \u2013 even weeks \u2013 to before being complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s add digital and see how it goes on the flip side\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s look at how a document workflow, management and signing tool, implemented as part of Hoodie House\u2019s digital transformation initiative, changes things for Steve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because we have loads of successful use cases around SigniFlow’s Portfolios feature, we\u2019ll be using this to tell this reverse tale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading that, everything just feels slicker, smoother, more seamless, doesn\u2019t it? Not to mention more organised and safer. Oh – and let’s not forget the time factor. This could all be done (barring physical delivery of the items in between admin, approval and document processes) in a matter of hours \u2013 minutes, even, if everyone is at the ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the fact that there is minimal human interaction here, means accuracy is greatly increased. All processes are done correctly, and no process item was skipped or manipulated. Because every single action is tracked (via SigniFlow\u2019s real-time audit log), everyone\u2019s proverbials are covered – and audits are a breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, before you let your fears and the hard questions around digital transfromation get between your business and your ULTIMATE business, consider all that\u2019s in it for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still not convinced? I\u2019d be happy to give you a demo\ud83d\ude09. Get in touch: melanieh@signiflow.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Submitted by Melanie Horn, SigniFlow Customer Success Director UK\/EU\/MENA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":40978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[328,384,357],"class_list":["post-40976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-electronic-signatures","tag-digital-signatures","tag-digital-transformation","tag-signiflow-for-sales-teams"],"yoast_head":"\nThe long and winding road: Manual sales processes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The fast and the fruitful: Automated, digitised sales processes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Easier, better, faster, stronger<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
LINKS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n