Carpenters need tools. Sales teams need software. In ever-complex sales environments, your organization requires the latest technologies to prosper leads, take action from insights, and build customer relationships. Legacy programs won’t cut it. You need software that develops as fast as your sales team does.
The great thing about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales is that it continually evolves, with new features added at least twice a year. Microsoft calls these upgrades “waves.” And it’s a time for a new wave. Welcome to Dynamics 365 Sales 2021 Release Wave 1 – the best iteration of Dynamics 365 Sales so far.
Microsoft promises plenty of new features for Dynamic 365 Sales:
- New functionality
- Updates and optimizations based on customer feedback
- Bug fixes
Wave 1 capabilities will roll out over the next few weeks, so expect massive changes in how you interact with Dynamics 365 Sales. We’ve listed some of our favorite features from the upgrade below and explain the importance of hiring a reliable Dynamics 365 partner like Dynamic Consultants Group.
Note: Early access to Wave 1 started from February 1, and general availability rolls out from April.
Recommended reading: Migrating from NetSuite to Dynamics 365? Here’s What You Need to Know
New Digital Selling Features for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Wave 1 2021
Greater Visibility of Premium Features
In previous iterations of Sales, users had difficulty locating premium features that boost sales. In Wave 1 2021, Microsoft has increased the visibility of premium features and will promote these features in the Main Settings area.
A Better Trial Experience
An optimized trial experience for discovering premium features that streamline sales objectives. Changes include new trial screens, license indication enhancements, and easier add-on installation.
Personal Settings Has a New Home
Personal Settings are now in a dedicated area in the Dynamics 365 Sales hub app, and there’s quicker access to modern email templates and email signature features.
New Sequence Automation Features
In Wave 1 2021, users can automate sequence activities such as sending emails when this task is the next step in a flow. This feature lets users focus on other jobs without having to worry about sequencing.
Personalized Work Queues
An extra feature that enables user-defined personalized settings for work queues. Personalized work queues let users start calls and send emails from a customer’s record without having to move between applications (like in previous versions of Sales.)
New KPIs and Dashboards
New KPIs and dashboards provide valuable customer insights that optimize decision-making in your organization. In Wave 1 2021, Sales provides the following new KPIs on the Manager dashboard:
- The number of active leads in the org compared to previous periods.
- Conversion ratios between leads and opportunities
- Leads defined by source types
- Leads per seller
A partner like Dynamic Consultants Group helps you implement the new Digital Selling features on Dynamics 365 Sales Wave 1 2021. Get more value from Sales and discover new opportunities to connect with customers and move them through sales funnels. Schedule a Microsoft Teams or in-person meeting to learn more. Or call +1 844-567-2590 now.
Recommended reading: Wave 2 in Review: What’s New in Dynamics 365?
Brand New Engagement Capabilities Available on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Wave 1 2021
Out-of-the-Box Functionalities for Integrating Telephony Providers
You can now record calls and use conversation intelligence with the Sales Insights Add-In if you use the Dynamics 365 Channel Integration Framework for computer telephony integration (CTI).
Provide Team Members With Business Insights From Video Calls
Dynamics 365 Wave 1 provides team members with business insights from video calls. You can extract and analyze these insights for better decision-making and customer intelligence.
Recommended reading: Migrating from Sage CRM to Dynamics 365? Here’s What You Need to Know
Top Dynamics 365 Sales Wave 1 2021 Mobile Features
Enhanced Insights for Customer Engagement
Provide sales reps with enhanced customer insights for engagement. Wave 1 2021 displays data from LinkedIn and Dynamics 365 and resources like customer notes, emails, and files. These features help reps build rapport with customers during calls made from mobile devices, improving sales outcomes.
Find Customer Data Quicker
Find specific customer data and follow-up on tasks quicker with new capabilities on the latest wave of Sales.
New Ways to Share and Log Information
Encourage sales reps to capture customer data during mobile calls with scan cards, notes analysis, and task extraction.
Automatic Mobile Call Transcriptions
Sales can now transcribe mobile calls and assign calls to the relevant entry in Dynamics 365.
Dynamic Consultants Group specializes in consulting and support services for sales teams everywhere. Dynamics 365 Sales users will benefit from customized solutions, full-service consulting, and around-the-clock support. Learn more here.
New Pipeline Management Features in Dynamics 365 Sales Wave 1 2021
Customize Record Side Panel Forms
Users who customize record side panel forms in Sales can view and update information without creating full opportunity forms.
Editable Grids
Sellers need to update information quickly, and Microsoft has listened. New editable grids let users enter data into records without navigating away from the workspace.
- Filter, search, sort, and reorder data from within grids.
- Hide, show, or add columns in grids.
- View aggregations for numeric columns in grids.
Quicker Access to Sales Insights
Users can now access Sales Insights (such as opportunity scores and predictive opportunity scores) from record side panels and view relationship scores from within grids.
Personalized Interactive Visual Charts
New out-of-the-box visual charts that you can customize for each seller. There are three charts: Bubble charts, funnel charts and bar charts.
New Deal Manager Workspace
Microsoft has upgraded the deal manager workspace, providing sellers with quick access to data. There’s a new sitemap entry in the Sales hub that guides users to the deal manager and a workspace container with out-of-the-box components.
“The workspace experience will change the way sellers interact with their opportunities, making them more productive, and ultimately more successful at closing deals,” says Microsoft.
Data Slicers
A new data filtering feature identifies opportunities via time-based “slicers” that filter data based on various time parameters.
Stats for Metric-Tracking
Sales metrics are more critical than ever before. So Microsoft has introduced new capabilities that let sellers select pre-determined stats and generate insights into sales pipelines.
Set Up Actions/Activities From Grids and Record Side Panels
Trigger actions and activities direct from grids and record side panels without moving from the workspace. This feature provides quick access to tasks, appointments, notes, and other valuable information.
Recommended reading: Migrating from SugarCRM to Dynamics 365? Here’s What You Need to Know
Why You Need a Partner for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Wave 1 2021
You might find it hard to implement all these new features or choose the best ones to focus on. Hiring an experienced partner like Dynamic Consultants Group lets you integrate Wave 1 features into your sales workflows and customize Dynamics 365 depending on your business requirements.
Dynamic Consultants Group supports you during every step of Dynamics 365 implementation with customized solutions that empower your entire workforce. Here are some benefits of working with a partner like DCG:
- Incorporate the best digital selling, engagement, mobile, and pipeline management features from Dynamics 365 Sales into your organization.
- Phase your Dynamics 365 implementation.
- Improve data security.
- Enhance communication and collaboration among team members.
- Train team members to use Dynamics 365 Sales features.
- Improve productivity in your organization.
- Resolve technical issues quickly.
- Prevent downtime due to technical problems.
- Access world-class Dynamics 365 experts when you need them.
- Learn about other Microsoft products that benefit your business.
- Improve data compliance.
Before You Go
Dynamics 365 Sales Wave 1 boasts new features and capabilities for digital selling, pipeline management, engagement, and mobile. Now you can optimize sales processes and streamline many sales tasks that take up time and resources. Whether you have already incorporated Sales into your tech stack or want to implement this software into your organization, working alongside an experienced partner proves invaluable.
Dynamic Consultants Group is the No.1 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales partner of choice, providing consulting and support services for Wave 1 2021. Learn how working with DCG keeps your Dynamics 365 projects on schedule with a free assessment. Alternatively, schedule a Microsoft Teams or in-person meeting now.
