Your wholesale customers expect convenience, great speed of service, and the ability to connect with your business as and when they like. Find out why you, as the wholesaler, need to start using innovative wholesale technology to meet your customers’ needs.

Your customer base is changing its demands as a result of using faster and more convenient technologies. This places greater pressure on your wholesale or cash and carry business. Having become accustomed to round-the-clock availability of consumer services, wholesale customers now expect similar services from their B2B suppliers too.

Web ordering platforms offer e-commerce functionality, while customer ordering apps make your goods available on any mobile device.

These technologies can be applied to improving the customer experience too. Combining a mobile app with click and collect functionality dramatically reduces order fulfilment time. By allowing customers to place orders online, you can speed up the back-end administrative functions to make next day delivery a reality for even the largest consignments.

Giving your sales the technology they need

Customers will remain loyal to the wholesalers who are more efficient and accurate. Giving your sales team access to technology that enables them to improve the quality of their customer service is a must.

Sales activities account for just 22% of the rep’s working week – and much of that waste is because administrative tasks take too long. Digital, mobile solutions allow your business to connect with customers at every touchpoint – mobile, online, and in person – and to deliver a consistent experience across them all. By streamlining and automating sales processes, your sales team gain time that can be better spent giving customers the services and products they want.

By deploying web ordering technology, existing customers can be empowered to place their own repeat orders. Only 15 percent want to speak with a salesperson when repurchasing exactly the same product or service; web ordering gives them what they want and frees your sales team to focus on generating leads.

Technology at all levels of the business delivers greater savings

Augmenting the core wholesale IT solution with mobile connectivity multiplies efficiency gains. Equipping field sales teams and delivery drivers with mobile apps allows them to capture customer data in real time – or to access key account details that allow them to personalise the interaction.

Your mobile employees also have on-the-spot access to the information they need to hold successful client meetings, or to resolve complaints immediately. The faster they can respond to customer queries and concerns, the more positive the experience for your customers.

Everything (and nothing) changes

The reality is that although technology is changing, people still buy from people. Technology opens new sales channels and assists with delivering a higher quality service to customers. It does not replace the sales rep or relegate the importance of people in sales and service processes.

A sizeable majority - 76 percent - of B2B buyers find it helpful to speak to a salesperson when they are researching a new product or service. Technology cannot replace that interaction – but it can help to make the experience more pleasant for the customer by ensuring their rep has all the information they want, and with a mobile CRM system, the ability to take an order immediately.

An integrated wholesale IT system will enhance operations to improve customer experience, save time and resources, and increase efficiency. Which is why everyone – customer and wholesaler – wins when the right technology is in place.

Takeaways

• Some wholesalers will need to add new sales channels to better serve customers
• Efficiency measures benefit customers and wholesalers alike
• Technology will allow your sales team to focus more time and energy on selling by eliminating administration tasks and providing real-time information to answer customer queries.
• Equipping field staff with mobile CRM allows them to deliver a better customer experience in face-to-face scenarios
• Technology does not replace the traditional sales process – but it does complement and enhance it