Recently, we’ve been hearing from our clients in the technology sector about the need for tools to help the sales team. On the surface, this doesn’t seem to be a challenge unique to technology companies. We create sales support tools—in some shape or form—for the vast majority of our clients, spanning all industries.  But in the world of tech, where product lifecycles seem to be shrinking every day (leading to increased competitive pressure and potential product cannibalism), the sales staff needs tools that evolve just as quickly.  

So, when your products (and those of your competition) are constantly changing, how can you ensure that your sales team is keeping up?  Do you reprint your sell sheets every time the competition releases a new feature? Does the marketing department work around the clock to email new messaging to address every change in the marketplace?  Should all sales tools be so generic that they never become obsolete (“Our products solve your problems!”)?

As you’ve probably guessed, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.  But, clearly, none of the above options is ideal. Innovative companies are equipping their sales teams with smartphone and tablet apps that can be updated remotely and include two-way dialogue. Believe it or not, one such company is Freightliner Trucks.

Imagine yourself with an iPad app that provides an interactive virtual tour of your products. One that allows your sales team to report back to HQ with customer feedback. A sales tool that not only automatically updates information about your products, but also alerts the sales team to these updates.

I bet your customers would be impressed…  and so would your sales team.