What is Sales Acceleration?

Sales acceleration is a process that seeks to optimize every aspect of the sales process. It aims to remove any obstacles that may hinder sales, shorten the sales cycle, and increase revenue growth.

Many companies still follow traditional sales processes or methodologies that are slower, reactive, and focus on individual selling techniques that fail to achieve optimal results. Sales acceleration, on the other hand, is a proactive approach designed to target the complete sales process, from lead nurturing to deal closing.  

It is important to know that sales acceleration differs from sales methodology and sales process. Sales methodology is about how to approach the sales process. It is a set of principles, strategies, and tactics that sellers use to engage with buyers and influence the decision-making process. Sales methodology is more focused on individual selling skills such as negotiations, closing techniques, and communication skills.

The sales process, on the other hand, is a series of steps that guide sales reps through the lead management and deal-closing stages. The sales process is a linear path to revenue, where each stage requires a specific set of actions or milestones that the seller must achieve to move to the next step.  

Coming back to sales acceleration, it is important to understand that it is a comprehensive approach that encompasses both sales methodology and sales process. It seeks to optimize all stages of the sales process while also enhancing the selling skills of the sales staff. Sales acceleration is a more proactive approach that focuses on multiple factors, including:  

• sales operations 
• sales enablement 
• data analysis, and  
• technology integration. 

Sales acceleration leverages the power of technology to automate and streamline sales processes, reducing the time and effort required to manage leads and close deals. Sales acceleration takes a holistic view of sales, using data analytics to track and measure the effectiveness of sales performance. 

Sales acceleration can help ABS increase its revenue by improving the lead-to-customer conversion rate. Sales acceleration ensures that leads are properly nurtured, with the right content and messaging delivered at the right time. It also ensures that leads are prioritized based on their readiness to buy, reducing the amount of time spent chasing unqualified leads. 

Another way sales acceleration can increase revenue is by shortening the sales cycle. By streamlining the sales process and automating many of the manual tasks, sales acceleration can reduce the time it takes to close deals. This allows sales reps to focus on more opportunities, increasing the productivity of the sales team. Sales acceleration also leads to higher win rates, as sales reps have access to critical information and insights that help them make data-driven decisions.

Account-Based Selling (ABS) has become a popular go-to strategy for companies looking to optimize their lead-generation efforts and boost sales. With ABS, sellers target high-value accounts, invest in understanding the needs of decision-makers within those organizations, and build relationships with them that have great potential upside. 

Here, we’ll look at why sales acceleration should be part of your company’s ABS strategy, how you can put it into action, and best practices for leveraging sales acceleration to get the most out of your ABS program. Let’s jump right in!

The role of sales acceleration in ABS

Account-based sales (ABS) has become a popular sales strategy for many companies looking to target high-value customers. But with so many accounts to focus on, sales reps can easily become bogged down with administrative tasks like data analysis and outreach coordination. That’s where sales acceleration comes in.

How sales acceleration can help ABS teams to:

Identify and Prioritize Target Accounts

The first step to a successful ABS strategy is identifying your target accounts. With sales acceleration tools, ABS teams can quickly and easily compile a list of potential accounts based on specific criteria, such as industry or location.

These tools can also provide insights into which accounts are most likely to convert, allowing sales reps to prioritize their outreach efforts accordingly. By streamlining the account identification and prioritization process, sales acceleration can help ABS teams save time and improve their overall results.

Gather and Analyze Data on Target Accounts

Once ABS teams have identified their target accounts, the next step is to gather and analyze as much data as possible on those accounts. This data can provide valuable insights into a potential customer’s pain points, preferences, and buying habits, which can then be used to shape personalized outreach efforts.

Sales acceleration tools can aid in this process by automating data collection and analysis, allowing sales reps to focus on the insights and actions that matter most.

Personalize and Coordinate Outreach to Target Accounts

ABS is all about delivering personalized outreach to individual accounts. This requires a coordinated effort across multiple touchpoints and channels, which can be challenging without the right tools in place.

Sales acceleration technology can help ABS teams streamline and automate outreach efforts, ensuring that each interaction with a target account is tailored to their specific needs and interests. By leveraging these tools, sales reps can avoid missed opportunities and increase efficiency in their outreach to target accounts.

Automate Tasks and Workflows to Free Up Sales Reps

Without the right technology in place, sales reps can easily become bogged down by administrative tasks and lose sight of their ABS goals. Sales acceleration tools can automate many of these tasks and workflows, freeing up sales reps to focus on high-value activities like building relationships and closing deals.

The result is a revenue team that is more productive and efficient and better able to achieve its goals.

Track and Measure Progress Against ABS Goals

Finally, effective ABS requires a relentless focus on tracking and measuring progress against specific goals. Sales acceleration tools can provide real-time analytics that help ABS teams assess the success of their outreach efforts and adjust their strategies accordingly.

This allows companies to stay agile and adapt quickly to changing market conditions, ensuring that they maintain a competitive edge in their target markets.

How to implement sales acceleration for ABS

In today’s fast-paced business world, every company is looking for ways to increase revenue. Sales acceleration is a powerful strategy that can help companies achieve this goal. By streamlining the sales process and optimizing sales pipeline, sales acceleration can help companies close more deals faster.

Choosing the right sales acceleration tools and technologies

The first step in implementing sales acceleration is choosing the right tools and technologies. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. The key is to choose tools that live where your sellers live.

When your sales acceleration tools are integrated with your CRM system, they can provide valuable insights that can help your sales teams close more deals.

Tools don’t replace process and methodology

While tools are a vital aspect of sales acceleration, it’s important to remember that they don’t replace process and methodology. Sales acceleration is about optimizing the sales process – not taking shortcuts.

Before you invest in any sales acceleration tools, you need to have a solid sales process in place. Make sure you have a clear understanding of your target audience, your value proposition, and your competitive landscape before you start using sales acceleration tools.

The best sales acceleration tools create the environment for your teams to thrive

The best sales acceleration tools create an environment where your sales teams can thrive. They enable your sales reps to focus on what they do best – i.e., selling. By automating administrative tasks and providing real-time insights into the sales process, sales acceleration tools can help your sales reps be more productive and effective. This, in turn, can lead to higher sales velocity and more closed deals.

Integrating sales acceleration tools and technologies with your CRM system

One of the biggest advantages of using Salesforce as your CRM system is that it’s incredibly flexible and can be customized to meet the needs of your business. When you’re implementing sales acceleration, you can use Salesforce to integrate your sales acceleration tools and technologies.

This can help you create a streamlined sales process that’s tailored to the needs of your business. By customizing your Salesforce instance, you can create a sales process that’s unique to your company.

Sales Velocity and Sales Acceleration – the Common Ground

Sales velocity and sales acceleration are two related concepts – and understanding the relationship between the two is key to implementing sales acceleration for ABS. Sales velocity refers to the speed at which a company generates revenue.

Sales acceleration, on the other hand, is focused on optimizing the sales process to increase sales velocity. By optimizing your sales process, you can increase your sales velocity – and vice versa.

How to calculate sales velocity

Calculating sales velocity is simple. You need to know three things: your average deal size, your win rate, and your sales cycle length. Once you have these three numbers, you can multiply them together to get your sales velocity.

For example, if your average deal size is $10,000, your win rate is 50%, and your sales cycle length is 90 days, your sales velocity would be $55,555 ($10,000 x 0.5 x 90/365).

How sales velocity boosts sales acceleration

By understanding your sales velocity, you can identify the areas where you need to focus your sales acceleration efforts. For example, if your sales cycle length is too long, you can use sales acceleration tools to speed up the process.

If your win rate is too low, you can use sales acceleration tools to help your sales reps close more deals. By focusing your efforts on the areas where they will have the biggest impact, you can achieve higher sales velocity – and more revenue.

Why deal qualification is important to sales acceleration

Finally, it’s important to remember that deal qualification is a crucial part of sales acceleration. Not every opportunity is worth pursuing – and not every prospect is a good fit for your product or service. By qualifying your leads and opportunities, you can focus your sales efforts on the deals that are most likely to close.

This, in turn, can help you increase your sales velocity and achieve higher revenue.

Developing and implementing sales acceleration processes and workflows

Developing and implementing sales acceleration processes and workflows involves a systematic approach that consists of distinct phases, which aim to establish a strong connection with the customer and close deals efficiently. Implementing sales acceleration workflow requires an in-depth understanding of the customer’s needs and the available resources necessary to meet these needs.

It also involves identifying the right tools and technology to help the team achieve maximum productivity. Developing a comprehensive framework that seamlessly integrates all the necessary components of sales acceleration requires an intricate understanding of the customer experience, a flawless execution of the sales strategy, and a pragmatic approach that adapts to the changing sales landscape.

Successful implementation of sales acceleration workflows is a complex undertaking that requires expertise and a comprehensive understanding of the business model.

Training your sales team on how to use sales acceleration tools and processes

Sales acceleration tools and processes can help improve sales efficiency, close more deals, and increase revenue growth. However, understanding and effectively implementing these tools can be a challenge for many sales teams.

First and foremost, sales acceleration tools should be intuitive to use and engineered to be a natural part of your sales team’s daily workflow. Any tool that is not user-friendly will likely not be used, rendering it a wasted investment.

Ideally, the tool should be designed to guide sellers toward actionable steps that help them close deals and provide them with the relevant information they need to succeed.

In addition to tools, sales acceleration processes are equally important in ensuring sales success. Optimizing these processes can be accomplished by adopting proven methodologies, such as lead scoring, account profiling, and cadence planning.

These processes should be designed to move prospects through the sales funnel as quickly and effectively as possible.

Best practices for sales acceleration in ABS 

Building and Nurturing Relationships with Key Stakeholders 

Building relationships with key stakeholders is crucial to account-based selling success. Using sales acceleration techniques such as personalized emails, phone calls, and social media outreach can help foster these relationships.

Personalized communication is essential to capturing the attention of your target accounts. By understanding each stakeholder’s pain points and needs and providing tailored solutions, you can create trust and establish yourself as a valuable resource.

To drive these efforts successfully, build a team with dedicated sales acceleration experts. They should be versed in the nuances of personalized communication, able to establish rapport quickly, and well-trained in the targeted use of social media outreach. 

Handling Objections and Closing Deals Faster

Sales acceleration strategies are designed to help handle objections and close deals more quickly. One method is through sales enablement technology, which integrates data and technology to provide sellers with the tools they need. By employing sales enablement, you can give sales reps access to content, analytics, and insights needed to engage with target accounts successfully. 

Additionally, sales acceleration technologies such as forecast scoring and pipeline analytics can help you optimize your sales approach and prioritize your accounts. With reliable data insights, your sales team can confidently target high-value accounts, increase deal size, and accelerate the sales cycle. 

Measuring and Tracking Your ABS Effectiveness 

Using sales acceleration metrics can help you measure and track the effectiveness of your ABS strategy. By analyzing response times, engagement rates, win rates, and deal size, you can refine your sales approach and improve overall performance. 

For instance, sales acceleration metrics such as call-to-open or click rates can be analyzed to show how effective your team outreach strategy is. These reports can then be used to reward high-performing sales reps or to identify areas for improvement. 

Ensuring you have the right technology in place is critical for effective ABS sales acceleration. By employing these tools, you can gain valuable insights into target accounts, including their activity, interests, and pain points.

You can then use this information to develop highly targeted, relevant, and beneficial content that can further drive engagement, open doors, and ultimately close deals.

Conclusion

All in all, sales acceleration is a powerful tool for account-based selling. It allows companies to identify leads more quickly, get them to the point of purchase faster, and significantly increase revenue. With this technology, businesses are now better equipped to deliver the necessary strategies for success in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Drawing from the best practices discussed in this article, organizations should create an agile sales process that meets their targets within each account. By adopting sales acceleration and incorporating other fundamental business processes for ABS, companies don’t need to worry about missing potential opportunities or spending too much time on low-priority activities. 

With perseverance and dedication to excellence, organizations can look forward to driving tangible returns as they maximize their capabilities for growing their business. If your organization wants an edge with respect to sales acceleration or needs help implementing it, reach out to experts in the field for tailored advice that suits your unique goals and objectives.