No matter what you're doing as a small business owner, you can improve your productivity. These sales tools are must-haves for doing just that. You'll see sales and efficiency in your business increase with the proper application of these tools to your trade.
Create and track email campaigns
Keep in touch with existing customers and gain new ones through an effective email campaign. MailChimp offers a free program for small businesses that send out fewer than 12,000 emails a month. Through this program, you'll create email newsletters and more to connect directly to your customers, thereby boosting your sales. Larger businesses can opt for the paid version for a pay-as-you-go rate. Don't let the money and time you invest in emails go to waste. Track how your customers view and use your emails with a management software program. This will ensure that whatever emails you send out are getting read and attracting business. MailChimp offers free tracking with its email system, so take advantage of it to maximize your emails' effectiveness. HubSpot also offers free email tracking for small businesses.
Maintain inventory
Software is integral to managing inventory. Free inventory management software, such as InFlow, will help you prevent loss and improve efficiency. You can create invoices, receipts, and much more with this program. You can even automate the reordering process for when product levels get too low. Keeping tabs on your inventory will save you time that you can use to better connect with your customers and improve your sales.
Create invoices and keep accounting
For instant invoice creation, use FreshBooks. While this software is not free, you can try it for free for 30 days before subscribing to one of its monthly plans. Prices are based on the number of clients you have. Features of this program include the ability to create customized invoices and templates for fast reporting. It also allows you to take online payments with credit cards, increasing your sales potential. Zoho Books is an alternative that stores information in the cloud. This lets you access your accounts wherever you or your employees may be.
Improving sales
With plans starting at $65 a month, LinkedIn's Sales Navigator is a powerful program to connect you to clients and employees. It claims the ability to dramatically increase your sales by connecting you directly to the right people you need to close deals. This is part of LinkedIn's business package that also includes the ability to use the LinkedIn Mail system to send messages.
It's very possible for small businesses to succeed in sales with the right tools. With the numerous options for free and low-cost software available, there's no excuse not to use some or all of them to start improving your business today.
This article was written by Crystal Hessong for Small Business Pulse