| | May 20169CIOReviewThink bigger than salesbuild a cross-functional collaboration platform. Your sales organization is only one touch point with your customer. What are the other functions that have direct interaction with your customer? Your technology platform should function like a customer ecosystem, enabling the effective collaboration needed to deliver distinctive and delightful customer experiences. Ultimately, you should think beyond the boundaries of your organization to build an ecosystem that enables collaboration with partners and customers as well. According to PwC's 18th Annual CEO Survey, an overwhelming majority of CEOs say that digital technologies are creating value for internal and external collaboration.Make mobility the core or foundational to your sales effectiveness solution. Put the power of the ecosystem in the hands (literally) of your sales and service organization. Mobility is the hub of the ecosystem. Eighty-one percent of CEOs think mobile technologies are strategically important for their business. No longer can you think of mobile as an add-on as technology enablement for sales must be "mobile first". Sales people are on the move. Customers are looking for real-time responses to questions and issues. Put information and a tool for collaboration in the hands of every customer-facing employee. Response times should be measured in seconds, not hours or days. A cross-functional collaboration platform enabled on a mobile device lets you move smarter and faster. Unlocking the Power of Customer DataWith regard to sales technology, two issues repeatedly disrupt the peaceful sleep of Sales and IT leaders. Simply put--"how effectively are people using the tools that we are providing?" and "how effectively are we unlocking the value of collected customer data?" The ability to deliver the promised value from sales transformations rests in the hands of frontline sellers and first-line managers. Adoption is key to value realization. Change management and adoption must be front and center throughout the program lifecycle. Don't fall into the trap of thinking about change management after solutions are built and adoption is disappointing. A heavy handed approach can produce compliance, but more is needed. Establishing a network of well-respected change champions during the program will serve to raise awareness but the key is to begin transferring ownership of the transformation to business leaders throughout. An effective sales transformation program provides the tools needed to run the business from the ground up. You know you have succeeded when the frontline resources are managing daily activity with the tools you have provided and business leaders have the information they need to make decisions and lead the business. Sales and IT leaders share a common concern about the quality and value of customer data. The proliferation and availability of customer, macroeconomic, and demographic data requires that capabilities be established to better leverage information for commercial advantage. According to PwC's research, 80 percent of CEOs surveyed suggest that data mining and analysis is strategically important and a significant source of business value. However, there are issues about data quality, information overload and a continuing lack of trust in the value of digital data. Commercial systems are on the frontline of the opportunities and challenges associated with data analytics. Elevating the data and reporting work stream to a place of high visibility is essential to ensure that you unlock the power of collected customer data. You should think beyond the boundaries of your organization to build an ecosystem that enables collaboration with partners and customers as well"Alan Love
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