How innovative meeting tools help protect the climate

21 August 2019

Green Sales & Consultancy

Make your sales & consulting business more climate-friendly

Field sales and consultants all over the world are spending a lot of time on the road to meet their prospects and customers. This has been common practice for many years. But the concept of traditional field sales activities must be reconsidered. Climate change, the awareness of climate-friendly behavior and modern communication technologies are changing the way people think, live and work. Reassigning parts of the field sales activities to inside sales departments, which use innovative online meeting tools, can not only help protect the climate. It saves valuable time and costs. Plus, it can streamline sales activities and easily increase conversion rates.

Field sales are time consuming & damage the environment

But how can this work? Are customers even willing to accept a shift from a field sales dominated company to an inside sales dominated business structure? Yes, most of them are. Customers and employees are becoming increasingly tech-savvy. A lot of them already prefer taking care of their business, shopping, or banking online, via email or phone. To be efficient and focused is more important than ever – also for the customer. Why get off work stressed, to welcome an insurance agent who’s already waiting at the doorstep, just for 15-minute discussion about the changes of the insurance details and a final contract signing? This is not efficient or satisfying – neither for the customer, nor for the consultant.

Innovative meeting tools optimize sales & consulting activities

Of course, there are industries, where trust and a personal touch are highly important, such as the finance and insurance industry. Most of the times, a first, personal meeting is inevitable. The customer wants to get to know the consultant and establish a connection. But after this, aftersales and followed advice activities can often be performed digitally. As long as the personal and professional touch is being kept, digital advice can be a real alternative to typical fields sales. Inside sales activities can be carried out by an entirely separate department, or the same consultant himself. Instead of driving to the meeting, the consultant meets his customer online. They see and hear each other via a video and voice function. The consultant presents his new product offers by uploading product presentations or sharing his screen in real time. Even legally secure and binding signatures can be carried out during such meetings. This does not only save the company valuable time and money; it also has a positive effect on the company’s climate footprint.

Inside sales save costs, time & help protect the climate

But also with regards to first contact lead generation, inside sales can be more efficient than field sales. Instead of sending a field sales rep out into the blue to an unsure lead, inside sales can first check, whether this lead even has any potential. If the lead seems interested, a sales rep can be sent out in the second step. This way, the cost-per-contact decreases and unnecessary driving is avoided. Like this, the field sales rep has more time for high potential leads and uses his time efficiently. Regarding repeat purchases or customer recovery, inside sales can easily get in touch with existing customers. They discuss contract extensions, repeat purchases or upgrades online and simply close the deal using the digital signature. Everything is processed digitally, so that no unnecessary paper is being consumed and wasted. Using modern communication tools, inside sales can manage to work through a large number of contacts per day, without wasting valuable time and resources. This increases conversion and is good for the environment!

If you’d like to learn, how Idiligo can help your company do ‘green sales & consulting business’, too, just get in touch with us. We help you asses, which steps of your sales or consulting processes can be done online.

Read more about why inside sales might replace field sales in the future and how even phone sales can be transparent and successful.