| How to Benefit From Sales Force Automation |
| by Gabriel Traverso, freelance writer / professional musician / artist |
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"The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be."
-- Isaac Asimov
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| In order to maintain a competitive edge in the ever-changing landscape of today's economy, business leaders cannot afford to rest on the accomplishments of the past. Many organizations turn to sales force automation and CRM software solutions as a plug-and-play tool that will give them the upper hand they seek, but in order to benefit from sales force automation a business-wide cultural change must be made. |
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Corporate Growth Is Tied Sales Force Automation
It is difficult to imagine any company succeeding today without adopting some kind of sales force automation tool or CRM software. Some organizations come to the realization later than others, but it's growing increasingly plain that these tools are critical to success and growth--regardless of the size of the organization. A good customer relationship management software solution ties the efforts of your marketing department to those of your sales team, enables customer service departments to more efficiently manage accounts, and provides leadership with up-to-date dynamic reports. In order to grow and respond at the speed of change, companies need to implement CRM solutions. |
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Successful Customer Relationship Management Does Not Come in a Box
According to a recent white paper on process excellence by Miller Heiman, "there have been many instances where CRM systems are very unpopular with sales people because they perceive them as data repositories that don't streamline the process or add value to the sales effort." This is a common complaint from leadership when adopting a sales force automation tool. The key to seeing a benefit from sales force automation is to implement a process-oriented top-down cultural change along with the CRM software install. |
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| Whether you are evaluating CRM tools such as ACT! by Sage or Pivotal, it is important to have end-user buy-in. Your sales people should be involved in the selection process, and the goals of implementing the CRM should be clear to everyone. Many organizations struggle with the issue of customer management software because they expect to simply plug in the solution and immediately see results. However, using CRM software is not as simple as giving your sales people new cell phones. |
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Maximizing the Benefit of Sales Force Automation
An incredible variety of CRM solutions afford the opportunity to find a solution that fits. Products like Entellium, Siebel, Pivotal, and ACT! provide scalable answers for just about any business. Some products are available through an online interface and others are powerful database tools entirely customizable to your own business needs. Regardless of what you ultimately choose for your organization, understand that implementing a CRM tool involves a process of cultural adoption in order for it to succeed. To see the maximum benefit from your sales force automation initiative create a team of end-users, technical support, and leadership to oversee the process of selection, implementation, and ongoing management. Be sure to create goals and milestones that are clear to everyone and constantly measure your progress. |
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| No matter how large or small your company, successfully implementing a sales force automation tool won't happen overnight. Take it one step at a time and keep in mind that you are planning a cultural shift. Plan for road-blocks by getting everyone involved from the word "go." |
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Sources
Miller Heiman |
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About the Author
Gabriel Traverso is a free-lance writer, professional musician and artist based in Reno, NV. He has over ten years experience in sales and marketing. |
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