Small Business Technology News
Adding IPads To The SMB Sales Team
Written by Tim Morral
Published: 9/25/2012
As Apple stock climbs to $700 a share, iPads are making big gains in SMB sales teams. Mobile app provider FatStax offers tips to help your sales team make the most of iPad technology.
Recently, Apple stock hit a record high of $700, a dramatic 40% increase from February's stock price of $500 per share. With functional applications in settings ranging from the classroom to the boardroom,.Apple's iPad technology has had a lot to do with the company's meteoric rise.
An increasing number of SMBs are now incorporating iPads into the sales process and into technology planning for small businesses. In addition to the obvious power and flexibility that tablet technology offers, iPads can be easily updated with the latest product content, equipping sales teams with up-to-date information for thousands of SKUs. With a little knowledge, sales units can even use iPad technology to dazzle prospects with presentations and other types of enhanced digital content.
But the process of introducing iPads into a SMB sales environment can be challenging. The help ease the transition, mobile sales app provider FatStax offer several tips designed to streamline the rollout of iPads to sales teams.
- Define Success. Although there are a variety of reasons why your company might want to deploy iPads to the sales team, it's important to define successful deployment criteria before you start passing out devices. For example, in some organizations, success might include an evaluation of sales processes, and the implementation of both iPads and iPad tools to promote best practices.
- Recruit Allies. Project leaders need to get stakeholders in IT, marketing, sales and other departments onboard with the iPad rollout as early as possible by creating a cross-functional team. By recruiting allies from across the organization, you can demonstrate a broad base of support and encourage the organization to consider ways to derive additional value from your technology investment.
- Identify External App Developers. Most companies elect to purchase apps created by external developers rather than spending large sums on the development of proprietary sales app. When evaluating candidate applications, it's helpful to look for providers who specialize in iPad app development.
- Launch a Pilot Program. Pilot programs offer the best venue for testing assumptions and identifying blind spots in the process. Think about asking sales personnel who already own iPads for personal use to participate in a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) pilot program and provide mechanisms for them to offer timely feedback about their experiences.
- Plan for Deployment and Integration. It's critical to carefully plan the launch and deployment of iPad technology in your sales division. Some of the key issues that need to be considered include hardware procurement and delivery, app purchase procedures, device/server data security and the coordination of a launch event.
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