Dynamics 365: Best Sales Practices for your day to day activities

Although you can rely on Dynamics 365 to manage your customers’ data, it can’t actually sell your products or services for you. Dynamics 365 can provide data models to help you make big decisions. Dynamics 365 can create portals facilitating customer interaction. Dynamics 365 can empower sellers to build customer relationships. But you have to work hard and be creative to reach your sales goals.

So, how can you use the various Dynamics 365 applications to their full potential?

1. Understand how to define your target audience
2. Build on trusted relationships
3. Improve conversion rates
4. Maintain good business relationships

Of course, these four universal concepts apply to all sales strategies, whether or not you use Dynamics 365.

1. Understand How to Define your Target Audience

Before you can design a product or develop your range of services, you need to carry out market research. An in-depth analysis of external data related to the demand for your potential product or services will take your business development plan to a whole new dimension. Using Dynamics 365’s real-time data reports, you can get a clear, customized overview of the market without having to process the data and information sources yourself. This visual modelling will help you to better define your target customers’ needs and interests.

Using your Connections and Networking

As we already mentioned in our article about integrating LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator to Dynamics 365, having access to an extended LinkedIn network empowers you to get talking with the right people. Once you’ve found a company that you think might be interested in your products or services, you can view the company’s organizational chart, see who occupies which role, and easily pinpoint the decision maker who you need to speak with. You’ll also be able to see if you have shared connections. If you do, asking your colleague to introduce you will set you leagues apart from your competitors, and make you appear more credible and trustworthy.

2. Build on Trusted Relationships

We can’t say this enough: spoil your customers! They are your greatest allies. Give them more than “just” what they need, pre-empt their concerns and respond adequately.

Improving Customer Loyalty

Relationships based on reciprocal trust between you and your existing customers greatly improve customer loyalty rates. Take the time to interact with them constructively in as many ways as possible, whether this be through your website or social media accounts. Opt to resolve their problems using community forums or virtual agents, as this automates tier one customer service. It’s the ideal way to free up time for your agents, so that they can spend more time helping customers resolve more complex issues. Integrating artificial intelligence can take your customer service to the next level by warning you about bugs and thereby anticipating a greater number of customer service requests.

Improving Operational Efficiency

Although this is a little bit out of the normal range for sales-related tasks, it is still very important. By improving your everyday operational efficiency, your company’s customer satisfaction rates will skyrocket. Indeed, when you provide your customers with flawless customer service and punctual, qualified technicians, they will keep coming back and refer other people to your services and products.

3. Improve Conversion Rates

Relationship-based selling focuses on the person rather than on the eventual transaction. Here, the end does not justify the means. Relationship-based selling includes all the means used to influence your relationship with your customer, regardless of the outcome. Whether you manage to close the deal or not, you must always come across as professional and open if you want to be successful.

Getting to Grips With Your Business Relationships

Be responsive to the content your business relations share on LinkedIn. Figure out what the gist of it is. There’s nothing stopping you from interacting with your connections’ posts either. Skillfully written comments on posts can boost your credibility and even bring you new custom! Be attentive to the issues your connections are facing as well as their needs. And why not share yours? They can probably share their expertise with you, thereby helping your company and strengthening your relationship with them. Two birds, one stone.

Knowing When the Time Is Right

It’s really not a good idea to cold call a lead during their busiest period of the year. You can’t close a deal by building your relationship on a trial and error basis. We’re certain you already know, but it’s worth remembering that first impressions are the most important! Of course, you can always try to correct your course in some way or another, but it’s much better to plan ahead and contact a lead when you know they’ll be available and receptive to what you have to say.

Use artificial intelligence and data modelling to visualize information about leads before you contact them. This will clearly show you what their needs are, when they are busiest, who they interact with, and their interests.

4. Maintain Your Business Relationships

Maintaining business relationships works in the same way as maintaining friendships. We know full well that it’s becoming increasingly difficult and complex to maintain relationships with the never-ending number of people you’re connected with. It would be easy to blame this on social media—too easy, in fact. What we need to do is learn how to use social media intelligently.

Becoming a Leader in Your Field

We’re not talking about becoming an influencer. What you should aspire to become is a thinker; someone who empowers their connections to ask the right questions and make the right decisions. Sharing your perspective by creating custom content is a great way to get your expertise known. Once you’ve published it, pay attention to the people who share it and comment on it. In this way, you’ll be collecting data on existing and potential customers, and you’ll know when a decision maker is interested in your products or services.

Lacking inspiration? No problem: AI’s machine learning can suggest relevant content based on your connections’ interactions. Make the most of it!

Learning From Each Interaction

Relationship-based selling is a universe unto itself. And just like with any other skill, practice makes perfect! However, if you surround yourself with the right people and the right tools, you can easily maintain relationships, obtain recommendations, and help your company reach its sales goals.