Mobile devices, like a laptop or a tablet, are supposed to make the life of field sales agents easier. However, with an abundance of options made available by the advancements in technology, it is not at all easy to select the right solution.
We break down the significant points of debate between a laptop and a tablet when used for the work of a field sales agent.
The Standalone Issue
Choosing either a laptop or a tablet for field sales tasks depends much on whether the new device is supposed to be a complementary or a replacement for the office computer.
Previously, it was apparent to consider a mobile device only as a secondary slate as portability take its toll on productivity. However, with the evolution of tablets and laptops and the rise of corporate hybrids, it is not necessary anymore to have two or more of the mobile equipment.
Hybrids also make it unnecessary to bring even a tablet just for quicker and more beautiful presentations while on the go, and the professional line tablets make serious efforts to close the performance gaps between the laptops and the everyday use tablets.
If you think the price tags are too much for these types of devices, you might reconsider when adding up the values of the multiple device purchases.
The Field Sales Solution: A pro tablet, equipped with as many of the capabilities of laptops and desktops as possible.
The Writing Issue
No judging but it’s a fact that laptops have physical keyboards and tablets do not, and that point alone can make or break a deal on any of them. Think about the writing issue: if your job as a sales representative involves much typing, then, of course, you will prefer a physical keyboard and, therefore, a laptop.
However, not everyone has to write a lot all day: some like things put in letters even if that’s not an obligation, while others might prefer drawing, sketching, or multimedia to complete their tasks.
The typical sales workflow instead includes more of the “click&see” or “click&show”. Reviewing client data before a personal meeting, scheduling those meetings, presenting products or updating the sales pipeline information doesn’t require much writing. Similarly, the best allows the agents to send automatic reports and assemble personalized offers with a few clicks only.
Also, the dictation-based note-taking feature of Siri in the iOS11 or a similar function in Android can save the day when typing is not an option or is just too much hassle.
Not to mention the ever-evolving precision of styluses and the capabilities of some wide-screen, high-resolution tablets would make them perfect for the presentation of slides and product videos.
The Field Sales Solution: A tablet with a dictation feature for voice notes and a stylus for sketching, drawing, or electronic signature.
The Portability Issue
For workers who are on the go every day for long hours, the portability of a device is of utmost importance. Still, that can be affected by several factors that should all be considered when choosing between a laptop and a tablet.
The smaller and the lighter a gadget is, the longer the rep can carry it around – this is a no-brainer. But often, battery life will suffer the advantages of the restricted physical dimensions. If a sales rep is, in fact, out and about the whole day, every day, the battery with the most extended endurance will be the deal breaker. Remember that these days, you don’t have to consider taking a charger with you all the time.
The Field Sales Solution: Tablets, as they are increasingly made to last longer by apps that don’t use that much power to operate and massive computing is not required for the job anyway.
The Platform Issue
Sometimes the choice is not even determined by the type of device, but the operating system. What platform the operating system is running on determines the compromises the user has to make when using the gadget out of the office.
For sure, the two major mobile (tablet) platforms, iOS, and Android will lack the extensive functionalities of a Mac or a Windows laptop. Their functionality will depend on the selection of available apps, including productivity and security applications.
On the other hand, field sales reps don’t need the full desktop functionality of the software to get their jobs done. Weaker multitasking capabilities of a device can even result in more focused work and, therefore, more productivity. Plus, secure access to enterprise documents is also possible through cloud services.
With the right applications specially developed for business, there is no limit to efficiently tackle the day’s tasks and just them – no distraction from other programs, just pure GTD. Enterprise apps also have the advantage as their usage and settings can be entirely controlled by the management and IT. A true win-win!
The Field Sales Solution: A tablet equipped with industry-specific, easy-to-use business applications.
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