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Introduction to CRM Sales Force Automation

PDF: Introduction to CRM Sales Force Automation

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Overview of CRM Sales Methodology

Sales Methodology

Case for Sales Force Automation

Flexibility of On-Demand CRM

Solution Selling in Online CRM Systems

Front and Back End CRM Solutions

OVERVIEW OF CRM SALES METHODOLOGY

SALES METHODOLOGY

CRM system is the vehicle for sales force automation. By investing in an online CRM system, you can bring your sales, marketing, support and even back-end business lines under one umbrella with Top Sales Force Automation Systems.

As an enterprise business solution, on-demand CRM is cost efficient, and requires reasonable investment in terms of training to upgrade to an automated sales force. This is good news for any business looking to adopt and evolve business intelligence using CRM software systems.

All sales components have some kind of formalized sales process in place which provides a common language and terms of reference within which to work. This processes may be very simple, or can be very complex, or direct, fast moving, lengthly, sophisticated, whatever it takes to sell your product or service. This process, or Sales Methodology, is the backbone of the company's finances and future. In acknowledgment of the importance of correctly identifying the sales process, much time is spent in massaging marketing and sales activities to convert leads into sales. When you take the time to study and document your marketing and sales activities, you are developing your Sales Methodology. Because the sales approach in a CRM Software is tailored to each individual business product or service, there is no one size fits all standard Sales Methodology.

There are, however, a number of best practices in developing a Sales Methodology that are acknowledged in the marketing and sales world as business solutions. Some of these accepted practices can include any or all of the following activities.

Clearly defining and promoting your product or service value proposition to potential buyers. (Your value proposition must clearly state the benefits your customer will receive from becoming one of your valued clients. This statement, or proposition should be specific and clear to you, your team and your customers.)
Developing a sales plan that your team can reasonably implement. This means correctly identifying your market segment and defining realistic sales goals for you or your team to shoot for.
Identifying, reinforcing and reviewing your sales priorities and objectives on a regular basis to channel sales efforts properly and efficiently.
Having a process to define, review and acknowledge achievements.
Identifying roles and responsibilities clearly for your team.
Facilitate business intelligence strategies to enhance customer retention and identify market competition/opportunities.

Each aspect of your Sales Methodology approach can now be layered with the details specific to your industry or service. Customization of the Sales Methodology is also standard practice and is as individual as you and your product or service can possibly be. Some of the reasons to undertake this initiative are:

to improve qualification and sales effectiveness
identify and customize sales functions and to facilitate uptake of the sales functions in change scenarios
to offer standards in the sales process to identify correct steps in sales activities and to generate a common language amongst team members to promote clarity in communications.
to further develop and leverage your service value proposition(s).
to develop a means to capture information to enable you to see your track record, do forecasting, look at other processes that need alignment or reworking.

CASE FOR SALES FORCE AUTOMATION

This is also the phase where the process can run into significant trouble and expense due to a number of reasons, some of which may be:

inadequate qualification
despite developing your Sales Methodology, the process is inefficient and under productive because real decision makers are not properly identified and brought into the process early enough.
the team is uncoordinated and sales efforts diminished as a result.

Even when you take the time to identify and develop a Sales Methodology, and still have disappointing results, it is not actually all that uncommon and further steps can be taken. One of the options you may wish to explore is to automate your Sales Methodology within a CRM software application. Customer Relationship Software systems are becoming fairly standard business practice in todays customer centric organizations. The benefits of Sales Process Automation in a CRM could include:

having a mechanism by which to assess your current marketing and sales effectiveness
you would be better able to identify buying processes
you could embed steps in the process to ensure appropriate help is available at any time to support the qualification and sales efforts
you can develop a library of information that identifies a customer's needs, preferences and behavior to assist in developing your value added service for each customer
to have capacity to pull metrics from the system to aid in making and refining decisions
to identify steps, roles and responsibilities in the sales process that encourage inclusion of all the sales team members at appropriate times
you can appropriately identify training needs and sales excellence at any point in the process

A responsive on-demand CRM system can automate and enhance business processes, sales activities and analysis, and decision making processes for businesses quickly and efficiently. This capacity places powerful tools in the hands of the company decision makers and constitutes a significant savings potential and increased efficiency.