Making the sale may be getting more complicated, but the job of a SFA system is to make things simpler for the sales person and the customer. One of the main ideas behind sales force automation is that if a salesperson knows what a client really needs, everyone saves time and is that much happier.
There are three main parts to a good sales force automation software system: the end-user interface, the screen where the sales person sees the information that makes the selling process more effective, and inputs their notes on the latest contact with the customer in a quick, standardized way. The other two parts of a sales force automation software are the database, the engine that powers the interface, and automatically generated reports. These reports help management understand the health of the sales pipeline, make accurate sales forecasts and understand the dynamics of their team, among many other things.
Interface
Sales Force Automation is about with making the interactions between customers and a company as smooth and satisfying as possible. The SFA component of a CRM package is more narrowly focused on the interactions between a sales force and clients—potential or existing.
Sales Force automation software is not as expensive as most people think (especially with the rise of low-cost “on-demand?Internet-only CRM), and it's not made to exploit the customer by wringing every last cent out of them. Technology will never overcome human nature. People buy from companies they feel understand and serve them well—what CRM is designed to help a salesperson do.
Sales force automation software helps salespeople with both inbound and outbound contacts. An inbound contact is defined as anytime the customer starts the interaction—via phone, e-mail, or through the chat area of a website. If a customer has contacted the company before, a good SFA system will already have the details of what this customer is searching for, and maybe even the price points they’d be comfortable with. This saves the customer from having to restate their need every time they contact a salesperson.
When the salesperson takes the initiative to contact the customer—who could span the range from a cold to a well qualified buyer—the SFA tools in a CRM system give the salesperson the knowledge they need to move the deal forward.
A good Sales Force Automation software system won't just tell a salesperson what a prospect is interested in buying, but how and when they prefer being contacted, and how these preferences change. Media or software professionals who work in an intense deadline environment probably have certain times after they’ve shipped their products when they are much more open to chatting with a sales representative, for example. And then, they might prefer a phone call to yet another e-mail, or, vice-versa. Understanding, and respecting, the customer's communication preferences go a long way in starting the conversation on a good note.
Consolidated Customer Information
Whatever additional information is obtained in the contact between salesperson and customer is added to that customer's profile in the database. The power of this is that different people in different parts of the organization will see the information on the customer that's most important to them. Sales and service will see what sort of maintenance schedule the customer is on. Marketing will see what marketing initiatives a customer responds to.
The customer is always changing, but each time there's an interaction between the customer and the company it's that much easier to chart the customer's evolving relationship. The natural outcome of this is that a sales person can proactively manage this relationship, and try to cement the bonds of loyalty.
The best Sales Force Automation systems have databases that are made so that they can easily communicate with other programs. This means that the powerful database chock full of vital information is not locked into one proprietary system. So, the information gathered in a CRM database can then be used for back office applications like accounting, billing, or inventory management.
A database that's designed to interface with other applications is easier to populate with customer information in the first place. The problem usually isn't that a company doesn't have information about the customer, but the information is piecemeal and scattered. E-mail addresses are in an e-mail program, billing preferences in a billing program, and contact information in a contact management program. CRM brings all of this information together in one place.
Sales Analysis and Reporting
The information from the database is valuable on its own, but it's especially valuable when combined with the analytical capabilities of the best SFA packages. The types of reports a Sales Force Automation package run the gamut, from weekly sales reports for a particular person, progress reports on a marketing campaign, or a report on the changing demographics of a company's customer.
These reports aren't just backward looking. The more advanced SFA systems can make reports based on “what if?scenarios, based on changing demographics of a particular area (the graying of some East Coast cities, for example), trends in technology (more mobile devices with increased functionality), or any other variable.
Like radar that lets pilots know they’re flying towards a dangerously high mountain, reports powered by sophisticated analytics can alert corporate leaders when a certain division, or the company as a whole, is heading towards danger.
