Those in the sales industry know that it’s not only about following the process but also being more effective and more intelligent than their competitors in this fast-paced, aggressive sales world. You’ll acquire better and more deals if you have the knowledge and the ability to use resources carefully and make sure to meet the customers’ needs. That’s why it’s best to have a sales force automation tool.
If you have one of the top sales force automation software but feel like you’re not improving, you may be doing something wrong without realizing it. This article talks about the 5 common mistakes in sales force automation and how to avoid them.
What’s Sales Force Automation?
Sales force automation (SFA) is an incorporated application that customizes the customer relationship management. It helps automate sales processes such as sales leads, sales inventory, sales forecasting, performance, and analysis.
One good sales force automation software definition is that it is an integrated application of part of the business. It is a method used to boost sales and other sales related processes in your business. They normally focus on the pricing, customer sales, potential lead lists, product catalogues, and a lot more.
All SFA systems are built with two core components: The first component handles the sales processes by itself through the process of tracking down potential leads and determines sales opportunities based on the customer data. The second component improves customer service by monitoring the customer’s activity and predicting their shopping needs, their contacts, sales history, interaction with the company, and sales analytics. If you want to purchase an SFA now, look at CrowdReviews.com’s reviews of sales force automation tools.
Using a sales force automation system is created to help your sales team to become efficient in their tasks by automating them. It makes them more effective as it streamlines their sales processes. Here are five common SFA mistakes that you can make and how you can prevent them from happening.
1st Mistake: You Did Not Select an SFA That’s Suitable for Your Business Needs
Before purchasing an SFA, one of the very important things you have to consider is the features that it has. Can it be customized to fit your business methods? Does it have all the features you need for your sales processes and can it be customized for your sales campaigns?
Don’t choose software that is not aligned with your business goals. This would only waste your efforts, time, and resources. Not only that, it can also have a negative impact on your sales. Research on sales force automation software can help you implement your own sales strategies and customize them based on your sales campaigns.
Sales force automation may not have all the features that you need in your sales campaign. Make a checklist of the things you need for your sales campaigns, and then, compare it to the software. Is it a match? If your chosen SFA has most of the features that matches the one on your list, take note of it and see if it’s the best option later on when you compare it to other SFA options.
2nd Mistake: Too Complicated, Too Complex and Too Costly
The most expensive software does not equate to a success in your business. It may have many features to offer, but you may not be able to use them all. Software that can be too complicated or complex to use may become a hindrance instead of helping your business. You need to allot more time in learning how it works and training others about it, which will cost you time and money.
Purchasing software because of the price is not the only thing to consider in your business budget. You also have to take into consideration the training, maintenance, and support costs. These are just some of the things that you need to consider when you’re on a tight budget. The good thing about SFA is that most of them offer a free trial where you can get to experience the tool itself without paying for anything. If you can, grab the opportunity of the free trial to see if the software will work for you.
Just remember that expensive software doesn’t mean that it’s a great investment and can help you effectively in your sales processes. You also have to take note that the software improves the speed of your tasks and not the other way around. Get software that can help you and not delay your sales team. The best sales force automation tools are out there, you just need to look for it.
3rd Mistake: No Goals for Your Sales Campaigns
The reason why you need an SFA is to help you with your sales campaigns. However, if you do not know what area you need to focus on, you’ll have a problem on determining how the software can help you. You first need to determine where you need to apply SFA to help you in your sales campaigns. Using that data, it will help you pick the right software that can provide the solutions that you need.
Most common areas businesses focus on are increasing the productivity of the sales team, providing correct sales forecasts, the ability of sales insights, managing the sales team, and a lot more. If you’re unable to have a goal for your sales campaigns, how can SFA help you?
4th Mistake: Lack of Dedication or Involvement to the Software
Even though the software automates sales processes, it’s not going to work by itself. Once you have the software, find out how it works. Provide trainings so that everyone knows how to use it. There may be some employees that are more inclined towards using the old software, but let them know how it’s beneficial to use the new one instead.
Before purchasing, find out what the team’s feedback is about the software. If they are against using the software, there is a reason why, so determine that cause. There might be something that you don’t know about the software that they do. The good thing about a sales force automation program is that there are a lot of options to choose from, if your primary choice was not a right fit.
5th Mistake: The Inability To Analyze and Integrate Other Resources
Each business has its own marketing and sales strategies, so it’s vital to check if the SFA can cope up with your sales processes. They can help you determine any issues or problems that you might encounter in your sales campaigns and offers solutions to resolve them. If an SFA does not match your company’s methods, it can be very challenging to use and may create frustration and chaos on your sales team.
More often than not, a sales force automation tool nowadays has the ability to integrate to other software or resources that you have. The most common software SFA can be integrated are CRM tools and other marketing related software.
How Can You Avoid These Mistakes?
In a nutshell, to avoid these mistakes, the first thing you need to do is find the software that’s right for you. Consider the price, its features and its usability, how it affects your team and your business overall. This will help you save time, money, and resources in the long run. For features, the main things to have in the software are the following:
- Analyze sales data
- Forecast sales opportunities and campaigns
- Help your marketing strategies
- Integrate with other software or resources you currently have
- Improve customer service
- Provides feedback to sales operations
- Manages customer data
- Gives sales forecasts
- Make sure all tasks are being attended to
- Discovers potential leads
- Use strategies to keep customers loyal
- Provide analytical sales content
If you’re shopping for an SFA, price is not the only thing you should look for but also the features it has. Don’t choose one that can be challenging to use. Make sure that it’s aligned with your sales goals. It is also recommended to use one that you can use in your mobile smartphone or even without an internet connection. SFA can help you make your sales becomes successful as the business industry changes. But you need to work hard on it, putting time and effort in it to ensure growth in your sales.
If you’re in the sales industry, you know that success isn’t about just following the process. In this rapidly changing, highly competitive environment, it also means that you have to be smarter and more effective than your competitors. Those that are well informed know how to collaborate effectively and know how to increase sales productivity using the best sales force automation tools that will give them an edge among their competitors.
Finding the most suitable SFA for your company and having a great sales team are critical in maximizing your profits and sales opportunities. So why not start now by looking at CrowdReviews.com’s reviews of sales force automation tools and select the best SFA for you?
John Tovar
Latest posts by John Tovar (see all)
- What Is Catalog Management Software and How It Helps Your Business - January 5, 2017
- What Are the Top Features of the Best Medical Billing Software? - January 4, 2017
- How the Best Hotel Management Software Will Improve Your Business - January 3, 2017