Sales Automation Isn't a Strategy: How to Own Your Tech Stack and Success

TL;DR - Successful sales automation means ongoing engagement with the software. Here are the technical, strategic, and analytical questions that require ownership.

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Sales automation software is an incredibly powerful tool. But a “set it and forget it” strategy pretty much guarantees that you won’t get the results you’re looking for. 

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Instead, think of automation as an ongoing process that requires technical, strategic, and analytical oversight and ownership. Designating clear processes for each of these areas will help you build a strong Sales Engagement plan. In other words, you’ll have a plan where the sales process — and sales team — work together with the automation software to earn results. 

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1) Technical Oversight: Permissions, Access, and Monitoring

First things first, every team needs a designated person to own the technical side of the software. Think of the software installation as the first step in automation, not the last. This person will need to manage the following:
 

Permissions & Access

• Who can see what data and why? Which people are allowed to make changes?
• What is the process for onboarding a new employee to the software? Conversely, is there a system for account removal and permissions when an employee leaves the company?

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Monitoring

What is the ongoing process for checking that… 

• The data is clean?
• Error logs are at an acceptable level?
• Teammates are using the software correctly?

How frequently should this monitoring occur?

2) Strategic Oversight: Defining Success & KPIs

Automation can drive significant results. But if an SDR doesn’t see how using software will affect their goals, they won’t use it. An ongoing Sales Engagement progress requires that someone define the following: 

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Success

• What is the company’s overall goal for the quarter? 
• What role does the employee’s job play in achieving that goal?

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KPIs

What metrics define the employees' performance? For example…

• Calls made?
• Meetings booked?
• Overall revenue?

Why were these the metrics chosen? Do they align with your overall strategy?

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3) Analytical Oversight: Finding Weak Spots and Opportunity

Automation software excels in providing vast amounts of performance information. But if no one digs into the data, the figures are about as useful as a pile of bricks. To use automation software effectively, you’ll need an ongoing Sales Engagement process to regularly evaluate questions like the following: 

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Performance

• What is the process for creating and optimizing messaging sequences? 
• What are the lowest performing areas of the sales process? Is there a way to test other methods?
• What is the response time to inbound leads?

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Manual Tasks

• What manual tasks keep sellers from selling?
• What are the chief complaints that sellers have with this software?

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Conclusion: Automation Alone Won’t Save You

Automation alone won’t solve your sales problems. Without establishing an ongoing Sales Engagement process for automated tasks, opportunities inevitably slip through the cracks. However, having ongoing technical, analytical, and strategic oversight for automation will allow you to take full advantage of your automation software’s capabilities.

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