A complete guide to sales call reporting

It’s universally acknowledged that every successful business must be in want of reports—lots and lots of them. Maybe you plan to increase sales on your website or want to assess your latest marketing campaign. Or, perhaps, you want to check your agents’ performance or track any other aspect of your business. Either way, you need reports. Unfortunately, most people view reports as a necessary but unpleasant duty. However, they don’t realize the vast potential of quality reporting, especially regarding sales. Sales call reports certainly have value in and of themselves. They provide an accurate account of your conversation with the prospect. As a result, you can easily retrieve all the relevant points and even finer details. But they can do so much more! Follow our guide to sales call reporting and discover how reports can boost and improve your business.

What is sales call reporting?

So, what is sales call reporting? It refers to gathering information about your prospect before, during, and after the call. Shortly, it’s a document that contains all the relevant data about the prospect in question and your communication with them. As such, it allows you to gain insight and decide whether the lead is cold or warm. Then you can make informed choices about future steps and actions.

However, reporting shouldn’t be a burden. The point is not to write a lot but to keep the focus on relevant things that will help you make a sale. Therefore, it should be concise, relevant, and up-to-date.

What are the benefits of quality sales call reports?

As you well know, tracking data about your prospects and leads and analyzing it is very valuable. Tech solutions such as ConvertMore lead calling software already do this and help you boost your sales performance. However, making your report focusing on your insights and goals will enhance your performance. If done right, call sales reports can have many benefits. They help you:

• improve your sales reps’ training
• create a smooth workflow and establish accessible communication
• notice patterns and identify trends
• boost your team’s accountability
• inform future strategies and goals.

Elements that every sales call report should have

What information should a quality report have? Basic info about your prospect and all the milestones you’ve reached during the conversation is necessary. Any questions or concerns of your prospect should make their way to your report. However, your impressions and insights are vital. That’s because you’ll take your next step based on them. Therefore, our guide to sales call reporting wouldn’t be complete without the following elements:

• prospects’ contact information
• your agent’s prep notes for the call
• details of the call
• summary of the call
• analysis of the call
• follow-up steps and plans

Guide to sales call reporting – tips and tricks

Of course, perfection requires some practice and trial and error. You may have missed some vital info in your first reports. Or the opposite may be a problem – you waste your time and energy tracking and filling in info that has little or no impact on the outcome of the sale. With that in mind, we’ve prepared some tips to help you navigate this task.

Use technology to save time

Most people don’t look forward to writing reports. That’s because there is a lot of repetitive and mundane info that you need to write down. Luckily, this is where technologies can make a big difference. Leverage the advantages of CRM or similar tools to deal with this part of creating a report and focus on what’s important.

Write your reports in a timely fashion

Writing a sales call report begins before you make a call. It should contain your prep notes on the prospect – their pain points, interests, etc. That way you’ll be able to choose some of the top opening lines for cold calling and boost your chances of success. During the call you should take notes about the essential points, products discussed, dates, agreements, etc. Some technologies offer an option of transcribing the call so you can use that option, too. After you finish the call, complete your report as soon as possible. That way, everything will remain fresh in your mind, and you won’t overlook anything important.

Keep it simple and concise

Your report shouldn’t be complicated or meandering. Instead, keep it short, relevant, and precise. Highlight what’s important. That way you can see the main takeaways and critical points immediately.

Review your report before the follow-up with the client

Of course, the purpose of your sales call reports is to guide your further interactions with the prospect. So, before the next call or meeting, review your report and prepare for the next interaction. It will show your leads that you listen to them and care about your needs.

Ensure all your reps are on the same page

Now, every rep will have a unique approach to sales. While these differences are valuable, there are some core aspects that all reps will hold on to. Therefore, using sales call report templates is a good idea. That way everyone will know what to track and how. It will save time and help your reps communicate and exchange information.

How to gain the most from sales call reports?

Lastly, while it’s vital to keep track of every individual prospect, there’s much more you can do. For example, tracking and analyzing info over time can provide valuable insights if you’re wondering how to convert more customers. You’ll notice patterns and trends if you monitor sales call reports over time, different sectors, or even track individual sales rep’s reports. They’ll show you what works and what doesn’t. That way you can make improvements, inform future sales and marketing strategies, and set clear goals and objectives.

Writing sales call reports is much more than simply writing down detailed accounts of every interaction with prospects. On the contrary, these reports offer plenty of benefits if you focus on what’s relevant and do it right. Follow our guide to sales call reporting and learn how to make the most from them. Quality reports will provide insights into business trends, boost your understanding of customers’ experience, and help your business grow.