Using downtime to train outside sales staff

With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, many organizations have been forced to require staff to work from home. This change can hurt some departments more than others. An accounting team may be able to successfully enter sales orders or compile financial reports, but an outside sales team may struggle to interact with prospects remotely. For under-utilized departments like sales that are stuck at home, now is the perfect opportunity to train them on CRM processes that will improve their performance and data tracking when they have the chance to hit the field again.

Why train staff?

The major reason most outside sales staff are not effectively trained is the fear that time spent on training is time missed out in the field. Clearly a salesperson is most effective when they can go out in the field and communicate with prospects, not when they are stuck in a training! This time of working from home and limited travel capabilities provides a rare opportunity to train sales staff without the fear of missing out on sales.

Get more out of the system they already use

Utilizing a comprehensive CRM system like Dynamics 365 can have a major impact on an organization’s bottom line. However, a system like this is only as effective as how users use it. If the sales team is only using 50% of the capabilities available to them in Dynamics 365 Sales, they are missing out on features that may be the difference between winning and losing a sale or management’s ability to accurately forecast a functional team’s capacity. Providing targeted training sessions on capabilities that are being under-utilized in Dynamics 365 Sales will help sales teams hit the ground running when they are able to go back into the field.

Increase accuracy of sales reporting

Training a sales team to effectively use Dynamics 365 Sales not only improves their numbers, but also provides management with accurate sales data to better drive other aspects of the business. If a sales team is properly trained, management can feel confident in making decisions like hiring additional functional team members or increasing the marketing budget.

Dynamics 365 training

There may be areas of Dynamics 365 Sales that you are aware is under-utilized by your sales team, but there are probably others that you don’t even know exist. Having a partner that deeply understands how your business operates and how your Dynamics 365 system fits into it make it easy for them to provide training recommendations. That’s why we have dedicated consultants meet regularly with our clients for free. In these meetings we are able to provide valuable insight into system areas that your team isn’t taking advantage of and train them on it.

Dynamics 365 mobile app

A major benefit of Dynamics 365 switching to the unified interface, is its adaptability to smaller devices, like mobile. The revamped Dynamics 365 mobile application is a must have for outside sales team members who are constantly on the road. The app allows them to track information as soon as they get it instead of waiting to use a computer and potentially missing key data points. Much like the desktop app, the mobile app is only as good as its being used. Management will see significant returns on training investment of the mobile app.

Ongoing special offers

Microsoft is currently offering free licensing for Microsoft Teams, the premiere communication and collaboration application included in most Microsoft 365 plans. Microsoft is also offering free Dynamics 365 licensing for qualifying organizations working on solutions related to the COVID-19 outbreak.