There is a saying that “Time is money,” and this is especially true for businesses where closing deals faster is of paramount importance to their revenue. In this era where information is easily available on the internet, customers are more informed than ever, they expect a quick response time. Even companies that have been very successful in the past are struggling to stay in the race as the business ecosystem has become highly competitive.

We aim for and take action based on (even though subconsciously) social proof in all spheres of life—inclusive of how we function and the buying decisions we make on the internet. That social proof holds more value when it comes from industry experts and analysts. And that’s why we need to take the latest analyst study — that states that CPQ, based on its potential benefits to customers, will dominate the business world in the future — seriously.

Like it or not, cloud is here to stay. It has brought in a wave of digital disruption in this information age. Innovation and constant change for betterment have become not just necessary for survival but also key to growth. As rightly expressed by British philosopher, writer, and speaker Alan Watts, "The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. "The story that follows is a case in point where visionary leaders and partners with a customer-centric focus took the big leap in cloud technology to help their customer’s sales team focus only on what they are best at — ‘selling’.

I still remember the good old days when I used to sell financial products for an NBFC. Selling used to be a tough chore then. Most of my time used to be spent in maintaining my prospects database and handling other administrative tasks. It was a big challenge to manage my time and close targets. There was hardly any visibility into my opportunities and no way I could track my KPIs. Coordinating with the back office and getting relevant and accurate information was a nightmare.

I’ve frequently noticed one thing about Sales team members — they neither have the time nor the patience to capture and collect relevant information during client meetings. They don’t have the time to jot down points on their notebooks and then go back to office and book the order or send the information to their customers.

Let’s take a moment to look around us. Here’s what I see: We live in a digital world. The world of customer service has changed. Today’s economy consists of a population that is digitally linked, associated with social networks, and more cognizant than ever before. We are surrounded by savvy consumers and sophisticated buyers.

SAP Sales Cloud can be the solution your sales team needs to be empowered with insights that can help them successfully close deals with any customer. It can be a great addition to your business that seeks to meet the demands of modern-day customers who use digital platforms to look up and purchase products. With Cloud for Sales, you can go beyond CRM to forge a better relationship with your customers.