Empower your sales team with the info they need
Published August 10, 2021
Sales teams at manufacturing and distribution companies are usually organized with a sales manager and sales reps. The manager oversees the reps; the reps own their customers. In some organizations there are territories or rep groups—an extra layer between the manager and the reps, such as a territory manager or rep group manager who leads reps in that group.
Each of these roles—sales rep, territory manager, and sales manager—needs information to do the job well. Most of that information already lives in your accounting, inventory management, and order processing systems.
What reps are missing
Reps often say a major barrier to maximizing production is the lack of timely, relevant information. Your back-end systems are full of data they would love to use. Examples include:
- Did my customer place the large order they said was coming?
- I have a hot prospect for our top model in a specific color—do we have it in stock? If not, when will we?
- Are my customers on track to hit their sales targets this month?
- Before a visit: are their sales trending up or down? Any overdue invoices? Credit limit issues? What is the status of open orders?
Reps need to see trends and performance for their customers.
What managers need
Territory managers and sales managers need current data to coach and manage reps—for example, actual sales versus targets by rep, and commissions earned this quarter. With real-time visibility, they can spot and fix issues earlier.
Territory and sales managers need trends and performance across their reps.
The delivery problem
How do you provide this information effectively and securely without dedicating someone to extract, reformat, and distribute reports on a constant schedule?
Where a sales portal helps
This is where a sales portal fits. A secure, browser-based portal exposes accounting-system data in a format that matches how your team works. Reps, territory managers, and the sales manager can access what they need immediately, from anywhere—without calling the office. They can run up-to-date reports, look up a customer, track a shipment, check inventory, and enter orders that flow back into your order system.
The sales manager can typically see information and reports across all customers. A well-designed portal ensures reps only see their assigned customers, and territory managers only see the reps they manage.
By delivering exactly what each person needs, sales portals keep the team focused and reduce manual work for headquarters—improving efficiency across the organization.
QuickBooks and CrikSales
If you run on QuickBooks, CrikSales offers a portal that ties into your QuickBooks data. The interface is built for reps, territory managers, and sales leaders—not accountants. CrikSales is designed for manufacturers and wholesale distributors.
CrikSales gives your sales team QuickBooks-based insight without handing them the keys to QuickBooks itself. Start with a 30-day free trial to see how much more productive the field can be.
Questions or want a walkthrough? Schedule a demo or quick call or contact us.