73% Sellers In India Use Sales Technology At Least Once A Week: Report

Around 73 per cent of sellers surveyed are using technology at least once a week to get access to real-time data to drive sales, according to LinkedIn sixth edition of the 'APAC State of Sales 2022' report.

Companies are increasing their appetite for data-based insights to better gauge buyer intent and drive greater sales, especially amidst the ongoing 'great reshuffle' when buyers and sellers are constantly considering shifting roles, the LinkedIn sixth edition of the 'APAC State of Sales 2022' report stated.

In fact, more than eight in 10 (84 percent) sales professionals in India have lost at least one deal to an important decision maker changing roles in the past year alone. Therefore, access to the right intel has become mission-critical for sales functions across the board, the report opined.

To avoid these repercussions, three in four (73 per cent) sellers in India are now using sales tech at least once a week to get access to accurate real-time data, indicating the growing preference for CRM systems and sales intelligence tools in the industry, it said.

The report also suggests that younger (under 35 years) professionals are leading this tech-savvy shift, given that they are 1.2 times more likely to use CRM tools for over three hours in a week as compared to their older (over 35 years) counterparts.

But as more businesses turn to tech, sales managers must seek ways to deal with the impending challenge of 'dirty data', with two in five sellers (46 per cent) and CRM users (38 per cent) identifying incomplete and inaccurate data as their largest challenge, it suggested.

"Over the past two years, the rise of remote work has accelerated the use of technology across industries. Our data shows that three-quarters (73 per cent) of sellers in India today are relying on sales technology at least once a week, which clearly means that data is driving the future of sales," LinkedIn Sales Solutions for India Head Abhai Singh said.

By empowering sales teams with accurate real-time data, tech is helping sellers enhance their outreach, gain valuable customer insights, and build better experiences, he added.

This India edition of the APAC State of Sales 2022 report is part of the global State of Sales project, which surveyed almost 15,000 buyers and sellers across 11 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK, and the US. This report includes the responses of 750 buyers and 750 sellers in India.

According to the report, 4 in 5 (81 per cent) buyers in India feel that remote work has made buying easier today, while sellers too have felt this pull, with every 1 in 5 (22 per cent) clocking deals worth USD 500,000 or above without ever meeting the buyer in-person.

With the number of sales professionals without any remote work experience dropping to one-fourth during the pandemic, it is evident that remote working is here to stay, the report noted.

The report indicated that younger sales professionals are placing a higher emphasis on soft skills, so they can develop closer relationships with their buyers and close better deals.

(PTI)