There are many different types of sales software out there targeted at increasing productivity, finding leads, improving conversion rates, and delivering better business intelligence and reporting.  The question that remains is does any of this technology actually improve the performance of the salesperson?

Relationships are an essential part of selling whether you are meeting someone for the first time or have worked with someone over many years.  Software can help track activity, organize information, and improve personal productivity but there is no substitute for personal interaction.

Making the most of your professional network can be a daunting task as the number and types of ways to connect on-line proliferate.  Making the connection is just the beginning not the end of the process and how you choose to engage and interact with your contacts makes the difference between success and failure.  Do not substitute personal interactions with linking, friending, becoming a fan, or following.

The best software for selling provides meaningful, actionable, and timely information about your contacts and their companies delivering the right information at the right time so that you can have an intelligent conversation regardless of where you are in the sales cycle.  Positioning your product or service in relation to something going on with their business not only demonstrates that you have made the intellectual investment to understand their business but demonstrates the value of your product or service in context.  The “just checking in”, “happy holidays”, or generic messages are not only ineffective but devalue your product or service in the eyes of your prospect or customer.

Gist does this for you by surfacing and delivering the most important information about your most important contacts when you need it – before a meeting, as you are sending an email, when you know you need to re-engage but are at a loss for a meaningful reason.  Set up an account and try it out.  You’ll see that Gist is definitely software that improves salesperson performance.