In today’s mobile economy, smartphones have become essential for sales success. Nearly 6 in 10 sales representatives say smartphones are the most important tool for increasing the effectiveness of their sales team. Using smartphones for CRM makes sales representatives nearly three times more likely to achieve their quotas.
With smartphones playing such a central role in sales, selecting which device is right for your team is a major decision. Here are four essentials to look for when selecting smartphones for your traveling sales team.
User-friendly Screen Size and Controls
The most important application of smartphones for sales representatives is sending and receiving messages. This makes a large, user-friendly screen size for reading messages a high priority in smartphone selection. Bigger is better when it comes to readability, and phablet-sized smartphones with a screen size between 5.5 and 7 inches such as the Samsung Galaxy Note8, iPhone 8 Plus and Google Pixel 2XL are on track to become the most popular size in the world. Large keys that make it easy to type messages are also important. A device that accepts QWERTY input will make typing easiest for your sales reps.
Support for Essential Apps
A good smartphone selection must also support your team’s most essential sales-related apps. Top priority must be given to support for your team’s favored customer relationship management app. Also consider which calendar management and time management apps your team uses. Make a list of these and any other important apps your team members use, and review compatibility between the operating system your core apps require and the specs of your prospective phone choice.
Security
Sales CRM data creates a tempting target for identity thieves, making security another top consideration when selecting smartphones. Over half of U.S. businesses have been hacked in the last twelve months, a Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company survey found. Data loss and business interruption are the most common consequences of a successful hack. A good smartphone selection should include robust security features capable of thwarting the latest hacking methods. Cutting-edge security features to look for in the latest smartphones include biometric user authentication methods such as facial recognition, on-device security monitoring and encryption.
Artificial Intelligence
Facial recognition and on-device security monitoring rely on on-device artificial intelligence (AI), another cutting-edge feature to look for on prospective smartphones. Where traditional AI applications are dependent on remote cloud resources for the enormous computing power they require, smartphones with cutting-edge mobile processors such as Qualcomm’s Artificial Intelligence Platform are fast enough to handle on-device AI, making innovative security applications such as facial recognition and real-time threat monitoring possible. Smartphones fast enough for on-device AI are also capable of supporting 5G download speeds and streaming virtual reality, both technologies that will become increasingly important to sales reps in the near future. VR will allow your reps to deliver more immersive, more persuasive sales presentations, enhancing the effectiveness of your team’s efforts, while 5G will enable your team to communicate more quickly and respond faster to emerging opportunities.
User-friendly screen size and controls, support for essential apps such as CRM, robust security features and artificial intelligence are four of the top priorities to look for when selecting smartphones for your traveling sales team. Taking the time to compare phones and invest in the right device now will position your team to make sales effectively both now and in the future by harnessing the latest technology to your company’s advantage.