Sales Force Automation Definition:

Sometimes the terms Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management are used interchangeably, but that's not quite accurate. They are dependent on each other, and intimately related, but not the same.

Sales Force Automation usually goes by the initials SFA. An SFA application or sales software application can be anything from lead tracking to contact management. Sales Force Automation is anything that takes the grunt work out of closing the deal and gives a sales person more time to focus on the customer.

Customer Relationship Management usually goes by the initials CRM. CRM usually includes a number of SFA products bundled together and designed to communicate with each other. A good way to think of this relationship is to compare it to the way people buy a word processing program. It's usually cheaper and easier to go ahead and buy the whole suite of office programs that seamlessly integrate word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, and slideshow presentations rather than buying just one component.

What CRM-enabled Sales Force Automation Means to Sales People:

A number of time-consuming tasks—scheduling, reporting and lead management—become much less of a chore. The idea isn't to introduce more technology into the sales person's life, but use non-intrusive technology that allows them to get away from the computer and in front of the client.

What CRM-enabled Sales Force Automation means to Sales Management

SFA gives sales managers a window into an individual salesperson's progress towards making goal and a window into the department's overall performance. It's also easier to spot problems—problems that sales people are having and problems the customers are having with a particular product or marketing campaign. SFA can also help sales managers improve the performance of their team through strategic coaching and better performance/compensation metrics.