SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 24, 2014) - Roambi, the stunning business app that redesigns the way the world interacts with data on mobile devices, today released the results of a new survey that offers insight into the digital life of a modern day salesperson. Although today's sales force recognizes that data is an essential asset, the survey revealed that most sales executives need better productivity and sales enablement tools to stay competitive.
Co-sponsored with Box, the new survey polled more than 1,100 salespeople across the U.S. The results showed that today's sales force is increasingly data driven, yet it lacks the ability to access and analyze that data while mobile. Salespeople already recognize the value of data; 85 percent of respondents declared that data is important or critical for their business, and 75 percent listed data-informed tactics as the most persuasive element in their sales pitch.
As a result, they are increasingly leveraging it in their operations. This year alone, more than half of the sales force increased its use of data by at least 50 percent this year. These plans were even more common with salespeople under the age of 30, where more than 78 percent report an increase in data use, suggesting that a new wave of data-driven sales is being ushered in with the younger generation.
Presentation Fails and the Under-Utilization of Mobile Devices
Salespeople are no strangers to embarrassing presentation fails. The survey found that 40 percent of respondents have had a problem connecting to Wi-Fi for video content; approximately one third forgot to bring paper copies of their presentation to a meeting; and, another third have had difficulty connecting to the slideshow presentation equipment.
Still, the biggest fail of the industry was the under-utilization of smartphones. 85 percent of respondents said they travel with a smartphone and 73 percent bring along a smartphone during customer meetings, yet the device was rarely used. More sales tools were tied to the desktop -- 46 percent -- than any other platform with only five percent of tools on mobile devices.
"The key to unlocking the power of modern-day sales will be the tools that everyone already has in their pocket -- the smartphone," said Quinton Alsbury, co-founder and president of Product Innovation, Roambi. "What's fascinating to learn through these results is that while 100 percent of the respondents carry at least one mobile device with them to customer meetings or while traveling, they are still using paper documents to help close deals. This indicates a huge opportunity to provide sales teams with mobile tools to help them do business smarter and faster, while also providing them with a competitive edge."