New software analytics features that track sales team activities, leads, and prospecting offer unique ways for companies to boost the performances of their sales reps.

Larry Hedin, vice president of sales and marketing for Heartland Technology Solutions, a Harlan, Iowa-based solution provider, discussed his own steps during a presentation at the XChange 2015 conference hosted by The Channel Company, the publisher of CRN.

Hedin has used analytics tools to boost the performance for his 12 sales employees through data, pipeline generation and forecasting, client history reports, and prospecting.

According to Hedin, who has been in the IT business for 30 years, there are six overarching ways to boost sales performances and shape an effective sales team. Following are Hedin's six tips of mastering the new sales process.