Sales ops is taking on a bigger role in the current climate, as today’s businesses continue to prioritise:
data-driven decision-making,
strategic thinking,
agile, cross-skilled workforces.
The world today and the role of sales ops looks much different than it did just a year ago. So we wanted to find out how today’s sales organisations are approaching the new landscape and overcoming challenges.
We surveyed 3,151 sales professionals in EMEA, including 10% in Poland. Here are just a few of the key insights from our mini-report, Trends in EMEA Sales.
Data is driving sales in the new climate
Dealing with change is much easier when organisations have the right information. So it’s not surprising that improving data and accessibility to data is a top priority in the current climate. In fact, it ranks number four on the list of sales teams’ tactics for success over the next 12 months.
Leveraging data can also help businesses achieve their other three top goals:
Increased flexibility with customers
Simplified sales processes
Personalised outreach
With high-quality data being more important than ever, we’ve seen an acceleration of technologies. According to our report, 76% of leaders in Poland say that they’ve increased the pace of their digital transformation. We were already firmly in the age of digitalisation before the landscape was upended. Now, we’re seeing a full-blown digital arms race.
The most popular digital solutions in Poland
CRM systems, sales prospecting tools, and AI are amongst the most popular digital solutions in Poland. Our report shows that high-performing EMEA sales teams are much more likely than underperforming teams to:
Use AI to determine what action to take on accounts (60% of high performers vs. only 31% of underperformers)
Prioritise leads and opportunities (63% vs. 34%)
Log sales data and customer notes (68% vs. 54%).
But freeing up reps to sell is only one way that AI can drive growth in sales. By prioritising leads and opportunities, AI can also help sales leaders create more efficient and effective strategies. And when it comes to creating successful sales strategies, the role of sales ops is only increasing.
The role of sales ops in Poland is changing
Enabled by new technologies and increased responsibilities, sales ops teams are proactive about cutting off problems before they occur. They’re also leveraging data, enabling sales teams to be more efficient, effective, and better prepared. In fact, 80% of salespeople in Poland say that the role of sales ops is becoming more strategic.
Our report reveals that a majority of EMEA sales professionals claim that sales ops plays a critical role in growing the business and that it’s vital to business continuity.
The role of sales ops isn’t the only thing changing. We discovered that 64% of salespeople in Poland report that they’ve acquired new responsibilities at work as a result of current economic trends. Upskilling and reskilling programmes are now invaluable tools for many leaders (59% of EMEA sales professionals plan to address changing staffing needs this way).
Sales ops teams are increasingly being upskilled to deal with new data sets, technologies, and methodologies. Building agility is a priority in today’s world, and creating a cross-skilled workforce is at the top of many companies’ to-do lists.
For salespeople in Poland, confidence is shaken but help is here
Sellers have always operated with some level of uncertainty. However, the disruptions of this past year have knocked back the confidence of many organisations.
According to our report:
61% of salespeople in Poland are confident in their sales organisation’s agility
51% have confidence in their organisation’s ability to close deals
46% are confident in their company’s long-term resilience
These numbers are down compared to EMEA as a whole and not where we’d like them to be. Yes, it’s understandable in a climate of uncertainty and change. Luckily, digital technologies can enable organisations to create agility, close more deals, and build resilience.
Data-driven, decision-making is key to improving all three areas. In fact, 79% of EMEA leaders stated that their digital transformation has accelerated in the past year, so the solution may already be here.
Here are some solutions to help sales ops create agility, close deals, and build resilience:
Tableau enables sales teams to better see and understand their data, helping to unleash the power of analytics and empower sellers.
Sales Cloud automates tasks and centralises information, letting sales teams work faster and sell smarter.
Einstein is an AI technology that provides sales departments with an up-to-date view of their leads and customers.
The Salesforce Platform makes developing mobile apps easy. Simply drag and drop components to create an app, or buy a pre-built sales app from AppExchange and then customise it.
The future of sales ops in Poland and beyond
Sales ops is becoming more strategic and so is sales as a whole. The increased focus on digital solutions and high-quality data means that sales organisations will be able to make faster, better, and more informed decisions.
As we navigate the current moment and prepare for the next one, salespeople can be confident in their ability to deliver for their leads and customers.
For more insights about the current state of sales in Poland, check out the complete country profile in Tableau!
