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1. Vonage vs RingCentral: Which VoIP is Best in 2024?Пн, 15 апр [-/+]
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| Vonage and RingCentral are popular voice-over internet protocol (VoIP) platforms sharing similar call management features, including a multi-level auto-attendant, call forwarding, call recording, and call screening. The software solutions have unified communication features, allowing businesses to communicate with customers and colleagues via short messaging service (SMS), instant messaging, and video conferencing. While the two apps have many similarities, they differ in many aspects, from pricing and third-party integrations to customer support.
In this comparison, we determined that RingCentral is better for companies handling large volumes of calls, thanks to its robust unified communications (UCaaS) tools. Meanwhile, Vonage is the ideal solution for organizations dealing with fluctuating call volumes because it allows users to add and remove certain VoIP features depending on present communication demands.
Vonage vs RingCentral: Which is better?
Vonage: Best for fluctuating call volumes
Pros
Reliable service with 99.999% uptime guarantee
Unlimited text messaging in all subscription plans
Easy-to-navigate platform
Minute bundles for international calls to up to 85 countries
Cons
Only allows 20 third-party integrations
Doesn t offer annual discounts
Our Rating: 4.12/5
Visit Website
Key features
AI virtual assistant: This uses conversational artificial intelligence (AI) to answer customer queries or facilitate an action, such as routing calls to agents who can handle their concerns or gathering survey feedback.
Shared line appearance: Keep track of the other users phones and pick up calls on other extensions when a particular agent isn t available. This feature lets you put a call on hold and let another user resume the conversation.
Call park: Put an active call on hold and place it in a communal parking spot to let other team members retrieve the call. This is useful when an agent isn t sure where to transfer the call.
IP phone paging system: Announce an important update and let stakeholders hear it through their speakerphones. This works on Cisco, Polycom, and Yealink devices. The system supports broadcasting to up to 500 recipients.
Business inbox: See all your messages from different channels in one place. Vonage’s inbox supports SMS, multimedia messaging service (MMS), and Facebook Messenger.
Gallery
Our ratings
Pricing: 3.59/5
General features and interface: 4.31/5
Core features: 4.58/5
Advanced features: 4.5/5
Integration and compatibility: 4.38/5
UX: 4.69/5
Security and compliance: 5/5
Customer support and service: 3.75/5
User scores: 4.10/5
Who is RingCentral best for?
RingCentral is best for companies managing large call volumes since it offers robust call-handling tools. Its multi-level auto-attendant automatically answers inbound calls and routes them to appropriate departments or service representatives. It supports up to eight-digit extensions, further allowing businesses to efficiently distribute calls to the right destinations without requiring a human agent. The team messaging tool makes consultation with managers and fellow service representatives easy and seamless, enabling the team to resolve queries faster.
With the platform’s excellent third-party integrations, users reduce app switching, contributing to overall agent efficiency. Agents won’t have to open a separate computer program to see customer profiles. When RingCentral is connected to a customer relationship management (CRM) app, the CRM profile automatically pops up when an inbound call matching a CRM record comes through the phone system. Given all these capabilities, RingCentral is the ideal solution when you receive multiple calls a day.
RingCentral is a unified communications solution that supports voice calls, team messaging, and video conferencing. Its phone system includes advanced tools like interactive voice response (IVR), heads-up display, hot desking, call delegation, and background noise reduction.
Meanwhile, the chat app lets users send files and assign tasks to colleagues, facilitating seamless team collaboration. Video meetings accommodate up to 500 participants and run up to 24 hours. RingCentral features a wide range of third-party integrations, including Zendesk, Slack, Google Drive, and Zapier.
Vonage vs RingCentral: A detailed comparison
Vonage vs RingCentral: Pricing value
With RingCentral’s annual discounts and the default features already included in its subscription plans, the platform is the more affordable choice, winning the Vonage vs RingCentral pricing round.
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Vonage
RingCentral
Entry-Level Fee
$19.99/user/month
$30/user/month (or $20/user/month with annual pay)
Discounts
For more than four users; requires a one-year contract
Annual discounts up to 33%
Early Termination
Fees apply, up to the total price of the service contract
None mentioned
Free Trial
None mentioned
14-day free trial
Plans Overview
Mobile: $19.99/user/month Premium: $29.99/user/month Advanced: $39.99/user/month
-Core: $30/user/month Advanced: $35/user/month Ultra: $45/user/month
Included Features
Desktop and mobile apps, unlimited calling in US, CA, MX, voicemail
Unlimited US CA calling, toll-free minutes, SMS credits, basic call queues
Add-On Fees
AI virtual assistant, call recording, call queues
Advanced tools like push-to-talk, live reports
Vonage
Vonage offers three subscription plans, with an entry-level fee of $19.99 per user, per month. It offers discounts for more than four users but requires a minimum one-year contract for new accounts. When you cancel your subscription during the contract term, early termination fees apply, ranging up to the total price of the service contract. Certain VoIP features, like artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistant, call recording, and call queues, have add-on fees.
Mobile: $19.99 per user for access to desktop and mobile apps, unlimited calling within the United States (US), Canada, and Mexico. SMS and MMS, voicemail, and virtual receptionist.
Premium: $29.99 per user for team messaging, video meetings, access to the app center, and single sign-on.
Advanced: $39.99 per user for call groups, on-demand call recording, and visual voicemail.
RingCentral
RingCentral features three subscription packages, with a starting rate of $30 per user, per month. While Vonage is more affordable than RingCentral at first glance, note that some features that require extra fees in Vonage are default tools on RingCentral. These include call recording, call queues, and phone extensions.
On top of that, RingCentral provides annual discounts, which Vonage doesn’t offer. When you choose the annual billing arrangement, you’ll be able to save up to 33% or pay only $20 for the entry-level plan, which is relatively the same cost as Vonage’s base-tier package. Unlike Vonage, RingCentral has a 14-day free trial.
RingCentral’s add-on fees only apply to advanced tools, like push-to-talk, live reports for real-time call queue management, and the video conference room system.
Core: $30 per user for unlimited domestic calling within the US and Canada, 100 toll-free minutes, 25 SMS credits per user, basic call queues, and receptionist console
Advanced: $35 per user for 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 SMS credits per user, advanced call monitoring, up to eight-digit extensions, and unlimited internet fax
Ultra: $45 per user for 10,000 toll-free minutes, 200 SMS credits per user, unlimited storage for files, messaging, and recordings, and device analytics and alerts
Vonage vs RingCentral: Call management
RingCentral emerges as the superior choice in the call management category of this Vonage vs RingCentral guide since it offers a comprehensive set of tools, including an IVR, toll-free minutes, and call monitoring. Nonetheless, both providers have robust VoIP security features and comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) guidelines.
Vonage
To help users manage phone calls, Vonage features call forwarding, call screening, call blocking, and follow me. Call tagging, which involves adding labels to conversations, makes it easy to distinguish customer interactions. You’ll know instantly why customers are calling or which departments are responsible for such calls.
Unlike RingCentral, Vonage doesn’t have an IVR, only a virtual receptionist who automatically answers calls and greets callers. As mentioned, some call management features, including the AI virtual assistant, secondary line appearance, and virtual phone extensions, come with an extra cost.
RingCentral
RingCentral has a more robust call management system, offering tools you won’t find on Vonage. For one, it has an IVR that intelligently distributes calls to agents after processing touch-tone or voice responses to the phone menu. It features call monitoring tools, like whisper, barge, and monitor, which allow supervisors to assess agent performance in real-time.
Moreover, it has a toll-free minutes allowance, helping businesses cater to customers nationwide. The most expensive RingCentral plan comes with 10,000 toll-free minutes. More minute bundles are available at an additional cost.
Vonage vs RingCentral: Instant messaging
In the instant messaging round, RingCentral gains a step ahead because it supports chats with external contacts and task management, features Vonage doesn’t have.
Vonage
Vonage’s team chat tool lets users collaborate instantly with each other without needing an external app. Send direct messages to individual colleagues or a team channel with multiple participants. Reply to specific messages and create a thread to make the conversation more organized. The platform allows the sending of emojis, which makes chats more engaging. If you need to discuss matters in depth, launch a voice or video call by clicking the phone and video icons at the chat window s top right corner. Vonage supports file sharing, although the exact attachment limit is unclear.
RingCentral
As we evaluated RingCentral vs Vonage instant messaging tools, we found that RingCentral has a better offering, as it offers advanced features like task management and inclusion of external contacts, which Vonage doesn’t have. Aside from supporting one-on-one and group chats, rich text editing, and file sharing, RingCentral lets users create and assign tasks to team members. To complete task creation, specify the to-do’s due date and frequency and add a category and color tags.
RingCentral’s team messaging tool allows businesses to include external contacts in group chats. With this, it s easier to discuss matters with clients as you won’t need a third-party app.
Vonage vs RingCentral: Video conferencing
Since RingCentral features artificial intelligence (AI) tools and hosts more participants in a session compared to Vonage, it’s the clear winner in the RingCentral vs Vonage video conferencing battle.
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Vonage
RingCentral
Maximum Participants
200 in one session
Up to 200 in standard plans; 500 with large meeting add-on
Meeting Recording Duration
Up to 15 hours
Not specified; AI tools generate summaries and highlights
Collaboration Tools
Chat, whiteboard, virtual backgrounds
Chat, whiteboard, meeting notes (real-time collaboration), breakout groups, Team Huddle
Privacy Features
Waiting rooms, mute/disable audio or video, lock meetings
Not specified; includes AI-powered features like transcriptions and closed captions
AI Tools
None mentioned
AI-powered: transcriptions, closed captions, meeting summaries, highlights reels, automated chapters
Availability
From the second-tier plan at $29.99/user/month
Available in all plans, starting at $30/user/month
Vonage
Vonage’s video conferencing platform hosts a maximum of 200 participants in one session and supports up to 15 hours of meeting recording. Attendees collaborate through different tools, including chat, whiteboard, and virtual backgrounds.
In terms of privacy features, you may activate waiting rooms to filter through the people attempting to join the session or mute participants and disable audio or video when necessary. Lock meetings to prevent new participants from entering the meeting. Note that Vonage’s video conferencing isn’t available until the second-tier plan, which costs $29.99 per user, monthly.
RingCentral
RingCentral accommodates up to 200 participants in its most expensive subscription plan. However, it offers a large meeting add-on, which can host a maximum of 500 attendees. Aside from chat and whiteboard, the platform lets attendees collaborate on meeting notes simultaneously in real-time. When you’re hosting a large group and would like to facilitate more engaging discussions, split the audience into breakout groups. Meanwhile, if you want team members to come and go to meetings as they please (similar to your in-person informal chitchats in the office s break room), use Team Huddle.
The best part about RingCentral’s video conferencing platform is it’s powered by AI. During the meeting, the platform displays transcriptions and closed captions. After the session, it automatically generates meeting summaries, transcripts, highlights reels, and automated chapters, enabling teams to remember what was discussed and work on the agreed to-dos right away.
Unlike Vonage, RingCentral’s video meeting feature is available in all plans, including the entry-level package that costs $30 per user, per month.
Vonage vs RingCentral: Third-party integrations
In the integration round for Vonage vs RingCentral, RingCentral comes out ahead since it natively connects with over 300 solutions. Vonage only works with 20 third-party apps.
Vonage
The Vonage App Center showcases the apps that integrate with the unified communications system. The most popular apps included are Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, HubSpot, and Clio. It works seamlessly with Zapier, so you’re able to connect the platform to a hundred more apps, though with limited configurations. All in all, Vonage natively integrates with 20 third-party solutions. Unfortunately, some Vonage integrations like Salesforce and Bullhorn require an extra fee.
RingCentral
RingCentral features more third-party apps in its integration gallery. Some of the solutions are Google Drive, Microsoft Outlook, Mailchimp, Freshdesk, and Jira. In addition, you may automate workflows with over 500 apps using Zapier. The advantage of choosing RingCentral is the integrations don’t require extra fees. Productivity integrations like Office 365, Google Workspace, and Slack are already available in the entry-level plan. The platform features over 300 out-of-the-box integrations.
Vonage vs RingCentral: Ease of setup and use
Because both providers facilitate a simple account creation and login process and feature intuitive interfaces, we consider the two providers tied in the ease of setup and use round.
Vonage
Vonage appeals to first-time VoIP users because it’s easy to set up and navigate. The administrator adds employees to the account, and the end users receive an email with a username and a link to set up the password. Once you finalize the password, you can go to app.vonage.com to log in.
The actual unified communications platform has a neat, simple interface. On the left side panel, you ll see the communication features: Calls, Voicemail, SMS, Team Messaging, and Meetings. It also contains navigation tools for accessing contacts, third-party integrations, and reports. With this, making phone calls, messaging team members, and launching video meetings don’t require extensive technical training.
RingCentral
RingCentral’s sign-up process is fast and easy: Just key in your work email and country in the input fields. The provider will send an email confirming your account. The link provided there will direct you to the login page.
Similar to Vonage, RingCentral has an easy-to-navigate interface despite the wide range of features it offers. Its side panel contains icons that take you to different communication capabilities: voice calls, team messaging, video meetings, SMS, and fax. Similarly, the contacts, settings, and apps can be found in the sidebar.
Vonage vs RingCentral: Customer service
Vonage offers the option to have an information technology (IT) team set up the apps businesses need for client and team communications. Because of this hands-on customer support, Vonage wins in the customer service round.
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Vonage
RingCentral
Dedicated Support Hub
Yes, with a search bar for easy navigation
Knowledge base with how-to articles
Community Support
Vonage Business Cloud Community for discussions
RingCentral Community for news and discussions
Direct Communication Channels
Phone support and 24/7 chatbot
Phone and chat support available in all plans
Special Services
Orange glove setup service for business communications software installation (available in the most expensive plan)
Regular release notes for updates on new features
Setup Services
IT team set up for necessary apps
Not specified
Vonage
Vonage features a dedicated hub with all the resources needed to navigate the platform and maximize its features. The Vonage Business Communications Support has a search bar that allows users to find specific topics, removing the need to scroll through piles of content. Similarly, the provider has the Vonage Business Cloud Community, where users can ask questions and start or participate in discussions.
Aside from self-help channels, Vonage offers phone support. A 24/7 chatbot is likewise available to answer queries from businesses. On top of that, the vendor provides orange glove setup services, similar to IT support, where the Vonage team installs the software solutions you need for your business communications. Note that this service is exclusively available in its most expensive plan.
RingCentral
RingCentral features a comprehensive set of customer support services. For businesses that prefer finding solutions on their own, the provider has a knowledge base that contains various how-to articles for different topics. The RingCentral Community allows users to read up on the latest news and announcements from the provider and engage in discussions. The vendor regularly publishes release notes to inform customers about the new features on its platform.
As for the direct communication channels, users can get assistance from RingCentral representatives through phone and chat. This service is available in all subscription plans.
Which is right for your business?
In our assessment of RingCentral vs Vonage, RingCentral emerged as the superior platform, winning in several categories. While Vonage’s entry-level plan is the more affordable option at first glance, RingCentral’s annual discounts and robust inclusions in the base-tier package make the platform an equally budget-friendly choice for small businesses. Moreover, Vonage’s add-on features can make the monthly subscription more expensive.
Meanwhile, in terms of call management, instant messaging, video conferencing, and third-party integrations, RingCentral has more unique capabilities than Vonage. RingCentral allows users to monitor active calls, assign and manage tasks, and host up to 500 video meeting participants. In addition, the provider connects to over 300 third-party apps, whereas Vonage only natively integrates with 20 solutions. However, Vonage takes a step ahead in the customer service category since it offers an orange glove setup, which RingCentral doesn’t have.
In summary, choose RingCentral and take advantage of its robust unified communication features when accommodating a large volume of calls. But if you have fluctuating call volumes, go for Vonage and maximize its a la carte pricing and personalized customer support to deal with the rapid changes in communication demands.
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Featured Partners: VoIP
1
RingCentral Office
Visit website
RingCentral is a business VoIP provider that offers cloud-based communications including message, video, phone, and collaboration features. It offers a number of different tools that you can buy as standalone products or as part of a unified communications platform. Some features include call screening, internet fax, call forwarding, visual voicemail, multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR), video conferencing, and team collaboration.
Learn more about RingCentral Office
2
Ooma
Visit website
Ooma is a business communication product that features voice over IP services, messaging via chat and SMS functions, and video conferencing. This VoIP product works over a multitude of devices for seamless access while working on-premises, remotely or on-the-go. Find out more about the features of Ooma to help you choose the right VoIP solution for your business.
Learn more about Ooma
3
Zoho Meeting
Visit website
Join meetings and webinars from anywhere you want using the VoIP service from Zoho Meeting. If you're away from work, you can still join meetings by dialling a regional number from your phone. Zoho Meeting offers more than 55 local dial-in numbers for different regions around the globe. Organization admins can also get the toll-free add-on to enable members to join meetings from phones at zero cost. Zoho Meeting also offers recording, screen sharing, and video conferencing.
Learn more about Zoho Meeting
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you use a cell phone with Vonage?
Yes. Download Vonage s softphone app from the Apple or Google Play store to access the business phone system’s features. Once the app is installed, you can start making and accepting calls from the app on your smartphone. In case you’re weighing between cloud-based phone systems and cellular services, check out our VoIP vs cellular service guide.
Is RingCentral cheaper than Zoom?
No. RingCentral’s entry-level plan costs $30 per user, per month, while Zoom Phone has a starting fee of $10 per user. However, RingCentral lowers its base-tier package to $20 per user when you choose to pay annually. If you want to spend less on business communications, try our top picks for free VoIP services.
About the author
Sam Dadofalza has been writing web content for a decade and working on different topic niches, from content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) to real estate. Currently, she’s a staff writer at TechnologyAdvice, covering communications technology, including virtual phone systems and voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP). She also writes for the business website FitSmallBusiness.com, producing articles for unified communications as a service (UCaaS) and project management topic clusters.
The post Vonage vs RingCentral: Which VoIP is Best in 2024? appeared first on TechnologyAdvice. Медиа: | ↑ |
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5. What Is Agile Sales?Чт, 11 апр [-/+]
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| Key takeaways
Agile sales use iterative, flexible methods to improve responsiveness and sales process efficiency in dynamic markets.
Agile sales implementation focuses on customer-centric strategies, data-driven decisions, and team collaboration to boost effectiveness.
Agile sales enhance adaptability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, driving better relationships and business growth.
Agile sales utilizes and incorporates IT project management principles and applies them to the sales functions of various enterprises. Agile focuses on speed, flexibility, and minimizing friction and waste. It typically use the same methodologies found in agile software development and the IT world–sprints, rapid iterations, daily stand-ups, and short-term goals. Sales teams adopting an Agile framework grew from 18% to 33% in a single year between 2020-2021, according to the 2022 Annual State of Agile Marketing Report.
Also read: Best Sales Software of 2024
What are agile methodologies?
Now that we’ve briefly defined the concept of agile sales, let’s explore the broad concept of agile methodologies to give more context.
Agile methodologies represent a dynamic approach to project management and software development that prioritizes flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration. Originally conceived as a response to traditional, rigid development methods, agile methods emphasize iterative cycles of planning, execution, and review. Agile teams work in short, incremental bursts, delivering usable products or features frequently, often in two to four-week sprint cycles.
Agile methodologies and principles incorporate continuous feedback loops that allow for rapid adjustments, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. The key principles of the agile process include valuing individuals and interactions over processes and tools, favoring software over comprehensive documentation, valuing customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan. This approach empowers teams to respond quickly to shifting priorities and market demands, ultimately delivering higher-quality products that better meet customer needs.
Agile methods and principles are the new, improved, and proven method of improving the sales cycle from intake to close and from close to forging long-term, profitable relationships.
Also read: How to Future-Proof a Digital First Sales Team
Applying agile sales
Here’s how agile methodologies are applied to the sales process and individual professionals.
Agile sales utilizes and incorporates IT project management principles and applies them to the sales functions of various enterprises. Agile for sales teams focuses on speed, flexibility, and minimizing friction and waste. It typically use the same methodologies found in agile software development and the IT world—sprints, rapid iterations, daily stand-ups, and short-term goals.
This framework can be applied to sales to enhance effectiveness and adaptability in a dynamic marketplace. Here are some agile sales strategies:
Customer collaboration: Agile sales teams prioritize building strong customer relationships through active collaboration. By understanding customer needs and preferences, sales teams can tailor their approach and offerings to better meet those needs, ultimately driving higher satisfaction and loyalty.
Iterative approach: Sales processes can benefit from an iterative approach, breaking down larger sales cycles into smaller, manageable steps. This allows sales teams to adapt quickly to changing market conditions or customer feedback, making incremental improvements.
Continuous feedback: Agile sales teams actively seek and incorporate feedback from customers and stakeholders throughout the sales process. This feedback loop helps identify areas for improvement and ensures that sales strategies remain aligned with customer expectations.
Adaptability: Agile sales teams are flexible and responsive to change. They embrace uncertainty and are willing to adjust their strategies and tactics as needed to achieve their goals in a rapidly evolving business environment.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Similar to Agile development teams, Agile sales teams encourage collaboration across different organizational functions, such as marketing, product development, and customer support. This cross-functional approach fosters a holistic view of the customer journey and enables teams to deliver a more cohesive and integrated sales experience.
Also read: What are the Stages of the Sales Process
Principles of agile sales
The principles of the agile sales model coalesce around a framework designed to enhance responsiveness and effectiveness in meeting customer needs, ultimately fostering business growth. At the core of this model is the customer-centric approach, where agile enablement is dedicated to deeply understanding and addressing customer needs through active listening, feedback collection, and strategic adaptation.
This is coupled with an iterative sales process, which segments the sales cycle into smaller, manageable steps or iterations, each marked by specific goals, execution of sales activities, feedback integration, and necessary adjustments to bolster performance. Fundamental to this approach is the principle of continuous improvement, where teams are committed to constant learning and refining of their sales processes, identifying areas for enhancement, and applying changes to drive optimization.
Another pillar is cross-functional collaboration, which encourages teamwork across various departments—marketing, product development, customer support—to align sales efforts with broader organizational objectives and elevate the customer experience. This model prizes flexibility and adaptability, enabling sales teams to swiftly modify strategies and tactics in response to changing market dynamics, customer preferences, and competitive challenges. Lastly, data-driven decision-making underpins the framework, relying on analytics, key performance indicators (KPIs), and metrics to guide strategic decisions and enhance sales effectiveness.
Agile sales vs traditional sales methods
The agile sales model is characterized by its swift adaptation to changing market conditions, customer requirements, and competitive pressures. It sets it apart from the traditional sales approach, which tends to resist change and adjusts more slowly.
This framework prioritizes understanding and addressing specific customer needs through active collaboration and feedback loops, diverging from traditional sales that often rely on a generalized focus on product features and benefits. This model employs iterative cycles, enabling continuous refinement and learning within the sales process, contrasting with the linear, step-by-step progression typical of traditional methods, which are generally less flexible and less centered on customer feedback.
Data-driven decision-making is a cornerstone of agile sales, utilizing metrics and analytics to inform strategies and measure performance, a method less emphasized in traditional sales that may depend more on intuition and less on quantifiable insights. It also promote cross-functional collaboration, bringing together marketing, product development, and customer support to align strategies and improve the overall customer experience, a practice that contrasts with the often compartmentalized nature of traditional sales teams.
Agile sales methodologies proactively seek and incorporate feedback from customers and stakeholders throughout the sales cycle to continuously adapt and improve tactics, whereas traditional sales approaches may be less inclined to integrate feedback and emphasize ongoing refinement based on customer insights.
Implementing agile sales in your team
Successfully transitioning to agile for sales teams and teaching these strategies should include the following eight steps:
Education and training
Begin by educating the sales team about agile principles and methodologies and explain the benefits of adopting an agile sales approach. Provide training sessions to ensure everyone on the agile sales and marketing team understands the core concepts and how they apply to sales processes.
Identify agile champions
Identify individuals within the agile sales team structure who are enthusiastic about agile methods and willing to champion the transition. These agile champions can help drive the adoption process, provide guidance, and support their colleagues throughout the transition.
Assess current processes
Evaluate the current sales processes, workflows, and methodologies to identify areas for improvement and alignment with agile sales principles. Determine which aspects of the agile sales process can benefit from increased flexibility, collaboration, and iterative approaches.
Define agile sales practices
Work with the sales team to define and tailor them to their specific needs and objectives. This may include implementing iterative sales cycles, establishing cross-functional collaboration channels, and incorporating customer feedback loops into the sales process.
Implement incremental changes
Introduce agile practices gradually, starting with small, manageable changes to minimize disruption and resistance. Encourage the sales team to experiment with new approaches, gather feedback, and iterate based on lessons learned.
Foster collaboration
Promote a culture of collaboration and transparency within the sales team and across departments. Encourage open communication, knowledge sharing, and cross-functional collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of Agile practices.
Provide support and resources
Offer ongoing support, coaching, and resources to help the sales team navigate the transition to agile. Address any challenges or concerns and guide on overcoming obstacles and adapting to the new agile for sales team approach.
Measure progress and iterate
Establish metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the effectiveness of agile sales practices and measure progress toward objectives. Use data-driven insights to identify areas for improvement and iterate on agile sales processes to optimize performance over time.
Also read: How Gamification Can Improve Sales Efficiency
Agile sales software recommendations
Multiple great project management software tools are available to anyone looking to transition.
Here are a few of the most popular agile sales project management or CRM tools:
HubSpot CRM
HubSpot is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform with features for managing agile sales pipelines and workflows.
Visit HubSpot
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a CRM and sales pipeline management tool designed to help sales teams manage leads, deals, and customer interactions.
Visit Pipedrive
Monday Sales CRM
Monday is a flexible project management platform that offers customizable boards, timelines, and dashboards for managing agile sales processes.
Visit monday
Salesforce
One of the leading CRM packages for lead management, tracking sales data, workflows and approvals, and filing synching and sharing.
Visit Salesforce
Zoho CRM
The latest project management CRM with robust automation, comprehensive analytics, and rapid implementation.
Visit Zoho
KPIs to evaluate agile sales performance
Sales velocity
Measures the rate at which deals move through the sales pipeline from initiation to closure.
Cycle time
Tracks the average time to close a deal or complete a sales cycle from the initial contact to the final sale.
Win rate
Calculates the percentage of deals won compared to the total number of deals pursued.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
Measures acquiring a new customer, including sales and marketing expenses.
Customer lifetime value (CLV)
Estimates the total revenue generated from a customer over their entire relationship with the company.
Lead-to-customer conversion rate
Tracks the percentage of leads that convert into paying customers.
Customer satisfaction (CSAT) score
Measures customer satisfaction with purchased products or services.
Is agile sales right for your team?
The answer is most likely a resounding yes.
Agile sales offers numerous benefits, including increased adaptability to changing market conditions, quicker response times to customer needs, and enhanced collaboration among team members. By breaking down sales processes into iterative cycles, teams can iterate rapidly, optimize strategies, and deliver value more efficiently.
Continuous feedback loops enable teams to refine approaches, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, such a framework fosters a culture of continuous improvement, empowering teams to innovate, experiment, and stay ahead of the competition. Are you eady to choose your agile sales software? Check out our guide to the 6 Best Sales Management Software Tools.
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Featured Partners: CRM Software
1
HubSpot CRM
Visit website
HubSpot is an intuitive CRM that makes managing your sales pipeline a breeze. Everything you need to track important metrics, set up time-saving flows and automations, manage clients seamlessly, and grow your business is available in one tidy dashboard. Plans are available for businesses at every stage of growth, starting at 100% free. Start taking the guesswork out of business management today with HubSpot CRM.
Learn more about HubSpot CRM
2
Pipedrive
Visit website
Pipedrive is a sales-focused customer relationship management tool that teams of all sizes love using. It visualizes your sales pipeline and helps to make sure important activities and conversations won’t get dropped. It also sports built-in forecasting, integrations with other software such as Google Apps, MailChimp and Zapier and an API for those who like to “roll their own” software solutions.
Learn more about Pipedrive
3
Salesforce CRM
Visit website
Drive growth with Sales Cloud 360, the best-in-class sales solution that has helped power the world's best sales teams. Firms of all sizes, industries, and geographies, realize value faster with Sales Cloud 360. Increase rep productivity with data-driven selling by quickly deploying industry-specific apps and best practice processes. You also get access to 150,000+ sales organizations and a 2 million user-strong community that are passionate about sales growth.
Learn more about Salesforce CRM
FAQs
What is the agile sales model, and how does it enhance sales processes?
The agile sales model is a flexible, customer-focused approach that breaks down the sales process into iterative steps, emphasizing continuous improvement and cross-functional collaboration to adapt quickly to market changes and customer needs, thereby enhancing sales effectiveness.
How does agile sales differ from traditional sales methods?
Agile sales differ from traditional sales by prioritizing adaptability, customer-centric strategies, iterative processes, and data-driven decision-making, offering a more responsive and effective approach to meeting customer demands and achieving sales goals.
About the author
Doug Tull is a writer, storyteller, photographer, media junkie, Apple enthusiast, amateur musician, and tech fanatic with a thirst for learning and optimizing his knowledge of the world of tech, digital marketing, AI, and cyberspace. He enjoys concert photography, the power of the written word, art, classic rock, MCM architecture, and travel. When he’s not writing about tech, logistics, and more, he’s probably walking his dog, Stan, mountain biking, or playing guitar…poorly.
The post What Is Agile Sales? appeared first on TechnologyAdvice. Медиа: | ↑ |
6. HR’s Role in Change ManagementВт, 09 апр [-/+]
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| Key takeaways
HR has many responsibilities in change management, including:
Assessing the employees preparedness.
Verifying legal compliance.
Facilitating clear communication.
Providing training.
Reviewing the impact of change.
Some examples of workplace changes that involve HR are mergers and acquisitions, new policy roll-outs, layoffs, and leadership changes.
Update notes
Apr. 9, 2024: Irene Casucian rewrote the article to provide a clear and concise explanation of HR s role in change management, illustrate examples of change management scenarios that directly involve HR, and recommended software tools to support HR change management.
Show more
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What is HR change management?
HR change management refers to the human resources department’s efforts to help employees transition and adapt to organizational changes. These changes can be related to business processes, structures, policies, or culture. Some HR change management activities include conducting surveys, creating training programs, and addressing employee wellness risks.
HR change management aims to minimize disruptions, maintain productivity, and keep employees motivated despite the recent adjustments.
HR’s role in change management
HR plays a vital role in change management by assessing employees preparedness, facilitating good communication, monitoring legal compliance, providing training, and reviewing the effects of change.
Evaluate the employees preparedness
Before developing a plan to communicate and implement a change, it is essential to gauge how the employees might react. Create a plan for the upcoming changes by:
Deciding the best communication style(s) and channel(s).
Analyzing skills gaps.
Identifying current and future resource constraints.
Forecasting impact on various HR metrics by assessing historical data.
Taking these steps will help introduce the change without overwhelming the team.
One way to check an organization s receptiveness and readiness to change is to conduct surveys. Survey tools, such as SurveySparrow, can streamline this process. After collecting survey responses, SurveySparrow provides detailed analytics that you can use to make informed decisions when planning next steps. Another best is to use historical data to forecast the impact of change.
A screenshot of SurveySparrow showing how to customize your survey form. Source: SurveySparrow
Visit SurveySparrow
Monitor legal compliance
One of HR s most vital roles in change management is ensuring that impending changes are in full compliance with the law. This responsibility includes verifying existing contracts and ensuring that the changes align with legal frameworks country-wise and state-wise. This involves checking employee rights, compensations, anti-discrimination policies, and health and safety standards. If there’s a threat of compliance risk, you should implement safeguards to avoid negative repercussions.
In line with this, HR must also see that everything is well-documented. Processes such as planning a change, communicating with stakeholders, and consulting legal experts should have proper documentation in case of a future audit or legal challenge.
GoCo can help streamline the documentation process by keeping all important documents in one secure and accessible location. Additionally, GoCo offers features that help HR teams keep track of compliance requirements, including labor laws, regulations, and industry standards.
Visit GoCo
Communicate impending changes
Aside from considering the readiness of the employees for a change, you should also plan how to communicate to employees, while keeping in mind the importance of maintaining transparency. Doing so will help build trust and reduce resistance. Be clear and honest, and set proper expectations.
It is also best practice to maintain communication both ways. Make sure your employees know you hear them by offering different ways to express concerns or questions. Workvivo, an employee experience tool, centralizes communication, allowing companies to easily update and share information in one location.It can also measure employee engagement and track sentiment.
Visit Workvivo
Provide training
HR should provide change management training to minimize operational disruption by equipping employees with the necessary tools to adapt to the change. Anyone who is tasked with new responsibilities as a result of the change should receive some type of training — otherwise, they won t be set up for success.
Apps like 360Learning help foster collaborative change management training. 360Learning lets you create and customize training courses to ease transitions, and its analytics and tracking features to help your team monitor progress and completion rates.
Screenshot of 360Learning’s homepage. Source: 360Learning
Visit 360Learning
Track and review the effects of the change
Another part of HR s role in change management is tracking the change s effects. Monitoring the impact helps evaluate the success of the change management strategy and the efficacy of the change. This process also helps identify any areas for improvement.
Collect data you can use to gauge the impact; you can use methods like surveys, feedback forms, or interviews. With the help of the gathered data, you can adjust the change management strategy accordingly.
Change management examples
As your company evolves, your HR team should be prepared to implement changes with as little disruption as possible. Common situations that require HR change management include mergers and acquisitions, new policy roll-outs, layoffs, and leadership changes.
Mergers and acquisitions
While mergers and acquisitions are common in the business world, these events can trigger anxiety in employees. Clear communication that explains the motivation behind the merger or acquisition helps employees understand that it is a strategic move for the organization that will benefit their own careers in the long run. It will also help to provide a clear path forward and align the employees expectations.
New policy roll-out
Implementing a new policy requires a comprehensive approach to change management. Start with developing a plan that outlines the entire policy implementation process, including the goals of the rollout and what problem that the new policy will address.
All stakeholders must review and agree on the new policy to prevent misunderstandings. You must also check the new policy at this point to ensure it complies with laws and regulations.
As always, a strong communication plan is vital. You should utilize digital channels and platforms to distribute the details of the new policy and for training purposes.
Layoffs
Layoffs are some of the most challenging changes to manage because they require holistic strategies involving:
Thorough planning and compliance checks.
Careful and empathetic communication.
Reputation management.
Morale management.
By considering these strategies, you can manage layoffs in a way that respects the dignity of all employees, minimizes negative impacts, and positions the organization for recovery and future growth.
Read more: How to Gracefully Layoff an Employee with Compassion
Leadership changes
Changes in leadership can significantly impact employees, and a smooth transition of power requires familiarity and trust from the ground-up. Meet-and-greets and town hall meetings provide a low-stakes environment where employees can ask questions and learn more about the new leader.
In addition to explaining why the leadership change happened and what we expect from it, you should first inform key team members about the change, outlining the reasons and expected outcomes. Then, to build a positive work environment, organize team-building activities for all employees.
Implementing change management as an HR strategy
Change management strategies make sure workplace changes meet the organization s goals and follow legal and ethical standards. Poor change management means you ll spend more money on recruiting and onboarding new employees in the long run
About the author
Irene Casucian is a Project Management Staff Writer for TechnologyAdvice. Irene spends her days researching and covering project management software, topics and trends within the industry.
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Featured HR software partners
1
GoCo
Visit website
Elevate your HR with a modern, easy-to-use HRIS designed for small businesses. GoCo is a secure, compliant hub for sending, digitally signing, and organizing your sensitive HR documents and data. Manage records, performance, time off, onboarding, benefits, and more – all in one place. With the best support in the industry, every GoCo customer is assigned a dedicated Customer Success Team that is readily available to provide guidance and ensure a smooth and reliable HRIS experience.
Learn more about GoCo
2
Paycor
Visit website
Paycor’s HR software modernizes every aspect of people management, which saves leaders time and gives them the powerful analytics they need to build winning teams. Paycor provides a full suite of HCM solutions with a single source of truth for employee data, so users never have to switch platforms, log-in to multiple systems, re-key data or open multiple spreadsheets. Everyday processes become simplified, allowing organizations to focus on their most important work.
Learn more about Paycor
3
TalentHR
Visit website
TalentHR is a fresh take on HRIS, an all-in-one tool built for HR success. It’s fully customizable and features time-off tracking, custom fields, employee onboarding, performance reviews, and job applicant tracking (ATS) that’ll alleviate all your HR analytics worries. Leave complex HR tools behind and focus on what matters most, your people. No IT skills required, all at a reasonable price. TalentHR is a product of Epignosis, the company that 11,000+ businesses trust for their HR and L&D needs.
Learn more about TalentHR
Browse all HR software ->
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7. Best Construction CRM Software for 2024Вт, 09 апр [-/+]
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| Choosing the best CRM for contractors or construction companies can be challenging in a seemingly endless sea of platforms. The right construction CRM software can make it easier to streamline sales and forge stronger relationships with your clients. CRM software allows you to focus more on selling home construction projects and overseeing major client projects. Finding the best CRM for contractors can be tricky, but once you land on the appropriate solution for your business, it will become easier to maintain and grow.
Top 7 construction contractor CRM software
Some construction CRM software options include:
HubSpot CRM: Best overall construction CRM
Pipedrive: Best for sales pipeline management
SalesRabbit: Best for field sales tracking
BasisBoard: Best for bid management for subcontractors
Salesforce: Best customizable construction CRM
Insightly: Best for contact relationship linking
Houzz Pro: Best for payment scheduling and invoicing
The right CRM platform for your business should have features that benefit your daily operations and are in tune with your business’s unique needs. Good CRM software for construction companies and contractors typically focuses on better managing company-wide email, project planning, bid tracking, and processing payments.
Still looking for the right solution? Check out our comprehensive CRM Software Buyer s Guide or our guide to CRM Software for Small Businesses for many more recommended solutions.
Company
Starting Price (Per user/month)
Free Option
Quotation Tools
Mobile Option
Customer Service Type
Learn More
HubSpot CRM
$23 per user/month for the hub and $45 per month for two users
Yes
Yes
Yes
Online chat, email, and phone support available
HubSpot
Salesforce
$25 per user/month
No
Yes
Yes
24/7 support only available on the unlimited plan
Salesforce
Pipedrive
$14.90 per user/month
No
Yes
Yes
24/7 support available
Pipedrive
Insightly
$29 per user/month
Yes
Yes
Yes
Phone and email support available
Insightly
Houzz Pro
$65 per user/month
Yes
Yes
Yes
Chat and phone support available
Houzz Pro
SalesRabbit
$29 per user/month
No
Yes
Yes
Phone and email support available
SalesRabbit
BasisBoard
Information not provided by vendor
No
Yes
Yes
Phone and email support available
BasisBoard
HubSpot CRM: Best overall construction CRM
Pros
Comprehensive free plan compared to competitors
Easy content creation
Strong customer service, depending on your plan
Meeting scheduling
Quote generation to send estimates and receive signatures
Cons
Limited project management features
Higher tiers not cost effective for smaller businesses
Our Rating: 4.5/5
Visit Website
Key features
Flexible pricing: HubSpot CRM offers several different plans that vary in cost, with features that are often specific to each plan. The free plan carries a lot of value, is easy to use and navigate, and offers robust tools to help streamline your company’s operations. It is important to note, however, other plans bundle services with fully customizable solutions. HubSpot’s marketing, sales, customer service, and operational hubs are part of a starter bundle that carries a $45 monthly cost for two users, with options available for plan expansions.
Ease of use: HubSpot CRM is easy to use, with a simple user interface. For most businesses, this ease of use goes a long way, which is especially important since there is a lack of customer service support when working with the free version. However, tutorials for some of the tools you regularly use are available online and should help you adequately resolve any issues. There is also a large HubSpot knowledge base that’s free to access.
Content creation made easy: When it comes to content creation, HubSpot makes it easy. The drag-and-drop experience for creating custom content like landing pages, various forms, and email templates couldn’t be simpler. This CRM also has an option that offers a hands-off approach to managing social media. Scheduling approved content to post online through automation frees up time and allows you and your team to focus on more important tasks.
Advanced AI sales forecasting: A new feature that more accurately predicts future sales than ever before. It increases forecast accuracy, offers projections, and provides realistic goal alignment and strategic planning.
Pricing
Free trial available
Free plan available
Starter: $15/user/month
Professional: $90/user/month
Enterprise: $150/user/month
Why we chose HubSpot
HubSpot CRM’s user interface is designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind. Its dashboard and reporting tools are particularly beneficial for construction businesses to track projects and client interactions seamlessly.
Its comprehensive suite of no-cost marketing tools sets HubSpot CRM apart in the construction industry. Unlike many competitors, HubSpot offers a free plan with essential marketing tools, making it an ideal choice for construction businesses looking to maximize their marketing efforts without additional costs.
While other CRMs like Salesforce and Zoho offer industry-specific features, they often come at a higher cost, especially for marketing tools. HubSpot balances functionality and cost-effectiveness, making it more suitable for construction businesses with tight marketing budgets.
HubSpot s latest feature introduces AI-powered sales forecasting, enhancing precision in predicting future sales using in-month data. This advancement significantly increases forecast accuracy, offering most likely, upper, and lower projections for well-informed decision-making. It benefits sales and service teams by providing data-driven insights for realistic goal alignment and strategic planning, with historical data analysis further refining forecast reliability. Available in public beta for Professional and Enterprise tiers, it requires two months of deal data for activation, recommending consistent deal updates for optimal results.
Our ratings
Pricing: 4.8/5
General features and interface: 4.4/5
Core features: 4.5/5
Advanced features: 3.8/5
Integration and compatibility: 4.8/5
UX: 4.8/5
Industry-specific features: 3.5/5
Gallery
HubSpot CRM is an intuitive and easy-to-use software platform. While HubSpot offers tools and services for free right from the start, it also features flexible planning bundles that you can adopt and customize for your business. HubSpot’s tools are modular in nature and coincide with the growth of your company.
HubSpot CRM has become more intuitive and construction industry-friendly. It has enhanced its project management features and integrations with construction management software, such as CompanyCam, a photo-based communication solution created for contractors. These additions more effectively address the industry s specific needs than in previous versions.
Having said this, HubSpot CRM could further enhance its construction-specific features, such as more advanced project tracking and on-site communication tools, to stay ahead of competitors like Salesforce and Zoho, which are continuously updating their industry-specific offerings.
Pipedrive: Best for sales pipeline management
Pros
Workflow automation
Affordable paid plans
Unlimited and fully customizable sales pipelines
Simplified application programming interface (API) access
Cons
No free plan
No phone support on low-tier plans
Our Rating: 4.2/5
Visit Website
Key features
Sales pipeline management: Pipedrive provides a visual sales pipeline specifically designed to track and manage construction bids and contracts.
Activity and goal tracking: The Goals tool under Insights helps you track your deal and activity progress, preparing you for more effective sales efforts.
Customizable workflows: The platform offers customizable workflows that can be tailored to fit the unique processes and stages of construction projects.
Integration with contracting tools: The CRM supports integration with Quickbooks, map software, and other field service management tools.
Mobile accessibility: Workers and managers can access and update project information from construction sites.
Comprehensive Reporting: The CRM includes comprehensive reporting tools that provide insights into project performance, client interactions, and financial metrics.
Document management: This allows for easy storage and retrieval of construction project documents like blueprints and contracts.
Custom fields and data management: Pipedrive allows the addition of custom fields to manage specific data relevant to construction projects.
Pricing
Free trial available
Essential: $14.90/user/month
Advanced: $27.90/user/month
Professional: $49.90/user/month
Power: $64.90/user/month
Enterprise: $99/user/month
Why we chose Pipedrive
Pipedrive proves its mettle as a construction CRM with a stellar blend of features tailored to the industry’s needs. Its intuitive visual pipeline management, coupled with forecasting and reporting capabilities, offers a clear snapshot of project progress and potential bottlenecks.
Pipedrive CRM is best for construction businesses seeking a CRM that excels in centralizing multi-channel data (the practice of interacting with customers via multiple channels such as social media, text, email) and automation. Its high scores in user experience, integration, and core features, backed by positive user reviews, make it a top recommendation.
What sets Pipedrive apart from competitors like Freshsales and Keap is its intuitive design focused on centralizing data from multiple channels. This feature is crucial in the construction sector, where managing diverse data streams is a daily challenge.
Pipedrive also scores higher than its peers in multi-channel support and ease of data import/export, making it ideal for construction businesses that deal with various data sources and require seamless integration.
In October 2023, Pipedrive added two new AI-powered features. The Sales Inbox syncs multiple email accounts and categorizes emails based on criteria. The AI-powered SmartApp Recommendations analyze customers businesses and recommend relevant apps from Pipedrive Marketplace.
Our ratings
Pricing: 3.5/5
General features: 4.3/5
Core features: 4.6/5
Advanced features: 3.5/5
Integration and compatibility: 4.8/5
UX: 4/5
Industry-specific features: 3.9/5
Gallery The Pipedrive dashboard. SalesRabbit CRM dashboard.
SalesRabbit’s user interface is designed with field sales teams in mind, offering an intuitive and responsive experience. This design choice significantly reduces the learning curve and enhances on-site productivity, a critical aspect for construction professionals often working in dynamic environments.
SalesRabbit tracks sales and lead management and is tailored for door-to-door field sales representatives. These professionals rely on the software to improve their sales performance and increase lead conversions.
While SalesRabbit excels in many areas, it could further enhance its offering by expanding its e-commerce compatibility and improving VoIP capabilities.
Basis Board: Best for bid management
Pros
Tracks bid deadlines and open projects through automation
Emails are well-organized and easy to manage
Successfully eliminates overhead
Easy to use
Cons
Difficulty when attempting to merge projects
Navigating plans can be somewhat tedious
Our Rating: 4.2/5
Visit Website
Key features
Excellent bid board tool: By providing a bid board, Basis Board helps companies complete various tasks like sending proposals, responding to requests for information (RFIs), and inviting vendors to bid on projects.
Centralizing systems: Companies can use Basis Board to organize bid invitations by placing them in a centralized hub for easy reference. This will ultimately prevent estimators from working on the same tasks.
High level of integration: Basis Board connects with major email services like Gmail and Outlook, construction management tools including Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud, and syncs with most calendars.
Pricing
Free trial available
Contact Basis Board for a customized quote
Why we chose Basis Board
We selected Basis Board for its extensive bid management system. The ability to track bids from start to finish adds an extra tool that is supremely beneficial to manufacturers. Having bid management woven tightly into CRM software creates a synergy that is hard to beat as you bounce between bidding jobs and working with existing clients.
Compared to more generalized CRM systems, BasisBoard offers more detailed and construction-specific functionalities, such as integrated bid calendars and direct communication channels with contractors. This focus makes it more suitable for subcontractors who need specialized tools over generic CRM features.
Basis Board has evolved to become more intuitive and aligned with the specific needs of construction bid management. This evolution is seen in its streamlined interface, improved data integration capabilities, and enhanced communication features, all critical for efficient bid management.
For subcontractors in construction, one of the key decision-making factors for Basis Board is its specialized bid tracking system. Designed for subcontractors and material vendors, it tracks all bids in one collaborative workspace with no manual data entry. Its integration with construction management software is also a major selling point, as is its tailored communication tools.
Basis Board’s design prioritizes ease of use and efficiency, with a clear, intuitive interface that reduces the learning curve for subcontractors. This user-centric design approach ensures subcontractors can quickly adapt to and benefit from the CRM, even under the fast-paced conditions of construction projects.
Our ratings
Pricing: 4.2/5
General features and interface: 4.4/5
Core features: 5/5
Advanced features: 3.3/5
Integration and compatibility: 3.8/5
UX: 4/5
Industry-specific features: 4/5
Gallery
Basis Board is an efficient software platform intended for construction build management. It offers features that appeal to businesses that focus on commercial subcontractors, material vendors, and supply houses.
Basis Board offers a collaborative workspace that is free from tedious data entry. The software also successfully automates daily manual tasks, where repetition usually consumes time and resources.
To further solidify its position as the leading construction CRM for bid management, Basis Board could enhance its analytics capabilities and expand its range of integrations with emerging construction technologies. These improvements would provide subcontractors with even more robust tools to manage bids effectively and stay competitive in the dynamic construction industry.
Salesforce Sales Cloud: Best for customizable construction CRM
Pros
Fully customizable CRM with powerful add-on tools
Powerful AI: Einstein Copilot
Extensive platform integrations
Powerful analytics and reporting
Advanced project management tools
Cons
Very costly
Time-consuming setup and maintenance
Our Rating: 3.9/5
Visit Website
Key features
Project management: Salesforce CRM offers specialized project management tools essential for tracking and managing construction projects.
Einstein Copilot: Salesforce s Einstein Copilot AI improves decision-making and customer interactions via predictive analytics, lead scoring, and recommendation systems.
Analytics and reporting: Its advanced analytics and reporting capabilities provide insights into project performance and client interactions.
Customization and flexibility: The platform’s high degree of customization means it can be tailored to meet the needs of the construction industry.
Integration capabilities: The platform integrates with various construction management software, enhancing operational coherence.
Mobile accessibility: Its mobile functionality allows construction professionals to access and manage CRM data on-site.
Pricing
Free trial available
Free plan available
Starter: $15/user/month
Professional: $90/user/month
Enterprise: $150/user/month
Why we chose Salesforce
For construction, Salesforce is best for firms seeking a cloud-based CRM that offers flexibility, comprehensive project management tools, and integration capabilities. Its ability to provide real-time data access across project sites sets it apart from competitors.
Salesforce was the first to market with a comprehensive AI solution when it introduced Einstein AI. The tool was recently reinvented as Einstein Copilot, now powered by Microsoft’s AI solution.
The recently introduced Einstein Copilot enables Salesforce clients to produce responses using their own safe data while adhering to strict data governance and without the requirement for costly AI model training. Einstein Copilot can perform a variety of functions, including answering queries, summarizing material, creating new content, understanding challenging talks, and automating processes across Salesforce products, giving users a more unified experience.
The interface design scored 75 out of 100, reflecting a user experience that balances complexity and usability. This is crucial for construction professionals who require quick, intuitive access to project data.
Unlike many competitors, Salesforce offers a comprehensive suite of tools tailored for the construction industry. Its cloud-based nature allows for seamless integration with on-site activities, a critical need in construction project management.
Our ratings
Pricing: 2.7/5
General features and interface: 4.5/5
Core features: 4.5/5
Advanced features: 4.2/5
Integration and compatibility: 3.8/5
UX: 4/5
Industry-specific features: 5/5
Gallery Salesforce Tableau integration for clearer data visualization (Source: Salesforce) Медиа: | ↑ |
8. Best Sales Training Programs for 2024Вт, 09 апр [-/+]
Категория(?) Автор(?)
| Advancements in technologies have transformed how people buy and sell. Hence, sales teams must always be updated with the latest trends to remain competitive. That’s when continuous sales training comes into play. Sales training programs increase your knowledge, improve your skills, and build the proper attitude to win more sales. Many tech providers offer sales training and certification that you can leverage to improve your performance and advance your career.
5 of the best sales training programs
Sales training programs can help strengthen your communication skills, establish yourself as a trusted adviser, and deepen your relationships with customers. Become more ethical, an effective listener, an expert negotiator, and a problem-solver by choosing from the best sales training programs below:
Sales Training for High Performing Teams Specialization (HubSpot Academy) by Coursera
The Complete Sales Skills Master Class Sales Marketing B2B by Udemy
Sales Training Program: Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) by NASP
SPIN Selling Training Certification by Huthwaite International
Certified Sales Executive Modules by SMEI
Read more: Best CRM Certificates Courses for 2024
What is a sales training program?
Sales training programs are online self-paced courses (virtual) or on-site (classroom) instructor-led training, designed to help salespeople gain knowledge of theoretical sales concepts and case scenarios. One of the most sought sales training programs is sales enablement training, which equips reps with the tech skills and tools like sales software to improve their knowledge and skills in navigating the sales process.
Sales Training for High Performing Teams Specialization (HubSpot Academy) by Coursera
Coursera offers more than 7,000 online courses and degree programs in different fields. It is also a partner of many highly respected educational institutions and software providers, like HubSpot Academy, the organization behind the Sales Training for High Performing Teams Specialization program.
This four-course specialization series is one of the top sales training programs highly recommended for all types of sales professionals, especially for beginners. Each course progresses from basic selling to mastering sales, where you will learn to coach, train, and manage a sales team for strategic revenue generation.
Sales Training for High Performing Teams Specialization
Program structure
One specialization
Four-course series
Online self-paced learning
Provider
HubSpot through Coursera
Best for
All types of sales professionals looking to improve sales team performance and advance their
sales careers like sales team leaders, sales coaches
Main topics
Building your sales career, techniques for a human-centric sales process, sales team management,
and inbound business strategy
Unique features and benefits
Courses taught in 22 languages
Earn a career certificate directly from HubSpot Academy
Can take the courses in any order (each covers individual subject matter)
Can apply for a scholarship or financial aid
Cost
7-day free trial available, $59/month (cancel anytime) or $399/year (with a 14-day money-back
guarantee)
Program duration
One month at 10 hours per week
Program requirements
No prior experience required
Completion requirement comes with a certification exam
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Visit Coursera
The Complete Sales Skills Master Class Sales Marketing B2B by Udemy
Udemy offers a wide range of sales training programs that many sales teams recognize worldwide. Specifically, The Complete Sales Skills Master Class lets you master business-to-business (B2B) sales, sales funnel creation, and strategic marketing. Instructors will walk you through a 30-hour on-demand video sales training to help you master sales.
The Complete Sales Skills Master Class is one of the best sales courses for anyone interested in sales and sales training, as well as marketing and business development. You can take this training if you want to broaden your knowledge of B2B sales.
The Complete Sales Skills Master Class Sales Marketing B2B
Program structure
On-demand videos (53 sections, 587 lectures)
Online self-paced learning
Provider
Udemy
Best for
All B2B salespeople, including entrepreneurs, consultants, freelancers, CEOs, and account
executives
Main topics
Master sales skills, marketing strategy, B2B sales, business development, lead generation using
top social skills
Unique features and benefits
Full lifetime access
Accessible on mobile and TV
Udemy certificate of completion
Can apply coupon and gift the course
Cost
$75 (all courses at Udemy have a 30-day money-back guarantee)
Program duration
30 hours, 32 minutes
Program requirements
No prior experience required
Completion requirement comes with a certification exam
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Visit Udemy
Sales Training Program: Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) by NASP
The National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP) created this sales training program to transform salespeople into top performers. This six-week online sales certification program provides effective behavioral training and daily conditioning to help you build the best sales habits and apply proven behaviors to stand out from the rest.
The CPSP program’s principles are consistency and commitment. You will learn how to replace ineffective sales behaviors with new effective ones (sales habit programming) to attain your sales goals faster. Upon completing this sales training program, you will be able to apply effective sales strategies and establish an instant alignment with prospective customers through sales enablement content and sales tech resources.
Sales Training Program: Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP)
Program structure
Six weeks of course modules with a final exam
Online self-paced learning
Provider
NASP
Best for
Sales executives, business owners, CEOs, and sales professionals wanting to learn new sales
strategies or looking for promotion as team leaders, coaches, or field supervisors
Main topics
Best communication styles in sales, developing good sales habits
Unique features and benefits
Can choose start date (every Monday)
Flexible payment options
Learn little-known techniques from 20 years of interviewing, modeling, and coaching top 1%
of salespeople worldwide
Cost
$795 (all sales are final, can terminate membership, but no refunds will be granted)
Program duration
Six weeks (average of 20 to 30 minutes per day)
Program requirements
No prior experience required
Complete 45 days of daily modules at 100% completion (a minimum of 80% on time)
Complete the exam with an 80% correct score minimum
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Visit NASP
SPIN Selling Training Certification by Huthwaite International
Huthwaite International developed the SPIN sales training by observing 40,000 B2B sales interactions to determine the best practices of successful sellers. According to the provider, SPIN selling is used worldwide, with 30% of the top 100 companies applying the SPIN methodology to support their sales teams.
In this sales training, you will learn how to build a consistent sales approach, understand how customers make major buying decisions, and overcome objections by applying sales, negotiation, and communication methodologies. Sales managers will learn how to measure sales performance and teach reps how to shorten sales cycles to boost sales.
SPIN Selling Training Certification
Program structure
Seven-week class in an in-person or virtual environment
Self-paced learning
Provider
Huthwaite International
Best for
Salespeople who want to learn the SPIN sales methodology to advance career as a sales rep, sales
manager, or sales executive
Main topics
SPIN methodology for developing a toolkit to handle customer objections, shorten sales cycles,
and measure sales performance
Unique features and benefits
Has its own sales methodology (SPIN model)
Every SPIN trainer is officially licensed
Develop your personalized training plan through the platform
Cost
Contact provider for pricing
Program duration
Seven weeks
Program requirements
No prior experience required
Completion requirement comes with a certification exam
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Visit Huthwaite International
Certified Sales Executive Program Modules by SMEI
This sales training certification program by Sales Marketing Executives International (SMEI) is a combination of video content and slide deck, self-paced learning in three modules intended for sales executives. You can purchase modules individually or as a bundle. After completing each module, you will earn a certificate of completion. Once all modules are completed, you can take the timed and proctored final certification exam online.
Upon passing the final certification exam, you will earn the certified sales executive (CSE) designation, which you can use on your business cards, email signature, and LinkedIn profile. Moreover, you will be granted a digital certification badge that you can use on your portfolio.
Certified Sales Executive Program Modules
Program structure
Three modules or certification courses
Online self-paced learning
All course components include an e-book, videos, and chapter quizzes
Provider
SMEI
Best for
Sales executives, sales managers, and sales leaders wanting to earn the CSE designation to
further elevate their sales portfolio and industry leadership
Main topics
Sales management, sales leadership development, salespeople recruitment, salesforce development,
goal setting, performance monitoring, motivating salespeople, and sales technology like sales enablement software
Unique features and benefits
Purchase modules individually or all together
Earn the CSE designation
Earn a digital certification badge
Cost
$300 base price for each certification course, exam registration fee of $150 (not included in the
course fee)
Program duration
Must complete the modules within one year from the date of module purchase (complete the
certification process and take the final exam)
Program requirements
Preferably with prior experience in sales
Completion requirement comes with a certification exam
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Visit SMEI
Who stands to benefit from sales training certifications?
Sales training programs can greatly benefit salespeople across all levels of the organization. Aspiring and seasoned sales reps learn about the sales process and build their sales skills. They learn the best practices for handling customer objections and shortening sales cycles. Moreover, salespeople better understand how customers make major buying decisions and ways to enhance customer satisfaction.
Specifically, sales training programs help:
Sales reps: As you earn more sales certificates, you increase your credibility and portfolio impact among sales executives and business owners. Your certifications reflect your knowledge and skills, as well as excellent sales habits acquired.
Sales leaders and executives: They acquire valuable insights that can guide them in strategic mapping and decision-making. Sales training teaches them how to measure and analyze performance and adopt good selling behaviors from top agents through best practice sharing and use case discussions.
Sales territory planners and directors: Sales training can help them build a coherent sales approach that creates value for their customers.
Read more: Reasons to Get a Salesforce Certification
Why is sales training important for your business?
Sales training is one of the core sales management activities that can help your business accelerate sales and overall revenue growth. Sales reps and managers must be equipped with relevant, up-to-date, and accurate information on how to develop their prospecting and selling skills, attain their quotas, and improve their overall sales performance.
The best sales training programs teach salespeople effective sales strategies to prospect more qualified leads and close more deals, especially if you’re expanding or adding sales territories. Moreover, the best sales training programs can help sales leaders stay updated with the latest trends in sales performance monitoring and sales management, such as technologies for artificial intelligence (AI) for sales enablement and customer relationship management (CRM).
Read more: What is Sales Enablement Content? Examples, Types Strategy
Tips best practices for implementing sales training programs
Advance your sales career by investing in the best sales training programs. Here are some tips and best practices to help you kickstart your sales training journey:
Focus on sales training programs that build your selling skills
Many sales professionals, especially new sales reps, get nervous when presenting their sales pitches or product demos. While it is normal to feel this way, allowing anxiousness to take over will reduce your credibility as a salesperson.
The best sales training programs have practice lessons, live demonstrations, or scenario-based training. These are important in building the right selling skills and behaviors to overcome objections and improve their performance.
Differentiate sales training for new seasoned sales professionals
While most sales training courses are open to anyone who wants to land a job in sales or improve their selling skills, differentiating a program for new and seasoned sales professionals is important. In that way, the sales training program will be able to address your unique challenges for more effective learning and real-life application.
For instance, if you are a sales executive or manager, pick a sales certification course that can give you additional or higher credentials than what you already have. While high-level sales training modules are more expensive and lengthy, they provide great value because you earn additional designations that you can use for your portfolio.
Choose a sales training program that fits your industry requirements
Sales professionals have varying roles and responsibilities across industries. Business-to-customer (B2C) sales, like retail sales, differ from business-to-business (B2B) sales such as software or tech solution sales. Find a sales certification course that aligns with your industry for prompt application and the best outcomes.
Stay updated with your industry trends, such as the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in customer relationship management (CRM) systems for tech sales, ecommerce, or your specific niche. This will help you determine the most appropriate sales training program to take for advancing your career or boosting your sales.
Select a sales training program with career growth opportunities
Sales professionals who want to advance their careers should factor in the milestones or career growth opportunities that that program offers. If you are a sales rep, assess if the sales certification course provides relevant training that builds on-the-job sales skills that interest sales managers and sales executives.
We highly recommend taking sales training courses that offer certification, degree opportunities, badges, or gamified rewards.
Finding the right solution for your business
Sales training provides enormous benefits in terms of customer and management points of view. Because the sales process is a common language among organizations, there must be a continuous learning action plan to guarantee success. Sales experts and tech providers have created the best sales training programs in the market with years of industry experience. Your sales team can leverage these sales training programs to bolster your sales with immense velocity.
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Featured Partners: Sales Software
1
Fireberry
Visit website
Fireberry is an all inclusive and customizable platform made to centralize all your business needs. Expedite your processes and pipelines with automations and data analytics. Work comfortably and efficiently to manage all your business needs and up your revenue.
Learn more about Fireberry
2
CrankWheel
Visit website
Share your screen friction-free with prospects in seconds. CrankWheel adds screen sharing capabilities to any phone call and your prospects can see your screen instantly from any device without installing an app.
CrankWheel is ideal for remote sales when you need visuals to support your pitch. CrankWheel is used for life and health insurance sales, solar sales, selling digital marketing to small businesses, financial planning, and home services.
Learn more about CrankWheel
3
Pipedrive
Visit website
Kick your sales into gear. In sales, spreadsheets and email tools are only a baseline. To drive sales consistently, you need more advanced software solutions.
Sales software –or a sales platform ?– is a centralized sales hub that’s designed to empower salespeople to collaborate, optimize their sales process and forecast sales cycles. And that’s not all – a sales platform is excellent for enhancing the customer journey and customer experience, generating new business and reducing overall costs.
Learn more about Pipedrive
FAQs
Which are the best sales training programs?
Sales Training for High Performing Teams Specialization (HubSpot Academy) by Coursera and Udemy’s The Complete Sales Skills Master Class Sales Marketing B2B are two of the best sales training programs that can help improve your sales performance.
How can I choose the right sales training program for my career?
Get certified and advance your sales career by choosing a sales training program created by highly respected online learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy with a curriculum that provides hands-on or application opportunities for learners.
About the author
Lorraine Daisy Resuello is a specialist at Fit Small Business who focuses on Sales and Customer Service topics. She also lends her content expertise to other sites, including TA.com. Before joining FSB, she worked as a freelance writer covering technology, digital marketing, and business topics. She collaborated with companies in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Singapore, and the Philippines. Additionally, she has experience in customer service in business process outsourcing (BPO). At present, she uses her decade-long writing experience to provide FSB readers with the best answers to their questions.
The post Best Sales Training Programs for 2024 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice. Медиа: | ↑ |
9. Best Accounts Payable Software for 2024Пн, 08 апр [-/+]
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| Here are our top six best accounts payable software catering to specific business needs:
QuickBooks Online is our overall best accounts payable (A/P) software with complete accounting features.
Pyrus is best for businesses seeking affordable A/P software with built-in communication tools.
Stampli is best for businesses relying on enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.
MineralTree is best for businesses paying vendors with virtual cards.
Approval Donkey is best for Xero users.
Concur Invoice by SAP Concur is best for companies with employees who often travel for business.
Methodology
We reviewed and evaluated the best accounts payable software in terms of their capabilities to manage and track bills. We also looked into advanced features, such as recurring bill and expense setup, customizable A/P approval workflows, and a mobile app for entering bills and capturing expense receipts on the go. Furthermore, we considered other factors, such as ease of use, pricing, and customer support.
Update notes
Apr. 8, 2024: Mark Calatrava rewrote the page based on his objective, research-driven evaluation of the best accounts payable software.
Show more
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Comparison of best accounts payable software
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Price per month
Key Features
Learn More
QuickBooks Online
$30 to $200
• QuickBooks Bill Pay• Check printing• Recurring bills and expenses
Visit QuickBooks
Pyrus
$0, $15 per user, or custom priced
• Customizable workflows• Optical character recognition (OCR) invoice reader• Mobile app
Visit Pyrus
Stampli
Custom priced
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integrations• Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered• Advanced vendor management
Visit Stampli
MineralTree
Custom priced
• Virtual card payment option• Two- or three-way auto purchase order (PO) matching• Payment authorization
Visit MineralTree
Approval Donkey
$0 or $19
• Xero integration• Workflow creation• Unlimited member setup
Visit Approval Donkey
Concur Invoice
Custom priced
• Integrated travel and expense features• Duplicate invoice detection• Advanced analytics
Visit Concur Invoice
Need additional options? See our roundup of the best business accounting software for recommendations.
QuickBooks Online: Best A/P software with complete accounting features
Pros
Complete accounting solution with built-in A/P features.
Supports recurring bills and expenses.
Lets you print checks to pay vendor bills.
Native bill pay tool.
Includes a mobile app for capturing expense receipts.
Cons
Can be expensive and impractical, especially if you only A/P features.
Bill pay requires an upgrade.
Doesn’t let you enter bills through the mobile app.
Visit QuickBooks
Key features
Complete accounting: You can use QuickBooks Online to manage other aspects of your business, such as invoicing, income and expense tracking, and financial reporting.
Check printing: If your vendor requires paper checks, then you can print checks directly from the QuickBooks platform.
Recurring bills and expenses: If you have ongoing monthly bills and expenses like electricity and rent payments, QuickBooks Online allows you to set up recurring transactions so you won’t have to create them every month manually.
Pricing
QuickBooks Online offers four plans — and you need at least the Essentials plan to be able to pay bills:
Simple Start: $30 per month; supports one user.
Essentials: $60 per month; supports up to three users.
Plus: $90 per month; supports up to five users.
Advanced: $200 per month; supports up to 25 users.
You can either sign up for a 30-day free trial or purchase right away and receive a 50% discount for three months.
Use cases
Businesses seeking a complete accounting solution: Instead of using separate software programs to manage your payables and other aspects of your business, you can use QuickBooks as a single solution.
Companies working with independent contractors: QuickBooks Online provides 1099 reporting tools to help you manage your tax reporting obligations for payments made to contractors, freelancers, and other nonemployee workers.
Businesses looking for expedited payments for vendors: For an additional fee, QuickBooks provides expedited automated clearing house (ACH) payments, usually by the next business day. This is great if your vendors need quick access to their funds.
Why we chose QuickBooks Online
If you don’t want to use separate tools to manage your accounting and payables, then we strongly recommend QuickBooks. Its Plus and Advanced plans include robust A/P features, including the ability to manage vendors, enter and pay bills, track unpaid bills, and create recurring expenses.
One of the best features of QuickBooks that make it one of our best accounts payable solutions is QuickBooks Bill Pay. It captures vendor invoices automatically and allows you to pay your bills directly from the QuickBooks Online platform, set up approval workflows, and process payments via ACH or checks. You can also file and issue 1099s for free depending on your subscription.
QuickBooks Online also provides other accounting features, including A/R management, banking, project accounting, inventory, and cost of goods sold (COGS) tracking. And despite its extensive feature set, QuickBooks Online is easy to use, though you may need some time and practice to get the hang of it. If you need help along the way, you can contact support through phone and live chat.
If you think QuickBooks Online isn’t for your business, then head to our list of the best QuickBooks alternatives for small and midsize businesses (SMBs).
Pyrus: Best affordable A/P software with communication tools
Pros
Built-in team messaging tool.
More affordable than most similar A/P software.
Unlimited A/P transactions in all paid plans.
Integrates with accounting and ERP software.
Uses OCR Invoice Reader for a more efficient invoicing scanning and data extraction.
Cons
Excludes A/P features from the free plan.
OCR Invoice Reader requires an additional fee.
A/P forms aren’t very customizable.
Visit pyrus
Key features
Customizable A/P workflows: You can create and customize your vendor invoice approval workflows based on factors, like the invoice amount, department, and vendor category.
OCR Invoice Reader: This feature scans invoices and creates digital data out of them. The data is then populated automatically into the appropriate A/P fields within Pyrus.
Mobile app: Approvers can review and approve invoices from their smartphones through the Pyrus mobile app.
Pricing
Pyrus offers three subscription options:
Free: $0; includes task management features and supports an unlimited number of users
Form Pro: $15 per user per month; includes all features in the free version plus A/P features
Enterprise: Custom priced; includes enhanced features, such as access to a dedicated customer success manager
Use cases
Companies with a remote workforce: If you have remote employees involved in your A/P workflows, then you can communicate with them easily through Pyrus’ messaging tool.
Organizations that operate in highly regulated industries: Specialized industries, such as healthcare, finance, and government contractors, can set up audit trails and security controls that comply with regulatory requirements.
Businesses working with multiple vendors: You can fill out an unlimited number of A/P forms when you upgrade to a paid plan.
Why we chose Pyrus
Pyrus is primarily a workflow management tool; thus, it includes excellent built-in communication tools. Its Form Pro plan includes A/P management workflows that are useful for A/P teams that work remotely. It allows you to create and assign tasks to team members through Kanban boards and track them until they are completed.
You can also message team members using the built-in messaging tool instead of being overwhelmed by notifications. Simply put, it allows you to track tasks and communicate with members in one place.
While Pyrus’ free plan lacks A/P features, we believe that its Form Pro plan is generally affordable for most small businesses. For as low as $15 monthly per user, you can create unlimited forms, including invoices, POs, and expense reports. Also, just like most other A/P solutions, it uses OCR technology for more efficient scanning of invoices.
In terms of ease of use, we like that Pyrus has a simple user interface (UI) that is easy to navigate. From the dashboard, you can create items, such as task assignments, invoice submissions, invoice approval requests, and expense reports easily. If you need help, you can contact support via email in the free plan or upgrade to a paid subscription to access priority support over the phone.
Stampli: Best A/P software for businesses relying on ERP solutions
Pros
Integrates with over 70 ERP tools
Automates A/P workflows with an AI technology called Billy the Bot
Helps with vendor onboarding
Automatically tracks vendor expiration
Cons
Doesn’t disclose pricing information; can be potentially expensive
Can be complicated for new users
Doesn’t offer expedited ACH payments
Visit stampli
Key features
ERP integrations: Stampli connects to over 70 ERP solutions, including your favorite tools, like Acumatica, Oracle, Microsoft, and Sage.
Billy the Bot: This AI tool uses machine learning to capture and extract data from electronic and paper receipts and understand all line types, such as charges and fixed assets.
Advanced vendor management: Stampli allows you to collect and manage vendor information and store and organize documents, like vendor contracts and W-9 forms. It also includes a vendor portal where vendors and suppliers can view and track the status of their bills easily.
Pricing
Stampli’s prices aren’t published on its website, so you need to contact the provider to request a customized quote or detailed pricing information.
Use cases
Business managing high transaction volumes: Larger teams dealing with high transaction volumes often need ERP solutions to handle their operations. With its seamless ERP integrations, Stampli allows you to manage a large number of invoices, all while keeping other financial transactions organized.
Businesses with distributed financial management structures: Stampli supports A/P management for businesses with multiple locations, subsidiaries, currencies, and tax structures.
Companies that often pay bills partially: When paying bills, Stampli provides the flexibility to adjust the payment amount when needed.
Why we chose Stampli
Businesses with extensive financial operations often rely on ERP software to manage various workflows, including procurement and inventory management. If you’re among them, you can seamlessly integrate your existing tool with Stampli. Unlike other A/P solutions, Stampli supports native integrations with more than 70 ERPs — and the best part is that you don’t have to execute complex configurations and data mapping, so you can get started as soon as possible.
Powered by AI, Stampli remembers past customer and vendor transactions, so it knows what to do the next time you process similar transactions. It also includes advanced vendor management capabilities, such as the ability to manage vendor onboarding, communication, and documentation.
On the downside, Stampli isn’t as easy to use as other similar software like Pyrus given that it’s a full-featured software. It offers a wide range of features and data reports, which can be initially overwhelming for new users, so there might be a learning curve. To assist you with any questions or problems, you can email Stampli’s customer support team or browse through Help Center articles.
If you’re looking for an alternative ERP solution, consider Workday ERP or NetSuite ERP. Learn how the two programs stack up in our Workday ERP vs NetSuite ERP comparison.
MineralTree: Best for businesses paying vendors with virtual cards
Pros
Offers a virtual card payment option that earns rebates
Uses two- or three-way auto PO matching to automate reconciliations
Lets you customize invoice approval workflows with automated reminders
Tracks essential key performance indicators (KPIs), such as invoice aging and payment mix
Cons
Doesn’t disclose pricing information; reportedly more expensive than similar software
Doesn’t allow international payment transfers
Lacks A/P aging reports
Visit mineraltree
Key features
SilverPay: MineralTree allows you to pay your vendors through virtual cards, which are considered to be faster than ACH payments. A virtual card is a unique 16-digit number and it allows your team to specify amounts to your suppliers based on your contract or agreements.
Two-way or three-way auto PO matching: This feature allows you to reconcile POs automatically with their corresponding invoices to ensure consistency in your A/P workflows.
Payment authorization: After invoices are reviewed, they go through designated team members to verify the accuracy of payment details before getting paid.
Pricing
The provider doesn’t disclose pricing information on its website but, according to a third-party website, prices start at $200 per month. You need to contact MineralTree directly to request a customized quote.
Use cases
Businesses heavily relying on online purchases: Businesses that often purchase goods online can benefit from the convenience offered by MineralTree’s virtual credit card payment option.
Businesses with a large inventory: The two-way or three-way auto PO matching feature is beneficial for companies with a large inventory, as it helps ensure that the prices and quantities listed on invoices match with what you originally ordered and received.
A/P teams with busy departments: If your A/P teams have multiple responsibilities and competing priorities, then the ability to set up automated reminders can help prevent payment delays.
Why we chose MineralTree
We believe MineralTree is a great accounts payable system, especially for companies that often pay vendors with virtual cards — thanks to its virtual card payment option, SilverPay. Companies can use this service to automate their A/P workflows while earning rewards from every payment.
Virtual cards are sent to your vendors through email, and they are processed just like credit cards. If your vendors don’t accept virtual cards, then there’s no problem, as MineralTree also supports ACH and check payments.
MineralTree helps automate your overall A/P workflows with advanced features, such as invoice capture, customized invoice approval workflows, payment optimization, and A/P analytics. It can also detect duplicate invoices and payments easily.
Additionally, it has a customizable dashboard with pretty impressive graphs and charts for reporting. It may take time to master the features, but we believe you can find your way around easily in less than a week. Also, we like that users can contact customer support over the phone.
Approval Donkey: Best for Xero users
Pros
Has a direct integration with Xero accounting software
Lets you invite as many members as needed, even in the free plan
Allows you to set up single-step or multistep workflows
Enables you to choose who must approve invoices
Cons
Doesn’t integrate with other accounting software, like QuickBooks Online
Has a limited feature set compared to other software
Doesn’t allow you to create and customize workflows in the free plan
Cannot be used to pay bills — only approve for payment
Visit approval donkey
Key features
Xero integration: Approval Donkey partners directly with Xero to provide a combined solution for managing payables and other accounting tasks, such as invoicing, project accounting, and inventory management.
Workflow creation: The program allows you to create approval workflows or “panels” by setting up rules and conditions for routing invoices to the appropriate approvers.
Unlimited member setup: You can set up as many members as needed in both the free and paid plan. In other similar software, you usually have to pay an additional fee for each member.
Pricing
Approval Donkey offers two subscription plans:
Member: Free; can receive and respond to approval requests but can’t create workflows
Plus: $19 per month; ideal for admins needing to create and customize workflows
You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of the Plus plan with no credit card required.
Use cases
Xero users: You can integrate Approval Donkey with your Xero account to enable enhanced A/P features, like the ability to automate and track all approval, sign-off, and decision requests.
A/P teams with multiple members: If multiple people are involved in your A/P processes but aren’t required to create workflows, then you might find the free plan sufficient.
Why we chose Approval Donkey
If you are currently using Xero for accounting and want to further enhance your A/P processes, then Approval Donkey is an ideal software for A/P. It highlights its direct integration with Xero and provides many useful features, such as customized workflows for various types of A/P transactions.
With Approval Donkey, you can set up as many workflows as needed so that all your bills, expenses, and invoices will be forwarded to the right people for approval. Once they are approved, they are synced back automatically to Xero awaiting payments from your vendors.
Approval Donkey isn’t as feature-rich as other software like Stampli, but it’s one of the easiest-to-use A/P tools we’ve reviewed. It has a minimalistic dashboard that you can probably master in just a day. Unfortunately, the provider has very limited customer support options; you can contact support only through an online form.
Concur Invoice: Best for companies with employees who often travel for business
Pros
Tracks business expenses and travel costs in one place
Can flag duplicate invoices easily
Provides analytics tools to help you stay on top of expenses
Integrates with numerous payment providers
Cons
Doesn’t disclose pricing details publicly
Requires additional fees to use integrated travel cost tracking features
Has no built-in communication tools
Visit SAP
Key features
Integrated travel cost tracking: Concur Invoice integrates with Concur Travel to help you manage and track expenses incurred by your employees when traveling for business purposes.
Duplicate invoice detection: When an invoice is uploaded in Concur Invoice, the program compares the extracted data with existing invoices stored in the system. If a potential duplicate is detected, it alerts the right person so that they can take necessary actions.
Advanced analytics: Whether you need to analyze expenses by vendor reports or travel patterns and trends, Concur Invoice provides the tools you need to do so.
Pricing
Concur Invoice’s pricing information isn’t published on the provider’s website, so you need to contact the sales team to request a customized quote. For an additional fee, you can integrate Concur Invoice with Concur Travel to enable travel management and cost tracking features. Just like Concur Invoice, Concur Travel is quote-based, so contact the provider if you’re interested.
Use cases
Companies with employees who often travel for work: Businesses like consulting firms and sales and marketing agencies can benefit from Concur Invoice’s integrated travel management and tracking features.
Businesses that accept plenty of invoices daily: It’s easy to miss duplicate invoices, especially when dealing with a high volume of invoices each day. Concur Invoice can automate invoice processing, helping you avoid duplicate invoices and payments.
Why we chose Concur Invoice
If you have employees who travel for business purposes frequently, then you may find Concur Invoice by SAP Concur a good fit. It has built-in travel and expense management features, including the ability to manage travel bookings and populate them automatically into expense reports. This means your employees can submit their travel-related expenses and get reimbursed easily.
With Concur Invoice, you can capture and scan printed, mailed, and faxed invoices to populate payment requests automatically. Also, you can create customized workflows so that invoices are approved by the right employee before they get paid.
One of the best parts about Concur Invoice is that it is relatively easy to use. We appreciate the Invoice Manager, which includes links to important daily tasks. It also has a modernized Unassigned Invoices screen that is easy to understand, even for beginners. Those who need help can contact support through live chat or phone support.
How to choose the best accounts payable software
When choosing the best accounts payable software, we looked into several factors, including ease of use, affordability, invoice processing efficiency, and customer support. We also evaluated whether these accounts payable platforms seamlessly integrate with other business apps, most especially accounting and ERP solutions:
Choose QuickBooks Online if you’re seeking complete accounting software with robust A/P features.
Consider Pyrus if you’re looking for affordable A/P software with built-in communication tools.
Check out Stampli if your business heavily relies on ERP solutions.
Select MineralTree if you often pay vendors with virtual cards.
Go with Approval Donkey if you’re using Xero and want to enhance its A/P features.
Select Concur Invoice by SAP Concur if you have employees who often travel for business.
If you still can’t find what you need, explore our list of the best small business accounting software for more options.
About the author
Mark has been writing for Fit Small Business (owned by TechnologyAdvice) for 5 years and has covered 50+ accounting software for small businesses and niche industries. He contributes to TAcom and TechRepublic, both owned by TechnologyAdvice.
With in-depth knowledge of important features of accounting software, he creates insightful content. Also, as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, he has extensive knowledge of QuickBooks, allowing him to write content that educates businesses on maximizing its benefits.
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Featured partners
1
QuickBooks
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QuickBooks from Intuit is a small business accounting software that allows companies to manage business anywhere, anytime. It presents organizations with a clear view of their profits without manual work and provides smart and user-friendly tools for the business.
Learn more about QuickBooks
2
Acumatica Cloud ERP
Visit website
Acumatica Cloud ERP offers powerful finance and business intelligence tools to streamline company-wide accounting processes. Track costs, control billing, and manage time/expenses with multi-currency support and powerful financial reports. Acumatica makes real-time financial data available anytime, anywhere, on any device. Harness this data to make informed accounting decisions, reduce workloads, close the books faster, accelerate growth, and transform how you do business in the digital economy.
Learn more about Acumatica Cloud ERP
3
Oracle NetSuite
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NetSuite cloud financials and accounting software helps finance leaders design, transform and streamline their processes and operations. NetSuite seamlessly couples core finance and accounting functions, which improves business performance while reducing back-office costs. With real-time access to live financial data, you can quickly drill into details to quickly resolve delays and generate statements and disclosures that comply multiple regulatory financial compliance requirements.
Learn more about Oracle NetSuite
Browse all accounting software ->
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10. Succession Planning ExamplesПн, 08 апр [-/+]
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| Key takeaways
Succession planning is the act of developing long- and short-term strategies to fill critical roles when they become vacant.
Both SMBs and enterprise organizations need effective succession plans to maintain business continuity during organizational changes.
Formalized training and development programs prepare emerging leaders to step into leadership positions when the time comes.
Update notes
Apr. 8, 2024: Shelby Hiter restructured the content for improved readability, expanded the definition of succession planning, and provided additional examples of succession planning in a SMB context. She also added information about the requirements and best practices for effective succession planning.
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Top succession planning examples
Because there are so many different scenarios for which succession planning is necessary, it can be difficult to know the best way to approach succession planning for your organization. Most succession plans generally fall into one of three categories: long-term/target-date plans, training-based plans, and situational/emergency plans.
Long-term succession planning
Long-term succession planning focuses on identifying and preparing someone for a role long before it is actually open.
Because of the gradual training that goes into this type of succession planning, it primarily focuses on developing and promoting individuals from within the existing ranks. In many cases, this type of succession planning begins with hiring someone for a role that comes with well-defined opportunities for advancement.
Sometimes, long-term succession planning is motivated by a clear timeframe for a position s vacancy. For example, if you know your CEO is planning to retire in two years, you know exactly how long you have to identify and develop their successor.
In most cases, though, long-term succession planning does not have a firm deadline; the strategy is in place to provide an onramp for the next leader to step into each role with as little disruption as possible.
Requirements for long-term succession planning
For long-term succession planning to be successful, business leaders must recognize, train, and nurture high performers over time to set them and the organization up for success. That way, when the opportunity arises to take on a key role, that individual is well prepared to assume their new responsibilities.
This strategy takes time, but it’s much easier the sooner a company recognizes the potential of high-performing employees and implements development pathways. Long-term succession planning requires a number of ingredients that maximize employee retention:
A supportive company culture with competitive benefits.
Performance and talent management tools that help managers identify top internal talent early on.
Robust learning and development programs that are personalized to employees’ goals and strengths.
Regular transparent communications and performance reviews that give high performers a chance to receive feedback and learn more about the organization’s plans for them.
If no internal candidates make sense for the role, HR and recruitment teams will need to spend time defining the role’s key responsibilities and completing outreach efforts with eligible candidates.
A succession plan template may also be a helpful tool to keep your long-term plans organized, even as other organizational variables change.
Though it requires sustained effort, long-term succession planning is more effective than getting caught off guard by someone leaving and scrambling to train an employee to take their place.
Long-term succession plan example
The CEO of your organization has announced to the rest of their leadership team that they plan to retire in four years when they turn 65. Before this announcement, the CEO has already documented their responsibilities, their preferred successor(s), important points of contact, and any other information the organization may need to manage change across the organization and with client relationships.
Ideally, the CEO s preferred successor has already started receiving mentorship and guidance to prepare them for the role. Your HR team uses the succession plan to identify additional development opportunities and works with the successor to create a four-year plan that will enable a smooth transition.
As a fail safe, the succession plan also clarifies if and when the talent acquisition team should start reviewing external candidates for the role. If it becomes clear the tentative successor isn t right for the role, a list of backup options ensures the company s sustained success regardless of who ultimately takes over as CEO.
Use our complete guide to employee development plans and free template download to get started!
Training-based succession planning
Your learning and development or HR team can create an internal educational academy or e-learning program, complete with a curriculum that trains and develops employees as future leaders in the company. This kind of formal training accelerates employees’ progress toward professional goals and helps them prepare to advance in their roles once they complete the training.
Formalized, training-based succession planning also supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by helping employees get promoted into leadership roles based on merit and a demonstrated commitment to growth and development. Without a structured training program in place, managers biases may cause them to choose successors based on who’s a longstanding or favored member of their team rather than who is most qualified.
Training employees across teams and experience levels provides more employees with a chance to progress in their career trajectory — not just those employees who work closest to the C-suite. Ultimately, this strategy increases the pool of quality candidates to build a pipeline for important roles.
Requirements for training-based succession planning
To successfully implement an education-based succession planning program, it’s important to do the following:
Create a training program that balances general leadership and more specialized skills.
Give all employees an equal opportunity to access training and development opportunities.
Incorporate regular assessments and performance reviews into the training cycle.
Ensure training and certification programs are included as milestones in your role-banding and promotional paths.
Invest in a learning management system (LMS) that allows employees to take charge of their own growth opportunities.
Also read: LMS Features You Need for a Great E-Learning Program
Training-based succession plan example
Your small B2B technology marketing agency has traditionally focused on digital marketing campaigns and content strategy, but your leadership team wants to establish an additional revenue stream by developing a proprietary software product. Many members of your team know this market well but don t have direct product development, marketing, or sales experience.
Instead of creating an entire team of net-new hires to support this new business initiative, your leadership team has decided to start an internal training program to prepare selected individuals to transition to product team roles, including:
Product designer.
Product strategist.
Product marketing specialist.
Product account executive.
With this training program, internal members of your team are given an exciting opportunity to learn new skills, advance their careers, and use their institutional knowledge to help onboard other product team members.
Situational or emergency succession planning
Not all role and leadership transitions can be planned: An important executive may suddenly need to take an extended leave of absence for medical or family reasons. A CEO may suddenly choose to or be asked to step down for the good of the company. A new federal or industry regulation may require you to bring on a compliance management professional on short notice.
In these types of scenarios, an emergency succession plan is the best way to stabilize your company through the turbulence.
Both situational and long-term succession plans acknowledge the fact that every person at the company will leave their roles eventually; the difference is that a situational succession plan is a contingency if the details of when and how someone exits diverge from the original plan.
Requirements for situational or emergency succession planning
Because this type of succession planning is rooted in the unknown, it’s impossible to prepare for every possible scenario. Like all good contingency plans, however, preparation involves identifying key figures at a high level and defining an order of operations that can go into effect automatically:
Identify the roles that are critical to business operations — CEOs, VPs, department heads, etc. — and document each role s core responsibilities and job functions.
Determine which individuals or groups are most equipped to cover each responsibility short-term, and provide training/resources as needed.
Assemble an emergency response team who will coordinate to find a long-term solution.
Prepare detailed documentation that references other emergency response plans for health and safety, public relations, client relations, etc.
Emergency succession plan example
Your organization’s marketing director has suddenly become ill and needs to take a leave of absence for a couple of weeks to recover. The emergency succession plan outlines their core responsibilities, such as approving budgets, reporting departmental performance to the CEO, and supervising team leads.
The plan also identifies who should cover these duties while they re away: the finance director coordinates budget approvals, the SEO team lead prepares departmental reports for the CEO, the HR manager sets up regular staff check-ins to address administrative needs, and other essential responsibilities are distributed across the team.
There are also specifications for other variables, like hiring an interim replacement if the director s medical leave is extended or consulting an external firm about high-level marketing strategy changes.
Succession planning FAQs
What is succession planning?
Succession planning is the process of ensuring that critical positions — especially those that are highly specialized and further up the ladder — are always staffed. It s a change management strategy that involves identifying the unique requirements for each essential role and proactively upskilling employees so they re ready to advance when the time is right.
Forward-thinking succession planning is essential to sustained growth, business continuity, risk management, employee engagement, and retention efforts. However, as companies strategically train employees for future roles, managers need to ensure that employees receive the active support they require to avoid employee burnout.
Who is involved in succession planning?
Depending on the type of succession plan you implement and the goals you have in mind, many people will play a role in succession planning for your organization:
Executive leaders.
HR teams.
Learning and development teams.
Individual managers.
Third-party consultants.
Why is succession planning important?
Companies need to take inevitable turnover into account and have a succession plan in place to keep critical roles filled. A succession plan can help maintain growth and stability as well as encourage retention and career development for motivated employees.
Succession planning prepares the company for the loss of key personnel in a strategic and scalable way. The benefits of this preparation include:
Business resilience no matter the economic climate.
Continued operations with minimal downtime or transitional hiccups.
Equitable workloads, so other employees aren’t overburdened by taking over additional tasks as a result of a vacancy.
More objective hiring and promotion standards and expectations that help to mitigate unconscious bias.
More diverse workforce and leadership makeup.
Higher employee retention and engagement
How to make succession planning work for your organization
Succession planning can be a tedious and complex process, especially if your organization is creating different plans for different roles simultaneously. However, the training and strategic work that goes into succession planning pays off in the long run, giving your business leaders the peace of mind to “pass the torch” if necessary. It also provides clear tracks for employees to advance their careers — a critical factor in employee engagement and retention.The most important ingredient for any succession plan is time and investment in top talent. Browse our lists of top human capital management (HCM) software and top candidate relationship management software to start your succession planning process today.
About the author
Shelby Hiter has worked as a technology editor and writer for TechRepublic, LinuxToday, Webopedia and SoftwarePundit, among other sites in the TechnologyAdvice portfolio. Her work has also appeared in online publications such as eSecurity Planet, Datamation, Enterprise Networking Planet, CIO Insight, AllBusiness.com, and SiteProNews. Beyond B2B content strategy and editing, she also specializes in marketing and communication strategies and the occasional photo collage of her dog.
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Featured HR software partners
1
GoCo
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Elevate your HR with a modern, easy-to-use HRIS designed for small businesses. GoCo is a secure, compliant hub for sending, digitally signing, and organizing your sensitive HR documents and data. Manage records, performance, time off, onboarding, benefits, and more – all in one place. With the best support in the industry, every GoCo customer is assigned a dedicated Customer Success Team that is readily available to provide guidance and ensure a smooth and reliable HRIS experience.
Learn more about GoCo
2
Paycor
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Paycor’s HR software modernizes every aspect of people management, which saves leaders time and gives them the powerful analytics they need to build winning teams. Paycor provides a full suite of HCM solutions with a single source of truth for employee data, so users never have to switch platforms, log-in to multiple systems, re-key data or open multiple spreadsheets. Everyday processes become simplified, allowing organizations to focus on their most important work.
Learn more about Paycor
3
TalentHR
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TalentHR is a fresh take on HRIS, an all-in-one tool built for HR success. It’s fully customizable and features time-off tracking, custom fields, employee onboarding, performance reviews, and job applicant tracking (ATS) that’ll alleviate all your HR analytics worries. Leave complex HR tools behind and focus on what matters most, your people. No IT skills required, all at a reasonable price. TalentHR is a product of Epignosis, the company that 11,000+ businesses trust for their HR and L&D needs.
Learn more about TalentHR
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