Increasingly, businesses are becoming savvy to the concept of a B2B Order Taking App. Such an app provides mobile-centric tools for capturing sales on the go.
A B2B and wholesale Ecommerce mobile app acts as a core customer relationship management (CRM) tool for salespeople, and as of a couple of years ago 81 percent of users are already accessing CRM software on multiple devices.
Still, not all solutions are created equal. There are a few core features you should expect out of any sales rep apps. Here’s five killer features that will help make you successful with an app:
- Offline Support
- Customer-Specific Data
- Create Quotes and Orders (Including Drafts)
- Buy Now Pay Later (Net Terms) Support
- Barcode Scanning
Let’s look at how each of these can really move the needle on your productivity and success when selling to your buyers.
Offline Support
Salespeople sell virtually everywhere, and not just virtually! They may sell while traveling, while in the office (or, as the 18 months has shown, home office), at customer visits in the field, at conferences or conventions, and so on. Salespeople don’t have control over the quality of the connectivity, so make sure they can work anytime, anywhere!
An offline mode allows for caching data from syncs performed when Internet is good. When orders are created, a sync sends it up to be processed, and any new product data can be downloaded to the device.
There’s no reason to be hamstrung by the quality of the connection! Yet I’ve seen many examples of things breaking down when the WiFi quality is subpar at conferences, for instance. Don’t let yourself be caught off guard.
Customer-Specific Data
Remember that note about Ecommerce being a core CRM function for salespeople? Here’s where it really matters!
A B2B Order Taking App can provide customer-specific information around product availability and pricing. It can house other critical details about the customer so you know everything important for a sale. You can house customer notes to remember your history with them.
Customer-specific data is part of what makes B2B Ecommerce so different from B2C. So make sure any app you’re looking to adopt factors in those important use cases.
Create Quotes and Orders (Including Drafts)
It makes sense that you’ll want to create orders on a salesperson-centric mobile app. But what about Sales Quotes? Sometimes you might need to get back to a customer with pricing. Or you need to send them something for final approval after you return to the office.
If you meet a new buyer in the field, you may need to get them fully registered for special pricing. Or you may be allowed to set it immediately, depending on your business structure. So it helps to have the ability to also create draft orders, so you can come back to it later. Flexibility is key, and the best apps give you ways to handle any standard situation.
Buy Now Pay Later (Net Terms) Support
Many B2B businesses work out Buy Now, Pay Later arrangements with their buyers. A good mobile app will respect a buyer’s Net Terms arrangements, including spending limits, to ensure the company’s risk profile is maintained.
In some cases this means the solution such an app links to also has that support. Even if it does, the app needs to be able to properly understand the customer’s terms. Furthermore, an Ecommerce solution needs to be able to communicate to accounting software about such terms when necessary.
Barcode Scanning
Some salespeople are selling goods they have on hand at the time of a visit. Others are selling items fulfilled from a warehouse. In either instance, a barcode scanner can be a shortcut on mobile devices.
Instead of typing in SKUs or searching/scrolling for products, a barcode scanner can let them scan SKUs off a sheet or book. This enables quicker building of orders or checking inventory to ensure all goes well. Some are quicker with mobile devices than others, so by supporting both input options your salespeople can work how they’re most comfortable.
See Zoey’s B2B Order Taking App in Action
Zoey offers a mobile app with both iOS/iPad and Android support, ensuring your entire team can leverage it, regardless of what they carry in their pocket. Learn more about Zoey’s entire app and web solution by scheduling a conversation with our team:
