Your sales team needs a sales portal for a very simple reason: Your inside and outside people are a team. Even in a small wholesale business, sales are rarely made by a single individual. A sales portal keeps your inside and outside people on the same page. Just as a sports team cannot function without a common playbook, your sales team will only reach their full potential when there is a common portal for them to use. Here is a breakdown of exactly how sales portals benefit sales teams.
Your order fulfillment system can be one of the most important aspects of your business, and when it is not up to date, your business suffers. If you continue using a manual order fulfillment system, it is time to reevaluate your decision. There are many reasons why a more automated order fulfillment system can be more effective for your business.
Choosing the right inventory management system for your company is a pivotal decision. It's a substantial investment that your business will rely on for the long haul. Therefore, selecting a system that aligns with your company’s evolving needs is crucial. While you may not have the budget for a feature-rich program now, focus on inventory management software that covers all the essentials. Here are six fundamental aspects to consider for your next inventory management solution.
If you use a 3PL to do your order fulfillment, you are faced with the daily challenge of sending them your orders before the shipping deadline. Software that allows you to send your shipment requests to your 3PL in a batch without any data entry can be the key to speeding up the fulfillment process.
Does your 3PL (third-party logistics provider, aka bonded warehouse or public warehouse) require you to perform order entry into their portal, create an order file that matches their specification, or email them individual PDF packing lists?
A system that integrates your accounting software (such as QuickBooks) with your warehouse can save you time and money by speeding up the fulfillment process and by reducing re-ships and returns.
If your staff is spending more than an hour or two a day entering orders or answering routine questions from sales reps and wholesale customers, then you should consider getting them some order management software with an online sales rep and wholesale customer portal. The more time your employees spend on mundane tasks, the less time they spend on activities that will help the business thrive.
B2B portals that let your reps and customers place orders and answer their own questions 24/7 will save you time and increase customer satisfaction by giving them instant access to the info they need.
The effort it takes to fulfill wholesale orders can be challenging and time-consuming. By employing the proper order fulfillment strategies, however, you can meet these challenges head-on, saving your company time and money.
Increasing B2B sales is about more than just marketing. The world is changing as B2B buyers turn to online purchasing more than ever. This trend isn't limited to the world of prominent corporations, either. Many small and mid-sized manufacturing and distribution businesses now offer electronic order fulfillment options to accommodate these buyers.
The speed of your sales cycle is one of the most influential factors that can significantly affect your wholesale business's growth and success. Although the actual cycle can be complicated, a simplified outline can help you better understand how an efficient B2B sales portal can speed up your sales cycle.
Order entry software can take your business processes from ponderous and sluggish to streamlined and dynamic. The change can be dramatic for small and mid-size B2B operations, and you’ll start seeing results quickly. You’ll wonder why you waited so long to adopt this valuable technology tool - especially considering how easy it is to implement and use.
