5 Innovative Ways to Automate Your Sales Processes This YearThe chatbots are coming, the chatbots are coming! So is software that can monitor social media for mentions of your company -- and so much more.

ByDanny Wong

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

B2B companies of all sizes have discovered how sales automation programs can make tasks more efficient and effective. However, there's still room to get additional value out of your pwn investment in sales automation techniques.

Related:Automated Webinars May Be the Tool You Need to Scale Your Marketing Efforts

Here are several unique ways to expand your automation strategy in 2017, to improve your sales processes for both your customers and sales professionals.

Maximize upsell/referral opportunities through post-sale correspondence.

B2B-focused organizations can learn a lot from their B2C counterparts: For instance, innovative companies like Amazon are often able to increase their upselling and cross-selling opportunities by employing sophisticated algorithms to recommend additional products for returning customers.

It's a remarkably simple idea, even if it's based on the analysis of complex data: Find new ways to add value to your customers' lives while simultaneously encouraging them to buy more. During the first quarter that the system was in place,Amazon reported a 29 percent revenue increaseover the same period the year before.

What Amazon also discovered, and what B2B organizations can learn as well, is that you can use this data to drive interest even when the customer isn't browsing your site. If you've purchased anything from Amazon recently, you've probably noticed that the retail giant also includes item recommendations in the confirmation email you receive following an order.

This is a great strategy to drive additional revenue, but you don't have to use your confirmation and thank-you emails solely for upselling. You can also auto-populate links to various pieces of content, or includeproduct support informationthat is relevant to each customer's purchase.

Maintain a bird's-eye view of social media chatter.

It's never been more important tomonitor what your customers are sayingabout their experiences with your company on social media channels. Most B2B buyers belong to multiple social platforms, and they are especially likely to start conversations there if they have a decent number of followers, as it's a way to encourage the companies they deal with to listen.

To turn this phenomenon into a positive for your organization, utilize software that can monitor various social channels and alert sales representatives to opportunities to serve prospects and customers online.

Personalize user profiles and customer-maintenance pages.

B2B-focused brands are going all-in on personalized sales strategies, as data suggests that some organizations are increasingconversion rates by up to 36 percentsimply by employing personalized content throughout the sales funnel. But while many sales leaders see the benefits of big-picture personalization in B2B sales, they often forget that delivering a personalized experience is just as much about the small touches.

When a prospect or customer creates a profile on your website, make sure that it is immediately populated with information that is relevant specifically to that person's experience. This should include basics like the person's name and company info, but also should be extended to incorporate product recommendations, support materials, content and order history.

Automate coaching activities to boost your mid-range performers

Sales automation isn't beneficial just when it's used to directly improve the experience your customers have. You can also use the same principles to help motivate and coach your sales reps, and encourage them to reach new heights.

Related:10 Marketing Automation Hacks All Businesses Should Be Using

Contemporary software solutions make it easy for you to record and analyze the specific habits of your highest-performing sales reps, and then replicate those techniques with other team members in your organization. This robust data analysis can also help you devise new strategies for optimizing yourreward structure for each individual repacross various stages of the sales process.

Incorporate chatbots in value-added ways.

Don't worry, though; they're coming toassist salespeople, rather than replace them. Obviously, there are many interactions with a customer where AI alone is insufficient, but that also means there are some instances where it's perfectly adequate.

Many times, customers come to a website looking for a quick answer to a simple question. Chatbots can help direct them to a particular section in the FAQ, or help pull up a piece of content that can illuminate an issue for them. When these kinds of interactions are handled by automation, it frees up sales reps to focus more on core activities related to sales and CRM.

Related:Why Sales Cannot be Automated in the Next 5 Years in FMCG Industry

Obviously, there are many interactions with a customer where AI alone is insufficient, but also some where it's perfectly adequate.

Wavy Line
Danny Wong

Entrepreneur, marketer and writer.

Danny Wong is an entrepreneur, marketer and writer. He is the co-founder ofBlank Label, an award-winning luxury menswear company, and leads marketing forReceiptful, a platform to supercharge all customer interactions for eCommerce stores, andTenfold, a seamless click-to-dial solution for high-performance sales teams.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

An 81-Year-Old Florida CEO Just Indicted for a $250 Million Ponzi Scheme Ran a Sprawling Senior Citizen Crime Ring

Carl Ruderman is the fifth senior citizen in the Miami-Fort-Lauderdale-Palm Beach metropolitan area to face charges in connection with the scam.

Real Estate

The No. 1 Thing Wealthy People Want in Luxury Real Estate, According to a 'Selling Sunset' Agent

It might come as no surprise that affluent buyers want "to have as much as they can" — but another key factor really sways their decision.

Starting a Business

At 16, She Was a Homeless Single Mom With Serious Talent. Now, Her Business Brings in Millions.

Mimi G. Ford's online venture was earning seven figures within just three years. Today, she's excited to reach even more people.

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

企业家是不能过度指狗万官方望太多a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.

Business News

'Awful Advice': Barbara Corcoran Slammed For 'Tone Deaf' Business Advice to Interns

The "Shark Tank" star shared tips on social media about how interns can increase their chances of getting hired full-time, but the public reaction didn't go as planned.