3 Ways to Leverage Cloud Solutions for Improving Sales Processes

In today’s business environment, the role of the sales department has expanded beyond just selling products to quickly identifying and addressing the diverse needs of customers. As this shift occurs, it is becoming increasingly important to create an environment that allows the sales team to work efficiently. In particular, to capture sales opportunities and build customer trust, it is essential to manage a variety of customer data and documents, collaborate with team members in real time, and have access to data anytime, anywhere.

In this article, we will analyze the key challenges faced by sales teams and explore specific ways to leverage cloud solutions to optimize sales processes and improve performance.

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1. What is the Sales Process?

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The sales process refers to the series of steps involved in identifying and engaging potential customers, understanding their needs, proposing the right solutions, and ultimately closing the deal. Typically, the process includes the following stages: Prospecting → Approach → Needs Assessment → Solution Presentation → Handling Objections → Closing → Follow-up. When data-driven strategies and systematic management of materials are applied at each stage, sales efficiency can be significantly improved.

• Prospecting: Identifying potential customers who are likely to be interested in your product or service through market research.
• Approach: Engaging with the customer to build trust and create a positive first impression.
• Needs Assessment: Analyzing the customer’s specific needs and pain points to provide the most suitable solution.
• Solution Presentation: Clearly communicating the value of the proposed solution in line with the customer’s needs.
• Handling Objections: Addressing any concerns or objections the customer may have and providing solutions to build trust.
• Closing: Leading the customer to make the final purchasing decision and completing the contract.
• Follow-up: Maintaining ongoing relationships with customers after the sale, offering additional support, and increasing satisfaction.

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2. Sales Challenges Faced by Sales Teams

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When building an effective sales process, sales teams often face various challenges. Among the common difficulties encountered across many sales departments, we will focus on three key challenges that are particularly significant.

① Lack of Information Accessibility

Sales teams often travel frequently and attend external meetings, making it crucial to have a system that allows them to access necessary information anytime, anywhere. Without easy access to information, sales reps risk missing opportunities during customer meetings because they may not have the required materials on hand. Poor communication within the sales team can also undermine trust and reduce the team's overall competitiveness.

② Inefficiency in Document and Customer Management

Sales departments deal with a large volume of documents, including contracts, proposals, and customer data. If this information is not systematically organized and managed, it can lead to missing or erroneous data, which can damage customer trust. Additionally, without a system that allows for detailed management of customer needs and histories, service quality can decline, negatively affecting renewals or long-term business relationships.

③ Inefficiency in Collaboration

Without an environment that supports real-time collaboration, sales communication becomes cumbersome, and delays in tasks are more likely. In particular, when files are repeatedly sent back and forth via email, managing file versions becomes challenging. This inefficient collaboration environment prevents real-time updates and quick feedback, slowing down decision-making and significantly reducing the overall effectiveness of the sales process.

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3. 3 Ways to Use Cloud Solutions to Solve Sales Challenges

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As discussed earlier, the key challenges faced by sales teams can directly impact their performance, making strategic solutions necessary. Cloud solutions offer effective ways to address these issues. Let’s take a closer look at how cloud technologies can optimize sales processes for your team.

① Improving Information Accessibility

Sales teams can use cloud solutions to easily access customer information, product data, marketing materials, and more, anytime and anywhere. This enhanced accessibility allows team members to quickly retrieve the necessary documents during external meetings, enabling faster decision-making and improved sales performance.

For example, Mitsubishi Bank in Japan migrated its key business management and risk management systems from on-premises to the cloud, improving information accessibility. Previously, each project required individual PCs, with information being deleted and returned after project completion. The cloud transition helped mitigate data leakage concerns and ensured business continuity in the face of natural disasters like earthquakes.

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② Customer Data and Document Management

Cloud solutions provide a centralized, secure system for managing important customer data, such as customer history, feedback, proposals, and more. With this data stored in one place, sales teams can quickly search and retrieve information, improving both the speed and accuracy of customer interactions.

For instance, Morgan Stanley, a leading investment bank in the U.S., partnered with OpenAI to create a cloud-based chatbot solution called 'Morgan Stanley Assistant'. This system allows financial advisors to access a vast database of over 100,000 research reports and documents in real time, enabling them to provide quick, accurate information to clients. The firm is also developing additional cloud-based technologies to support meeting summaries, follow-up email drafts, and scheduling.

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③ Real-Time Collaboration

Cloud solutions enable multiple team members to work on the same document simultaneously, allowing for real-time editing and feedback. This eliminates the need to break large files into smaller parts and send them repeatedly via email, simplifying the file-sharing process and improving version control efficiency.

For example, collaboration platform Figma adopted cloud storage to strengthen teamwork between the sales and legal departments. Legal teams can store contracts in the cloud, while the sales team can access the documents in real-time to track negotiation and agreement processes. This seamless collaboration allowed the sales team to quickly access the required information and respond promptly, significantly reducing contract finalization time and enhancing the overall efficiency and accuracy of the sales process.

📍 5 Effective Ways to Enhance Productivity Through Team Collaboration

4. Rakuten Drive for Streamlining Sales Processes

As we've discussed, sales teams can enhance their efficiency by improving information accessibility, managing customer data and documents, and enabling real-time collaboration through cloud solutions. Rakuten Drive provides a cloud storage solution optimized for sales teams, further enhancing these workflows. Let’s take a closer look at how Rakuten Drive’s cloud storage supports and improves sales processes.

Rakuten Drive offers real-time collaborative editing for Microsoft 365 documents, allowing sales team members to simultaneously work on and review proposals, contracts, and other important documents. This feature significantly reduces unnecessary document duplication and the repetitive emailing of files, saving valuable time. Even in stages where multiple departments are involved, such as creating proposals and contracts, team members can quickly and accurately incorporate feedback from each department, improving customer interactions and service quality.

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Rakuten Drive's cloud storage is also accessible from mobile devices, allowing sales teams to easily access necessary materials during external meetings or while traveling. Sales representatives can access up-to-date data stored in the cloud and continue their customer communications on the go. Whether before or after client meetings, they can quickly review important documents on their smartphones, ensuring business continuity. If needed, they can instantly share files to support quick decision-making.

In this article, we have explored the definition of the sales process, key challenges faced by sales teams, and how cloud solutions can address these issues. Cloud solutions enhance information accessibility, data management, and real-time collaboration, helping sales teams overcome physical limitations and maximize performance. Rakuten Drive, with its cloud storage optimized for sales teams, supports more effective sales activities. Start improving your sales process today with Rakuten Drive!

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