Slack is one of the most popular messaging programs in the business world. It's a staple for modern sales-focused companies in the United States and beyond. It's not hard to see why. Slack is versatile and revolutionizes how sales leaders, managers, and reps communicate.

There's a lot to gain from Slack. Not only does it deliver powerful messages in real-time, but it can be a valuable source for sales ideas and new strategies. Want to maximize how your team uses Slack? Here are some ways you can encourage creativity, share ideas, and use Slack to its ultimate potential.

1. Ensure Everyone Has Access

First things first, make sure everyone has access to the Slack app. Slack workplaces are flexible, and you can create open chat rooms, private groups, and even send direct messages. The best way to capture sales ideas is to ensure that every member of your sales team has access to the platform.

Encourage everyone to use it and check it regularly. There are also Slack notification features and other handy features that let everyone stay connected in real-time. When your teams actively use the platform, ideas can flow.

2. Prepare the Right Public Slack Channels 

Another game-changing tip is to create appropriate public Slack channels for ideation and strategy-sharing. Usually, Slack workplaces have a handful of stock channels ready for accessible communication. You might have channels dedicated to the sales team, another for individual accounts, and one for general discussion.

In addition to those basics, consider making dedicated Slack channels for intelligence and sales strategy. For example, you can have a public channel called "Competitors" for competitive enablement and intelligence. Your organization will also benefit from channels like "Sales Data," "Sales Strategy," "Sales Win," etc.

Those separate spaces for focused discussion make organizing thoughts easier. Plus, it gives your team a digital space to share ideas openly without muddying up other important message threads.

3. Cultivate Engagement in Sales Intelligence Channels

Slack will only become a valuable tool for capturing sales ideas if you encourage everyone to use it. Urge your leaders, managers, and reps to have open discussions. Every team member should participate. The goal is to be energetic and optimistic. Refrain from shutting down ideas or creating any sense of negativity around sharing ideas.

You want everyone to feel comfortable bringing new thoughts to the table. The best approach is to remain open-minded and urge your team to have an ongoing dialogue. Don't make it a place of judgment. While not every idea will be the game-changer you're looking for, everyone should have a place to share their sales concepts.

4. Utilize the “Highlight Words” Feature in Slack

Let's face it: Staying up to date on ongoing Slack conversations isn't easy. Your team will likely use it throughout the day. That's a good thing! However, it does leave you with tons of unread messages to go through.

Luckily, Slack has a handy feature to make things easier. The "Highlight Words" feature allows you to create Slack notifications whenever specific topics arise. Learning how to take advantage of this feature is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is go into the "Preferences" menu. Then, navigate to "Notifications" and look for the "Highlight Words" section.

Here, you can type in a few trigger words. Instead of real-time notifications, a badge will appear next to the Slack channel whenever someone uses one of those words, allowing you to find relevant messages easily. Use this feature strategically, and you can focus your Slack time reading up on your reps' killer sales ideas and skipping the rest.

5. Share Your Slack Workspace with B2B Clients 

Here's an unusual tip that can pay off tremendously. If you work with high-value B2B clients, consider inviting them to a newly created Slack channel. Communication is paramount with B2B clients, so using Slack to establish an ongoing dialogue can be beneficial. Add critical stakeholders, and you can use the channel to stay abreast of the changing market.

Use the channel to gain more insight into everything from competitors to the market at large. There's no better way to develop new strategies than by using the information you learn directly from the clients you're targeting.

6. Turns Ideas into Action with Slack Integrations 

There's a good chance that Slack isn't the only piece of software in your tech stack. Take advantage of the Slack integrations available to you to turn those ideas into actions. One example is SalesForce. Slack integrates with the popular CRM platform, making it easy to import and export data as you see fit.

Use Slack to gather ideas and insights. Then, harness the power of your integrations to turn those ideas into reality. In addition to SalesForce, you can utilize popular departmental tools like Box, calendar apps, and more. Slack is one of many platforms you can use to develop sales strategies. However, built-in integrations create a seamless experience across the board. 

7. Celebrate Wins on Slack

Our last tip is a big one. Always celebrate big sales wins. Slack is the perfect place to offer praise and recognize hard work. But it's about more than just making your sales team feel good.

Celebrating wins is the best way to codify success, inspire your team, and transform winning sales tactics into best practices. You can use Slack to figure out exactly how that big win came to be and what your other reps can do to stimulate it.

Slack channels are an excellent place to break down successes and put together the pieces of an efficient new sales strategy.

Capture Your Best Sales Moments with Flockjay

Slack has a lot to offer in the communication department, but Flockjay makes it easier than ever to capture and share what works for your sales team. The all-in-one software solution can help you develop and distribute sales content while giving your team the chance to support one another and achieve a common goal together.

Take your sales department to new heights and cultivate a peer-to-peer learning culture. Formulate new strategies and put them to the test to improve your bottom line and develop a superstar sales team.

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