Check out this piece from our VP of Marketing, Amy Cook, featured in Silicon Slopes. Amy discusses how to close more deals by improving the way your system operates.

When it comes to pursuing sales leads, it doesn’t take long to realize that not all leads are created equal. So when your reason for getting out of bed in the morning is to generate business for your company, how you spend your energy means the difference between having a job and… not having a job.

Here’s the thing: sales success isn’t just about the leads. Instead, it’s about closing the deal. And if you face an increasing amount of unanswered phone calls, chances are you may need to look at your sales routine. Here are four places to start:

1. Listen.

I get it. The goal is to collect a pile of leads from every corner of the industry. That certainly sounds like a good plan, but not every customer is your customer. So be sure to listen to what the customer needs. “Companies reach out to sales teams for many reasons — not just because they want to buy things,” says the Salesforce sales team. “Some want to make sure they’re on top of changes within their particular market and understand the tools their competitors might be using. Others want to get details for brainstorming exercises they conduct as part of their long-term strategic planning process.” The important thing is to listen. Do you have a solution? If you can offer a host of practical ideas, then go for it. But if you really can’t, take a cue from Elsa and let it go. It’s time to focus on a different prospect.

2. Focus on the customer’s needs.

As with all relationships, there has to be some benefit for the client. And it’s your job to tune into those wants. In the technology industry, for example, creating a clear picture of what the customer sees as the solution is the driving force behind a positive client relationship. “It’s imperative we understand customer needs, problems, values, and day-to-day duties to make the right product choices when the time comes to craft a solution with our team,” says Kyle Coleman, manager of Salesforce Pardot’s product team. “The more closely they are involved with customers on a day-to-day basis, the more empathy, passion, and concern they develop for their customer and can infuse into the solution.” Coleman added that if you’re listening to the customer, you’ll craft a better product than you ever could have imagined.

3. Be trustworthy.

Whether conscious or not, we tend to do business with the people and companies we like. When we come across an employee who shares helpful advice on a product, we learn to trust that opinion because it means they have our best interest at heart. The same is true for establishing lasting business relationships. “Make sure you don’t rush into the sales process or send the message that you are desperate to sell,” says Gregg Schwartz, VP of sales. “Instead, send the message that you want what is best for your clients.” He says to put customers’ needs at the top of the priority list and make sure that the products and services you are offering make sense for them.

4. Focus on the relationship, and automate the rest.

By putting the right tools in place, you can direct your focus on maintaining a valued customer relationship without missing a beat. “The fact is that we all still have to hit numbers. That’s why it’s important to use technology extensively (in my case, the Salesforce platform) and really understand what the pipeline looks like,” says Stephanie Glenn, area VP of commercial sales for Salesforce.

With Salesforce Quote-to-Cash, Simplus offers a CRM software program with comprehensive fields that track, update, and automatically generate accurate and timely inventory and billing information. And with customizable capabilities, Quote-to-Cash can fulfill the unique needs of your business.

Go ahead. Take the lead in uncovering new clients. By going forward with a clear focus on solutions that cater to the customer’s needs, a series of measurable and trustworthy strategies, and reliable automation to keep things on track, your sales pathways will bring about positive and profitable results.