Why the sales administration role is crucial for sales teams and the wider business

Sales administration is an essential aspect of any business. It plays a crucial role by working closely with a sales team to achieve the company's goals and objectives. 

Without proper communication and a team that all collaborate effectively, a business would not function at its best. 

Using my role as sales administrator for More Than Words I can share some key aspects of why the sales admin role is so important.

Management of the sales process

Sales administrators are responsible for ensuring that the sales team has access to the right resources, tools and information, which is crucial for achieving sales targets, generating leads and bringing in new clients. 

By organising the sales process, the sales team can focus their efforts on selling products and services, rather than spending time on administrative activities such as data entry and order processing. 

The function of the sales administrator is solely focused on meeting the administrative needs of the sales team and their clients.

Sales staff often dislike carrying out administrative or account management activities, due to the time it takes away from sales.

Sales administrators can ensure that the sales people focus on selling, whilst they provide the account management function to existing customers.

Improved customer experience

The sales administration team is a point of contact for customers throughout the sales cycle, and as such, need to ensure that their needs are met. 

This includes providing accurate information about products and services or referring them over to the correct member of the sales team and ensuring that customers receive their orders on time. 

By making sure that you are providing a high-quality customer service experience, businesses can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, which will then contribute to revenue increase in the future. 

Also, clients having a dedicated point of contact alongside a salesperson delivers a full account management solution.

Managing client relationships by maintaining regular contact, ensuring any complaints or issues are addressed and resolved quickly, will put any business in good standing with clients, both now and in the future.

Improved communication within the business

It is essential to have communication across any business, as this is key to ensuring the best experience for clients and also the best function as a team. 

Sales administration will work alongside other departments, including marketing, finance, and operations, to ensure that everyone has the resources they need and are all working towards the same goals. 

This means that the team members need to be able to communicate effectively with each other, work together on projects, share ideas, and remain informed about updates and developments in their areas of responsibility. 

By maintaining communication, the sales administration team can promote a culture of accountability and effectively manage resources to achieve goals.

Tracking and measuring performance

Finally, sales administration includes tracking and measuring sales performance. For instance, by analysing data, call times and lead generation performance (for marketing), businesses can identify areas for improvement, adjust strategies, and optimise the sales process. 

Running reports allows businesses and clients to see the full picture and use this for future potential requirements. This also allows the tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs) which can be used to make decisions that contribute to the success of the business.

My role involves both measuring and tracking performance internally for More Than Words and for client telemarketing campaigns.

Key skills 

The key skills required to be a sales administrator include:

• organisation- ability to organise, prioritise and manage multiple tasks at the same time.
• communication- confident communicating with clients, sales staff, finance and senior management in person, by telephone and email. Can navigate internal departments to ensure tasks are completed‍
• customer service- can deliver a consistent level of customer care.‍
• conflict resolution- confident taking ownership of customer complaints or internal conflicts to find a suitable resolution

A sales administrator should also understand different roles within a business, including sales, finance, HR and marketing.

They should also be confident using software such as CRM systems, email marketing platforms, Excel, Word etc.

Conclusion

Overall, sales administration is a critical function for any business. If they want to achieve their sales objectives, increase revenue, and provide excellent customer service. 

By organising the sales process, optimising sales strategies, and utilising data and the reports and analysis that accompany this, businesses can achieve long-term success.