To get in shape, you have to make better choices. The same goes for sales. By replacing some bad habits with better ones, your sales team can see quick improvements. New research indicates that even a few small adjustments can help your sales team reduce sales cycles by up to 18% and boost lead acceptance and conversion rates.

Here are three “smarter” sales choices that have been proven to deliver big sales results for today’s organizations:

#1. Automate routine tasks!

Take a look at the routine tasks that are eating up all of your team’s time, and see how you can automate processes to increase efficiencies. With customizable email templates and group email sending, there’s no reason your sales reps should be creating and sending individual emails. It’s only adding more busy work to their daily routine.

#2. Start a dialogue with marketing!

Open the lines of communications with marketing and gain up to 21% stronger lead acceptance and 36% higher conversion rates. So says the latest research findings by Aberdeen Group. Marketing and sales teams of the best-in-class organizations are joining forces to develop and manage content to personalize the customer experience and, in doing so, are gaining the competitive advantage.

#3. Base messaging on actual data!

Selling in the 21st century is not a profession where anyone should rely on gut instinct. You and your team need as much data as possible. With engagement analytics, your team can see what content works best with what prospects. These types of tools give sales a greater understanding on how to tailor messaging – something that can increase customer retention rates and the percentage of reps achieving quota.

Plus, automated engagement tools also give you valuable performance data for your reps – so you can see what processes make your top reps most successful and repeat them with others on the team! Check out the infographic “Do This, Not That – for Sales” for more tips on how to shape up your sales processes, personalize customer engagement, and close more deals faster.

This article was originally posted here.