Quotations - Automated sales systems help the sales reps generate quotes and pricing information. The quotes can usually be generated faster and with fewer errors on an automated system than with a manual one. Also automated systems enable management to exert tighter control over the quotes going out, sales reps aren't making unauthorized or erroneous pricing decisions on their own.
Internal communications - Sales reps report that they waste a lot of their time on internal communications. They need to know estimated delivery dates for their customers. They need to know the status of various credit approval items. They need to know about the latest pricing and policy changes. An automated system can deliver that information to them without disrupting their day or that of the people supplying the needed information. It's a waste of valuable time to keep your sales force on hold waiting for credit or status information.
External communications - Sales reps are often too busy to generate letters of thanks, appreciation, acknowledgment, or confirmation. As a result, the niceties that could maintain a warm relationship between you and your customers don't get done. A rep that makes an appointment and then confirms it with a letter looks more professional than his competitors and he is more likely to actually see the prospects at the time agreed to.
Activity tracking. Sales reps that use manual systems rely on scraps of paper that get lost misplaced or overlooked. Sales reps that use automated systems can keep track of a large number of contacts. They can remember whom they saw on which days, what they promised them, and whether they actually followed through.
INSIDE SALES
There is a real challenge to using telemarketers to sell high tech products. The challenge is that telemarketers often don't have product knowledge necessary to sell it effectively. An automated sales force has at its disposal tools to provide the telemarketers with the information they need. Furthermore, the software can present the information on a screen at the time the telemarketer needs it. So, using available technology, the telemarketer can accurately convey technical information to prospective buyers without the need for elaborate training programs.
MARKETING
The marketing department can perform more efficiently if they know what's happening to their leads. Most companies today generate leads by advertising, public relations or other marketing activity. But follow-up by the salesmen, and reporting back the results, is uncertain. In most companies, the people responsible for creating the marketing campaigns have only a vague idea of the end result of the leads generated. They may be getting an accurate lead count of how many leads each campaign generated. But usually they can't track what sales were obtained as a direct result of those leads. Consequently the true cost of the marketing campaign is hard to determine. Automating the sales force provides the marketing department with that level of information.
SALES MANAGEMENT
SFA provides the only means of delivering timely, accurate, sales reporting information from which to adjust policy and make sales management decisions.
UPPER MANAGEMENT
SFA enables Upper Management to control the overall direction of the sales effort to ensure the company objectives are understood and realized.
DESIGN , PRODUCTION AND INVENTORY/RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (Products or Services)
The people responsible for designing products or services perform more efficiently if they know how your prospects respond to them. What were the results when prospects understood the new features being offered? An automated sales system generates that information. Automated sales systems tell the inventory management people what products they will need in the near future. Thus, the information system gives them early warning of product mix changes.
ACCOUNTING, ORDER ENTRY, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
Many companies have moved order entry into the hands of the sales reps. Companies with inside representatives have been particularly successful at doing this. Even companies with outside reps have put the order entry function onto laptops. So the individual with the greatest awareness of the customer's needs is in control of the creation of the order.
Size your project - You must decide the scope of your project at the very beginning. You need to decide whether you are automating a few reps, an entire sales force, or all the parts of your company that contact the customer. We recommend that you establish a small pilot project first, then add users and applications to the working model.
Define Your Goals - Generally companies Automate for One or Two MAIN reasons. Make sure you understand what those reasons are. They must be specific. "I want to increase my sales" is not specific. You must know how you intend to do that and decide whether Automation can accomplish the task.
Make sure the problems you want to solve are those Technology will fix! If you've hired the wrong reps, if your compensation plan doesn't motivate them to achieve the results you desire, if your managers don't manage, if your advertising does not produce leads, THEN NO AMOUNT OF AUTOMATION WILL HELP YOU.
AVOID FORCING A SYSTEM ON YOUR REPS. Pick a system and a style that is consistent with your Rep's personalities. If your Sales Force is Proactive and Consultative, make sure your system supports that. If your sales style is Stimulus-Response, give your reps a system that will help them. It is critical to include the sales department in the planning stage to see what they would like in a system.
The following is what one group of reps wanted in their Sales Force Automation System:
Personal Productivity solutions (PIMS) to keep on top of their contacts and communicate effectively.
Up-to-date pricing and availability information. The reps thought they could make more sales if the could answer availability questions in the customer's office.
They wanted to be able to check the status of an order.
They wanted to be able to communicate via Electronic Mail to the various Departments. The reps felt they depended on those departments for information and they could not reliably reach the people by phone.
They wanted a simple way to do quotes and proposals. They felt they spent too much time generating them and wanted the process automated.
As you can see, they wanted to be productive. They wanted to be more efficient. They wanted technology to help them do a better job.
Survey their preferences and use them to guide your system implementation.
Do whatever it takes to create a system they will want to use.
Make sure you are not automating a non-functioning manual system. If your cost of sales exceeds your profit per sale and you are slowly selling yourself out of business, automation is likely to speed up the process. However, if better efficiency could reduce that cost, automation may be a solution.
Obtain support from all levels. 1. Upper Management must approve the allocation of resources. 2. Middle Management must agree to implement the program. 3. The Sales Force must understand the system is designed to assist them and they must want to use it.
Avoid automating the reps only. Since all levels of management and executives will derive benefit from the information the system is generating, they too should use it.
Avoid confining your analysis to the hardware and software. The decision on the system's goals and objectives, pace of implementation, flavor and scope are much more important. The software should be selected only after management, reps and team members have agreed on these decisions.
Allow adequate time for Ramp Up. The project will take time to implement. Implement in stages. The pilot can be functional quickly, then as benefits are experienced, additional users and features can be added. Installation of a Sales Force Automation System is a process, not a project. It's not something you'll buy and install like a toaster. It is a continuing evolution. As your reps become more adept at running the system, they will find new, worthwhile things they want it to do.
Be sure your system is flexible. As your markets change, your products change, your company operations will change. So will your system.
THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED BY U.S. Infotel Engineers.
Project Description
The scope of the project is to improve proactive sales and marketing efforts. Through meetings with management, U.S. Infotel Corp. has determined the following objectives.
SALES FORCE BUSINESS PROCESSES. Consult with Sales Force to define sales process and determine what data is necessary to facilitate proactive sales and marketing efforts. Develop scenarios likely to occur in the sales process and plan appropriate actions to be taken as they relate to inputting data into the customer database. Determine methods for streamlining the input process using tools of the software and customized scripts.
CREATE SALES AND MARKETING CUSTOMIZED TOOLBARS. Design code libraries to be used and build customized field views with userdefined fields to hold such data. Build automated processes to monitor the data and schedule subsequent followup activities depending on the nature of the data. Design toolbars with customized tabs and buttons. Create separate buttons for commonly repeated tasks to reduce the keystroke and mouse activity for sales reps, thus encouraging consistent usage of the database.
DESIGN MANAGER REPORTS AND TOOLS. Consistent usage of the database results in the ability for managers to better analyze sales and marketing efforts. Design reports sorted by sales reps, regions, and company to provide such analysis. Build graphic monitors for each area of sales and marketing activity managers want to see on a daily basis and allow on-screen viewing of such monitors.
OUTBOUND DIALING. Set up dialing off the desktop for the inside sales team to increase dialing efficiency and productivity. (Necessary hardware to achieve this would be at additional cost) Automated Outbound Power Dialing has been proven to double the productivity of Customer Service Reps.
GOLDLINK SOFTWARE SETUP. Install and implement GoldLink for MAS90 with the GoldMine System. Map and link necessary fields between platforms. Training for users and IS Department is included in this phase.
GOLDMINE TRAINING PHASES - Click here for training phases.