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Building a Successful Business Development Culture
Most entrepreneurs solely task the sales and marketing teams with business development responsibilities within the organization. Departments such as finance and IT hardly have KPIs revolving around sales targets and customer retention rates, which makes sense since their Job descriptions are more aligned with their fields.
Sure, the sales team is required to get more clients, upsell and cross-sell the company products, but are other departments simplifying their processes?
Factors such as product quality, company response rate, implementation and other business development activities are determined by all employees and not just the sales department.
Documenting Business Development Goals
Most companies conduct performance reviews per quarter.
All employees’ responsibilities are stipulated in their job descriptions and contracts. Including business development goals in these contracts can impact the rest of the team positively. That way, an accountant won’t let a potential client go simply because he is not required to bring new deals.
Enhancing Product Quality
Selling a substandard product is cumbersome and will negatively impact the company’s performance. Product managers and developers are required to ensure that their product meets or exceeds set industry standards.
Aspects to consider when defining product qualify
- The packaging– should be appealing to the eye to catch the client’s attention
- The problem-solving aspect– does it address an existing customer pain? The product quality is higher if the problem is solved wholly. Keeping up with the changing market demands will help you keep track of your product effectiveness and customer satisfaction. Technology solution providers need to keep updating their solutions with changing market needs and; the increased need for digitization.
Checking competitors’ activity will also come in handy. Know what they are doing differently, your value proposition, and determine gaps in the market. This will also help you increase your product’s quality by specifically adding features you know the competitor does not have.
Ease of use– the product delivery should be high and the customer should be able to use it easily.
Sales enablement is crucial for the well-being of a company. All employees can take part in building the organization’s brand in the competitive business world.
How to Increase Product Quality
- Investing in Manufacturing Equipment
If you solely rely on human capital, then your products are more likely prone to errors and defects.
Investing in quality machinery means you will enjoy reduced production time and energy with a high output. You are also guaranteed accuracy and consistent production quality. Also, machines help increase the production speed and are far more cost-effective than hiring several skilled laborers.
- Automate processes using reliable business applications and software
Imagine constantly getting calls from different people in the same organization regarding an inquiry you made about a product? It can be annoying and intrusive. CRM software increases customer experience by assigning different sales consultants to specific client accounts. Follow-ups are scheduled reasonably and customers’ details are stored on the cloud eliminating chances to lose business as a result of mismanaged client data.
One reputable CRM software in the market is Microsoft’s Dynamics CRM.
Turn your data into useful insights with Microsoft’s Power BI platform. Get to know which age group has the most purchases, what aspects of your product need improvements etc.
Turn your large tasks into bite-size pieces using project management software. Product management software like Microsoft’s Project Online ensures project deadlines are met with efficient use of resources.
- Embed a Quality Management System
This stipulates internal rules which determine how your company will adopt and maintain quality products. It ensures compliance with set industry and regulatory standards.
An effective QMS will reduce errors, encourage cost-saving and continuously improve your product offering. The company’s image will also improve due to continuous product improvement.
- Infuse Quality in Company Culture
Implementing a QMS only draws the guidelines for a quality product. These quality principles need to be embedded across your entire organization to work effectively.
The whole team has to be on the same page on what constitutes a quality product. Managers and supervisors should constantly remind the team for everyone’s actions to be in line with their vision of quality.
To create quality products, employees should have a say in the product development stage. Giving them a voice in the business process creates a healthy inclusive culture boosting their morale.
- Support and Training
Invest in training and development for all employees to boost consistent product and service quality. Employee orientation programs should involve training on how to handle operating production equipment and irate issues in the workplace. Using case studies and previous experiences lets them know the business’ position to quality.
- Perform Product Testing
Before launching new or revamped products, test them to ensure their reliability in terms of problem-solving and compliance. It enables you to anticipate customers’ reactions to the product and make room for changes before making an official release to the public.
- Collect customer Feedback
Constantly check on clients regarding challenges they might be facing while using the product to gauge their satisfaction levels. This can give you insight into what improvements can be made and how to enhance product quality.
Conclusion
Sales enablement is crucial for the well-being of a company. All employees can take part in building the organization’s brand in the competitive business world.
By following the above tips, you can create a healthy business development culture to win over new clients and gain a competitive advantage.
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