Bringing Software Up to Human Speed

Business software is no longer fit for purpose…

Originally designed to speed up tasks and bring more data-orientated detail to organizations and users, solutions including CRMs have evolved to have the opposite effect. Much of the business software that we use today simply serves to slow us down and fails to boost productivity in any meaningful sense of the word. 

Take a minute to think about what your business software really offers you, and what you offer as a sacrifice in return. Take CRMs for example, the key concept of this type of software is built around humans simply filling in a bunch of databases. To receive any meaningful metrics or insights, classic CRM users must enter data and then later search for data to pinpoint key information. This is not only time-consuming, but it can also be frustrating and distracting. As a result sales professionals or customer success managers are unable to concentrate on high-value tasks such as prospecting, customer calls, and proposal meetings. 

Added to this there is high scope for human error in software like CRMs. The value of any data or insights provided by business software like CRMs relies heavily on users imputing the right data, correctly. What happens if users forget to set details and fields, update lifecycle stages or move deals forward in a pipeline? What happens when sales professionals are busy interacting with customers and driving business forward and are thereby unable to concentrate on menial data input tasks? The insights from your CRM will eventually lack context and omit key details which in turn slows users down and leaves them working on incorrect assumptions and inaccurate next steps. 

The truth is, the business software of yesterday no longer offers real value to individual users or for the organizations they serve.

How can we update business software?

So how can businesses overcome this huge user frustration and invest in business software that will provide real value to their organization? And what can tech providers do to make sure their product offers value to end-users and ultimately bring business software up to human speed? 

Future business software must work in real-time with its users. Instead of a user filing in CRM fields after a call or meeting, software must capture and interpret what is happening in real-time to provide users with the ultimate power of decision making. 

The advent of voice technology and artificial intelligence signals a new era of business software that centers on memory and a decision-making “mind” which can help users make the right decision or next steps and which works in parallel with users at human speed. But don’t just take my word for it, 62% of high-performing salespeople foresee a significant role for guided selling tools which then rank potential opportunity value and suggest next steps.*

But what does this mean for business software in real terms?

Are there existing products that are already working on this level of business intelligence and value? The answer is yes! The next generation of business software is already here in the form of acceleration assistants. 

To accelerate tasks and business goals for users while automating low-value tasks such as documentation, call or meeting summaries and deal updates, acceleration assistants work with voice and provide users real-time guidance on what to do next in a business or sales environment. As co-founder of Ciara, the leading acceleration assistant for motivated sales teams, the value of this new type of business software is clear to both me and the customers I work with. With real-time call guidance, meeting summaries, automated documentation, and CRM sync, as well as smart deal overviews, Ciara works with sales reps to accelerate their business goals and provide actionable next steps. 

Accelerated sales assistance and the need to bring the business software up to human speed is fundamental to the Ciara product and a core philosophy for the team at Ciara. It is time tech providers look to make users’ lives easier, more enjoyable, and business goals quicker to achieve without the needless manual documentation and data input. Moving forward it is no longer just about providing “data” overviews but rather about providing meaningful real-time guidance and creating a product that above all works in real-time for its users to offer the power of decision making.  

Find out more about acceleration assistants and their features here.

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* Redefining sales to thrive in the connected economy: The future of sales,” KPMG, 2020