Finance administrators often find themselves confronting their sales teams more often than collaborating with them. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are four tips to help make your partnership with sales more effective.
- Meet with them. A simple 30-minute monthly meeting with sales to talk about your process, challenges, and opportunities can provide context on what has to be done to get their deals over the finish line. Additionally, these meetings are a great opportunity for you to hear their opportunities and challenges and how you might better serve them. It’s also a great way to identify process gaps that could be causing problems.
- Thank them. Express your appreciation for each deal submitted and for anything they do to help you do your job. Showing gratitude and encouraging the sales team’s help is key to building the relationship needed to simplify your work life.
- Teach them. Only 2 in 10 office technology salespeople are trained in administrative processes by the finance administrator. But if you take the time to show them what to do, you’re more likely to get the results you’re looking for – and save time that would otherwise be spent correcting submissions.
- Measure results. In a recent survey of over 500 sales leaders, only 24 evaluated salespeople on their ability to perform administrative tasks successfully and consistently like deal submissions. But this kind of regular feedback can be key to making everyone aware of problems and focused on solving them.
What are your biggest administrative challenges? From disconnects with the sales team to complex customer finance needs in a quickly changing business landscape, LEAF can help streamline your work and simplify your life as an office technology finance administrator.
