Tablet computers have made their way into just about every facet of business. From stock rooms to boardrooms, these powerful mobile computers are spotted everywhere, filling in the gaps where smartphones are too small and laptops are too cumbersome.

In the area of sales in particular, tablet PCs have changed the way business is being done. With their smaller size, lighter weight and free mobility they are giving sales representatives more information and more tools that allow them to increase their efficiency and effectiveness.

Where tablet PCs were once seen almost as toys or novelties, they have evolved into real and powerful standalone computers that, in some cases, offer better features and reliability than many popular laptop or desktop systems.

The following are just a few ways that equipping your sales team with a tablet PC can increase their productivity and ultimately close more sales.

Digital Catalogs

The need to carry a briefcase filled with bulky papers or heavy books has vanished. The modern sales rep can carry his entire catalog on a tablet PC.

Going beyond just listing items that are available, the tablet PC makes it possible to show pictures and videos that bring products to life, include customer reviews and present other information that just wouldn’t be practical to print in a traditional catalog.

Today’s tablets with high definition screens and powerful processors can display your products in a way that a printed paper catalog could never match.

Best of all, the tablet PC as a catalog is always up to date with the latest products, never wears out from use and doesn’t need to be reprinted or replaced. Not only will tablets make your catalog more attractive and interactive, they can cut the costs of printing and distributing catalogs completely.

Real Time Stock Levels

Your sales team will never have to tell a customer to wait while they make a phone call to check on the availability of products. They can get real time inventory data and tell the customer not only if a product is available, but also when it can be delivered. They’ll never have to say, “Let me get back to you on that” again.

Availability and delivery times can even be integrated into the presentation and pitch process with live, up to the minute data.

Real Time Order Placement

Orders can be placed immediately with little to no paperwork. With just a few taps on the screen, a sales representative can jump from a catalog display to order placement and even allow the customer to fill in his own details and close the deal himself.

The process of closing the sale instantly becomes more interactive and personal, leading to a greater feeling of customer satisfaction and security.

With ultra-fast processors and multi gigabyte memory capabilities available now, switching between apps and screens is seamless. Sales reps can move from one screen to another to process and close a deal faster than it can be done with pen and paper.

Face-to-Face Communications

A salesperson working on the road can stay in constant communication with colleagues back at the office. There’s no need to travel back to the office to make a meeting, and colleagues can be brought into meetings with clients when needed as well. Sales personnel are able to dedicate more time to clients and growing the business instead of making time to run back to an office to gather updates and new data.

With the available memory and storage on these devices constantly growing, meetings and announcements can also be recorded for later review or playback. Salespeople can even record their meetings with clients to avoid the need to stop and take notes in the middle of conversations when momentum is important.

Quick Access to the Web

In addition to internal documents and data, a tablet PC provides a smooth transition to the web to show off other relevant data that will help close a sale. Clients can be shown how other people or businesses are making use of products and services. Independent data that backs up the salesperson’s claims will also help to instill a feeling of integrity and trust.

Professionalism

Overall, the use of tablet PCs gives clients a sense of preparedness and professionalism when they meet with a member of your sales team. Your sales reps can simply pull out one device and have everything they need in a beautifully presentable form. There is no fumbling with papers or searching through a briefcase to find missing pages. The need to stop in the middle of a conversation and make a phone call is gone. There is less wasted time and more attention paid directly to the client. Customer service is actually improved with less effort and sales numbers naturally rise.

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