Sales Software Implementation

There are several types of sales management systems currently in use within the sales arena. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the most commonly talked about, with Sales Force Automation (SFA) also becoming more and more popular.

With any style of electronic data capture system it is easy to forget that whilst some very large claims are made regarding the performance of each system, they will achieve nothing on their own.

Each system should be likened to an electronic filing cabinet, if the information is not stored in the correct place you will still struggle to retrieve it in a manner that benefits sales. These systems will not add any value to your customer, without changes to your sales process, indeed, they will add little value to your own sales effort if you do not combine the data capture with basic improvements and measurements within the sales team.

Within any implementation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Sales Force Automation (SFA) there are several key stages that need to be considered for a successful outcome to be achieved.

Sales process mapping

This defines your current sales process and highlights the key performance indicators that will drive sustainable growth into your sales effort. These key performance indicators will look at every interface between the different elements of your company that look to find, sell to and retain customers. This is the sales process that will develop value to your customer or prospect, and therefore drive your sales and customer retention.

The key performance indicators we will develop include:

Territory management:

Every aspect of marketing, territory sales and service are mapped and integrated within your sales process. This allows you to target specific areas within your sales process and measure each element. You will also be able to target specific customers or regions with full measurement of your results.

Appointment planning:

The combination of field based sales and telemarketing will give much greater territory management and customer service. A good sales process will allow your customers to be contacted at intervals of their preference and allow them instant access to your sales people when they need it. It will also ensure you have the maximum time in front of customers from your sales people.

Customer visits:

By combining your customer visit requirements within the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Sales Force Automation (SFA) system, you will build much more targeted sales visits. By understanding the requirements of your customer or prospect you can also start to add value to your sales process.

Quotation management:

A quality software system will give you the option to improve your quotation management systems. Once you have started to deliver more qualified prospects to your sales team you must be able to service these potential customers in a timely manner and log all information against each customer or prospect.

Order management:

You may decide to integrate your accounting software with your sales software.

Service delivery:

You may want to integrate all your service and customer retention processes into your new system.

Now you have a specification for your sales process you will need to define your IT strategy and how it will interface with your new sales process software. Much is made of this part of the successful CRM and SFA integration process. Indeed your IT department will want to make this element the most important part of the whole process.

Whilst it is clearly important the final outcome of the whole process it is also the easiest element to implement. The next phase of your implementation will include some of the following.

System specification

System management

This element will drive your sales set up. How do you want your system to report and track your sales. Do you need the flexibility to change territories in the future? How do you set your territories, by county, by postcode? All these areas will be addressed at this stage before the actual software package has been anywhere near your sales team.

System security

The definition of the type of security you will require is also established at this time. Your customer records are your sales tools and you should protect them.

Sales key performance indicators (KPI’s)

These will be established to suit how you run your business. Your key performance indicators need to be measured and reported to you quickly and efficiently.

System access

A good CRM or SFA system will allow any access rights that you require. These should be developed at this time.

Hardware specification

The hardware and software required to implement your process should be specified and integrated with your existing processes. At this point you will design any interfaces you require to other pieces of hardware or software. An interface with your accounting software is an option at this point.

Finally you will develop a phased roll out of the whole process. Training on the system and the newly developed sales processes are essential to the projects success. Your sales people need to understand the benefits to them of the whole process as well as your IT department being comfortable with the system and hardware required to run it.

Whilst this whole process will take you anywhere up to 16 weeks to develop it is essential that you get this part right if you are to have sustainable growth within your sales team, and add value to your customers. In the end why would you install the system in the first place if not to drive revenue, profits and customer retention?

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