Selling Through Someone Else: How to Use Agile Sales Networks and Partners to Sell More

Chapter 16

Tablets, Smartphones, and Apps

The Importance of a Clear, Standardized Mobility Strategy

Yusuf Tayob, Terri Rinella, and Aidan Quilligan

 

Chapter Summary

• Early adopters have exposed the most common new issues from the mobility explosion, and also which investments are paying off.
• It's different this time: Mobility rollouts to salespeople (including tablets and smartphones) should have less adoption issues than the previous two decades, but only if it is a trade of value with the field.
• This is more than just for frontline salespeople. The convergence of cloud, mobility, web, and social media has created a new opportunity to roll out new solutions to others.

The use of mobile technology is nothing short of staggering. Consider these comparisons: There are 1 billion cars and trucks in the world and 3 billion credit cards. But, there are 6 billion mobile phones, of which 1 billion are smartphones. And, while the world population is roughly 7 billion, there are more than 9 billion connected devices in use globally.¹

With numbers like these, the business implications of mobile technology (and the need for proactive, cohesive mobility strategies) shouldn't be surprising—especially because more and more employees are using their own devices for work-related functions. However, increased usage is not the only reason companies need a mobility strategy. Coordinated use of tablets, smartphones, and apps can also help salespeople work more efficiently, make better account-management ...