In the world of B2B sales, closing a deal tends to feel more like a marathon than it does a sprint, however there's a secret weapon in circulation which is shortening those sales cycles for us all so the process feels more like a 400 metre race.

That secret is focussed on lead automation and the technology that is revolutionizing the way we generate leads and manage our sales pipelines is called Ignite.

Lead automation simplifies the traditional call / email / bang head against a wall lead generation process, as it automates those annoying repetitive tasks that makes each week feel like a month. This frees up you or your sales team to focus on the more important aspects of closing deals such as building lasting relationships and negotiating terms.

It's not just about saving time and effort however, as lead automation also assists with forecasting and overall sales pipeline management. By providing real-time leads, data and analytics, Ignite gives sales teams a clear picture of where they stand and what they need to do to close a deal. More importantly, say goodbye to annyoing micro managers as everything is laid out clearly in an easy to use reporting platform.

Aside from automating our sales tasks, the real benefit of Ignite and lead automation in general is the shorter sales cycles. According to a study by InstaPage, companies that use automation in their sales process see a 14% reduction in sales cycle length.

Not only will you automation tools help you close deals faster, but you'll also be able to take on more leads and deals at once. Another benefit is that it allows for more accurate forecasting, as shorter sales cycles means shorter time to close. This allows sales teams to make more accurate predictions about future revenue and plan accordingly.

There is no doubting it, the B2B sales teams investing in automation technology and not only seeing the highest amounts of sales volume, they are also seeing this occur over a quicker time period which leads to more productive employees and a much more effecient business over the long run