How the Right CRM can Help You Provide the Best Service During Hurricane Season

By Oscar Macia, Cofounder & CEO, ForceManager.

Hurricanes have been rough in the US in the past and Matthew, Irma and Michael are examples of storms that caused major damages in areas of Florida and South and North Carolina and Louisiana recently.

Many residents in hurricane-prone areas have acknowledged the importance of preparation and prevention when facing these strong storms and are conscious that quick and good preparation can avoid big issues in the future. However, there are always major reconstruction works that need to be undertaken after one of these weather events arrive.

Within this scenario, it is key for field sales teams to be prepared if they want to provide a reliable and quick service ahead of and during the hurricane season. In this sense, the digital era provides a unique opportunity to improve the way commercial departments work, allowing them to provide a much more customized service to their clients. This becomes especially true for sales representatives on the road, who spend around 3 hours a day driving from visit to visit. These professionals, without access to a desktop computer, rely heavily on their smartphones to help them in their day-to-day.

For this reason, and ahead of a season when sales teams will have to do their best to meet their clients’ requests, it is key to turn their smartphones into a truly personal assistant that helps them boost sales and achieve their objectives at the end of the quarter.

The importance of first-hand information

Construction sites are not usually the best place to start writing notes on your pad or typing on your laptop to document client visits and share insights with sales managers. What sales teams need in those moments is a powerful tool that helps them record all the vital information before heading towards their next visit. This is where companies such as the New York City based ForceManager come into play. The aim of this personal sales assistant is to provide a quick way of reporting and introducing new business opportunities for sales teams in the field.

That is why users can geolocate construction sites and their customers, so when one of the field reps is within range of a client’s site, the app automatically prompts them with a check-in button to start the visit. In this way, sales reps can insert notes, open a sales opportunity and report the visit with just a few simple clicks. Additionally, the team can have a quick, easy access to all critical information, including accurate data on previous interactions and up-to-date feedback that helps understand the outcomes of the visits. This way, sales managers can have the whole picture of their sales pipeline, stagnant sales and the reasons for lost opportunities.

This real-time information flux increases the flexibility of the teams, allowing them to adapt their strategy “on the go” to achieve their objectives in a more effective way. At the end of the day, good coordination can make the difference between meeting or not meeting the client’s needs.  

The power of AI

For sales teams to really use their smartphones as a personal sales assistant, it has to be useful in all situations, including when driving from one visit to another. A tool that allows sales reps to interact with it while they are behind the wheel could provide them with one of the most valued resources: time.

With this in mind, ForceManager created Cognitive, an AI system developed with IBM Watson technology that includes voice-controlled activation and enables a human-like interaction with the app. By just saying “Hey Dana!” as the system was named, it can help you confirm meetings, perform real-time tasks and  track progress, optimize travel routes or even listen to your notes from the last meeting with the client you are heading to see.

In this way, the app becomes a personal sales assistant for its users, supporting them in their day-to-day tasks while they can focus on developing an efficient and effective sales strategy by developing strong relationships with their clients. 

This is just an example of how digital transformation can help the roofing sector to thrive by offering a better service to their clients. Companies have to modernize and adapt their processes to continue evolving and offering their customers the most efficient service. In an already digital world, sales teams have the opportunity of leading this digitalization in their sector by increasing the effectiveness of their routines through new technologies.

Learn more about Force Manager.