Salesforce sales cloud gives your team access to a centralized database of leads and customers that is accessible on any device. This information allows them to monitor customer behavior and purchase patterns more effectively.
Furthermore, it allows users to generate customized reports, charts, and dashboards. This makes it simpler for them to interpret the data and make informed decisions.
1. Identify Your Business Drivers
Create a successful strategy for cloud sales by first recognizing your business drivers. This can be tricky since these can differ from business to business and depend on current conditions.
Identification of these drivers will enable you to focus on your cloud sales initiative and avoid conflicts. Furthermore, these drivers can be utilized for supporting business growth as well as improving the customer experience.
2. Understand Your Competition
Selling cloud services is an increasingly competitive market. To stand out, you need to leverage both uniqueness and expertise.
One way to stay ahead of the competition is by offering a proof of concept (PoC). This crucial step in designing an application that works on cloud infrastructure allows you to test out your ideas in a secure, controlled setting.
Another option is creating bundles tailored to specific customer needs and potential future ones. Doing this can increase revenue and foster a long-lasting relationship with them.
The key to successful service offering is making your products and services easy to buy, manage, and bill. Automated billing is the ideal solution to accomplish this objective as it prevents revenue leakage while improving customer experience.
3. Offer a Proof of Concept
The cloud provides a unique revenue model compared to traditional software sales. Instead of beginning new contracts at a loss, customers pay a fixed fee to the cloud provider and receive exactly the service they need.
Demonstrating the value of your solution requires offering a proof-of-concept (POC). To do this, create an environment in which clients can test and become acquainted with your software.
Cloud-based Proof of Concept (POC) can help you meet and surpass client expectations by letting them try out your software in a sandbox environment that replicates their actual situation. This gives you an opportunity to demonstrate how your PoC will solve their specific business issues, increasing the likelihood that adoption will follow suit.
4. Demonstrate the Value of Your Solution
Success in cloud sales requires customers to see the value of your solution. Customers want to feel like they’re getting their money’s worth and developing a long-term relationship with your company.
To prove your expertise and create value for the customer, the most efficient method is through a proof of concept or short-term pilot project. This will enable you to demonstrate your abilities without committing to an extensive contract.
With long-term cloud solutions, creating long-term value is especially critical to reduce churn and boost LTV. A proof of concept done at the right place and time will help you demonstrate the benefit of your solution, grow revenue over customer lifetime, and determine if the customer fits well into your business model.
5. Create Long-Term Value
Cloud sales are an integral component of any solution provider’s business plan. They present an invaluable chance to create recurring income streams through effective advice and value-add services.
Traditional sales models focus on acquiring new customers, while cloud sales require a longer-term strategy. Since cloud customers tend to be harder to retain, it is essential to build relationships and gain market share through customer lifecycle marketing.
As your partner relationship progresses, it’s important to encourage the cloud program by offering monetization thresholds that reward partners for desired behaviors, market share or depth of cloud consumption. Incentives can help cloud partners reach their own business targets and ensure both parties achieve success.
