How to make an effective digital sales book?

By Frédéric Poulet

In News Salesapps, Marketing, Technical

A real sales aid for your sales reps, the sales book is the salesperson's bible. Formerly made up of paper sheets contained in a binder, the sales book is going digital! Salespeople can now present their products in a more fluid way, create and distribute personalized content that's updated in real time, and train themselves continuously... SalesApps explains the uses, advantages and production of an effective digital sales book.

Summary:

1. What is a digital sales book?
   1. Definition
2. What is the purpose of a digital sales book?
   1. Content creation and distribution
   2. Real-time content updates
   3. Fluidity of exchanges with customers
3. Advantages of the digital sales book vs. paper
   1. An inclusive exchange
   2. Immediate responses
   3. Personalized content
   4. An offer that can be modified online
   5. Ongoing interactive training
4. How to make an effective Digital Sales Book?
   1. The different types of commercial book
      1. Products
      2. Services
      3. Consultants
   2. What to put in your sales book?
      1. The product catalog
      2. Commercial characteristics
      3. Product / service pitches
      4. Presentation of the company
      5. Interactive content
      6. Solution selling
   3. One part dedicated to customers, the other to sales reps
5. Conclusion: what to remember

What is a digital sales book?

Definition: The sales book is a sales presentation tool. It helps sales reps with their sales pitch.

Today, the digital transformation also involves the sales force, with new tactile uses that often involve a touchscreen tablet.

The latter represents the ideal toolbox for better selling, training, communicating with the marketing department, while storing data and sales materials.

What is the purpose of a digital sales book?

Content creation and distribution

As a sales support and presentation tool, the digital sales book allows you to personalize the content and distribute it in a fun way to a prospect or customer. Your sales team has access to all sales and marketing information quickly and easily.

Real-time content updates

The digital sales book allows for easier communication between your sales and marketing teams.

Your sales reps and your marketing department use the same communication tool, enabling them to collaborate in real time. Presentations prepared by the marketing team are online immediately, and any changes are communicated in real time. What's more, presentations can still be customized by the sales rep, using powerful editing tools. The digital sales book is therefore a genuine medium for disseminating information and creating content.

Fluidity of exchanges with customers

With a tactile tablet as a presentation support, the sales representative is no longer facing the customer, but next to him. The fluidity of the tactile movements animates considerably the exchange, and makes the exchange interactive and participative, the customer can take the tablet in hand if he wishes it. The relationship evolves considerably!

The advantages of the digital VS paper sales book

A crucial element of the meeting with a prospect, the sales pitch is a demonstration that must make an impression, understand and respond to the needs expressed, and the "hidden" needs of your interlocutor. With a touchscreen tablet, no more flyers, brochures, and leaflets of any kind. All your documentation is available in a few clicks, up to date, and allows you to respond to any situation. Leave your cumbersome paper documentation at the office!

An inclusive exchange with your interlocutor

The act of selling includes a part of relational and emotional intelligence. A good salesperson must be able to create this atmosphere. The fluid handling of a touch tablet gives a playful side to your exchange.

Include your buyer in your exchange, by offering to use your tablet. You are no longer presenting, you are involving, and the relationship is at that point already pre-established.

Immediate responses

A touch tablet gives you access to live information. Your documents, updated continuously, are at your fingertips! This allows you to answer all the questions and use all the media at your disposal to illustrate your remarks. This allows you to adapt your offer live, according to the needs of your customers

Customizable content

Your sales book gives you access to all available information about your client, allowing you to cover your subject thoroughly, and not be caught off guard during the appointment.

This way, you can customize your presentations according to your clients or prospects, build your own materials from those already established, and structure your sales pitch according to your buyer.

This allows for a more efficient approach, better prepared and tailored to your buyer, and with a higher potential for success.

An offer that can be modified online

"Strike while the iron is hot" This is especially true in sales. If you need to get back to the office to modify an offer, before sending it back to a prospect, they may have moved on completely by then.

A faster and more reactive approach will be more efficient! In addition, you can use an integrated tracking tool to know when your customer opens and reads your email. This can allow you to personalize the follow-up process.

Ongoing interactive training

To sell well, you need to be up to date. Whether it's a new product catalog, process or methodology, a digital sales book can include a continuous interactive training system.

Interactive and easy to use, it allows you to learn at your own pace, and to test your knowledge.

How to make an effective Digital Sales Book?

The different types of commercial book

There are several types of sales books:

• Sales books for products,
• Sales books for services,
• Sales books for consultants.

What to put in your sales book?

• Catalogue produits ou services
  Indiquez bien les caractéristiques des produits et pensez à les trier en fonction de, afin de retrouver plus rapidement les informations et références. Restez synthétiques, présentez une offre simple, incluez dans votre catalogue des drill down, des visuels et des vidéos de démonstration si possible.
• Caractéristiques commerciales
  Ceci comprend les prix, promotions, conditions de vente et de livraison, retour, remboursement et SAV.
• Argumentaires produits ou services
  Présentez des argumentaires succincts, et mis à jour régulièrement par l’équipe marketing en fonction de vos feedbacks. Élément majeur d’un book de vente ; les réponses aux potentielles objections. Notez bien les nouvelles objections afin de les transférer aux marketeurs, afin qu’ils les incluent à l’argumentaire avec une réponse adaptée. Ajoutez les notes liées à la concurrence, au cas où le sujet soit évoqué.
• Présentation de l’entreprise
  Une présentation standard et courte doit faire partie de votre book de vente si un prospect la réclame.
• Contenus interactifs
  En opposition à la vente papier, le book commercial digital dynamise la vente au travers du multimédia, vidéos, objets 3D, cas d’études, etc. Attention cependant à ne pas focaliser son attention sur sa tablette, mais de bien rester concentré sur son client, dans une attitude d’écoute active.
• Conseil et vente consultative
  L’approche est alors très différente, et le commercial devra ici bien définir, afin de mettre en exergue, le besoin ou problème du prospect. C’est la méthode « solution selling ». L’objectif est alors double : démontrer un problème potentiel, et offrir une solution efficace, en utilisant les données d’articles, de présentations, de faits chiffrés, etc.

One part dedicated to customers, the other to sales reps

• If the majority of the elements of your sales book are intended for clients, others are used for your training, and should help you prepare for the client meeting.

Conclusion : What to remember

In order to design an effective sales book :

• You need to have a medium that is connected and updated in real time, so that you have access to relevant and current information.
• It is also necessary that your support can work in disconnected mode, in case of signal loss
• Prepare your sales pitch before the sale, in order to stay in the exchange with your buyer, and not to get lost in the clicks of your tablet. Don't forget that the salesperson is selling, and that the sales book is only a tool. Brevity and efficiency are key. The system of "drill-downs" (successive zooms) can be interesting to illustrate your sales pitch.
• A salesperson must know his or her sales book thoroughly, in order to find the relevant information at the right time, and thus answer the customer's various questions quickly and fluently.