5 Compelling Reasons Why Your B2B Business Needs a Sales Rep App

Picture this: It’s 2 PM, and Emma, a B2B sales rep, is preparing for an upcoming meeting with a customer, shuffling through papers and product catalogs and trying to get things in order.

The buyer she’s meeting has asked about the current availability of a specific product, and Emma knows the difference between closing a deal and losing it lies in those next few crucial minutes. Sound familiar?

In the fast-paced world of B2B sales, scenarios like this play out daily. So, staying connected, informed, and responsive is critical to success. However, traditional and outdated methods (think manual tracking, scattered handwritten notes, and delayed communications) can slow even the best sales reps down and make them struggle to close deals.

The right software can be a huge asset for wholesale sales. Here’s proof: 76% of salespeople cite sales technology as “critical” or “extremely critical” to signing deals, according to the 2020 LinkedIn State of Sales report. And if that’s not compelling enough, Gartner predicts that by this year, 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur through digital channels. That’s precisely where a sales rep app makes a substantial difference: offering your team the tools to sell smarter, faster, and more efficiently.

5 benefits of a sales rep app for B2B eCommerce

A sales rep app can up your B2B eCommerce game. Below, we explore five pivotal assets they bring to the table.

1. Effortless order management

With a sales rep app, placing orders is direct, fast, and mistake-free. Your sales team can place orders during customer visits or calls, bypassing the need for paper forms or separate notes. This means they can skip the risk of forgotten details, additional manual entry, and unnecessary errors.

Even better, it keeps the sales process flow on point. Rather than delaying data entry until they’re back at their desk, reps can finalize orders on the spot—no interruptions here!—enhancing turnaround times and improving the overall customer experience.

Sales reps like Emma can confidently present your goods, access data, and take orders while visiting customers instead of typing up the day’s orders, double-checking handwritten notes, and hoping they haven’t missed any crucial details when they’re back in the office. The result? More time spent building solid relationships with buyers and less on strenuous admin tasks.

2. Interactive access to products

A sales rep app keeps product information within reach without flipping through binders or digging through old emails. Instead, your team can turn their phone or tablet into a modern, interactive product catalog.

Sales reps can browse high-quality images, product descriptions, documentation, and specs in real-time. Customers can view products on-screen, like a print catalog, and discuss details like colors, sizes, and other features. It’s like having your entire catalog on hand: lightweight, bulk-free, and perfect for remote meetings or on-the-go presentations. Imagine how easily sales reps can handle customers with specific questions about product variants. With just a few taps, a rep like Emma can answer accurately by displaying all the details on your B2B website. Bottom line: what used to be a week-long conversation becomes a smooth, five-minute discussion.

It’s like two birds with one stone— sales reps can browse,  present, and select products directly from your app, cutting out inessential back and forth. Plus, your sales process becomes smoother, more professional, and faster, helping reps close deals on the spot while leaving an excellent impression.

Pro tip! Look for an app that works on iOS and Android to suit your team’s requirements.

3. Real-time product information

With live access to inventory, product details, and updated pricing, sales reps can instantly respond to customer questions and make tailored recommendations. Why does this matter? Statistics show that a buyer’s customer experience influences up to 80% of B2B purchase decisions, more than the product itself or its pricing.

Immediate access to real-time information eliminates time-consuming follow-ups and order delays, reducing customer frustration. At the same time, it increases satisfaction as your sales team points them toward the right products and seamlessly creates upsell or cross-sell opportunities, ultimately maximizing profits. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

4. Customer profile and order history

A sales rep app puts customer profiles and order history at your team’s fingertips. Since personalization is everything nowadays, this information allows them to tailor their pitch to each buyer’s preferences and past purchases.

This kind of insight eventually strengthens relationships and encourages repeat orders. Knowing what a customer has previously ordered allows reps to anticipate needs, recommend similar products, and craft a unique shopping experience, which is key to boosting your eCommerce sales. It’s innovative, strategic, and way more effective than guesswork.

For example, a bridal retailer frequently buys lace wedding gowns in specific sizes from your wholesale brand. In this case, Emma, our sales rep, can use the app to pull up their order history and recommend expanding their size range, adding matching veils and coordinating bridesmaid dresses to complement their best-selling styles. These data-driven suggestions can turn routine sales visits into strategic partnerships.

5. Offline access to data

Many modern sales rep apps offer offline capabilities, allowing your team to stay productive, even in locations with poor connectivity or no internet access.

Sales reps never miss a sale as they can still view product information, take orders, and update necessary customer details. As soon as an internet connection is available again, the app syncs all data automatically and transitions between offline and online modes, updating everything quickly and without additional manual effort.

Think of Emma, in this scenario, as a sales rep for luxury spa products visiting a mountain resort with limited service. With offline access, she can showcase the entire product catalog, take orders, and store necessary customer details—no WiFi or cell service needed! Later, once Emma returns to the office, she can submit the order.

Final words

Every day, sales reps like Emma are discovering that the difference between shuffling through papers at 2 PM and smoothly signing deals often comes down to having the right tools at their fingertips.

As digitized transactions become the norm in B2B, leveraging the right technology is the key to staying ahead of the competition, keeping customers happy, and closing more deals. From effortless order management and real-time product data to offline access and personalized customer insights, the benefits of a sales rep app are evident.

Ready to take your B2B sales to the next level? Request a demo of B2B Wave’s powerful, user-friendly platform today and see how our sales rep portal and mobile app can transform your sales cycle.