Technique
and Technology
Choosing
the wrong sales process to automate your business, without
proper analysis and deliberation can lead to failure. On
the other hand, the right sales process can help in maximising
return on investments
Technology
has revolutionised business processes, and companies are
paying a high premium to automate sales processes. However,
their approach to move ahead may not always have been the
best.
For
instance, Hewlett-Packard was caught on the wrong foot when
the company gave high priority to technology, while sidelining
the sales process. As a result, it incurred a loss of $8
million dollars. Later, the company reviewed its sales process,
brought about the necessary changes and automated the process
once again. The result - a 57% increase in sales revenues
and a 15% growth in the customer base.
Mere
automation of sales processes will not pay rich dividends.
If that was true, HP should have captured the entire market
in no time. Therefore, a company should carefully study
and understand its sales process before automation. Salespersons
should be given enough time to perform their core functions.
Asking them to keep a record of every minute detail, including
prospect details, from the start of a transaction to closing
the sale would make their job cumbersome.
The
ultimate aim of automating sales processes is to increase
sales productivity, through maximising return on investment.
It also makes the jobs of salespersons easier by recording
customer details in searchable databases:
- Enabling electronic order entry.
- Organising tasks better.
- Making available sales figures of the entire organisation
instantly, at any time.
- Facilitating communication through e-mail and the
like.
Constant
monitoring of sales processes to get the maximum ROI using
web-based technology is termed sales process management.
Implementing the latest sales software may be great, but
it will not work on its own. Hence, both technology and
technique should be integrated to optimise sales productivity.
How do you do this? Here are a few pointers:
A
"successful selling today" technique may become
obsolete tomorrow. Though business processes like R&D,
marketing and distribution change over the years, fundamental
sales techniques have not altered. Identifying prospects,
persuading them to buy, and providing customer service still
continue to be the priority, with changes in the methodology.
Therefore, to increase sales productivity in a market where
margins are becoming thinner and competition fiercer, it
is important to adapt to changes occurring in the marketplace.
These changes have a strong bearing on the sales process
and the software being used. However, a simple sales process
can include these steps:
1.
Learning more about the latest happenings in your customer's
business.
2. Getting ready to sell the product when the customer needs
it.
3. Gathering feedback from customers about service rendered.
Companies
tend to attribute failure to poor technology rather than
to their use of wrong sales processes. Instead of assessing
the sales process and suggesting ways of improving it, they
often blame the software for not providing the desired ROI.
Hence, it is wise for them to examine their sales process,
think about ways to improve it, and then implement the necessary
software to make it effective.
Since
any sales effort is based on the people who make the sale,
the technique used to sell and the use of the right software,
clubbing technology with your sales process will yield results.
Automation has enabled companies to provide their sales
force with reliable and detailed customer information, enabling
better and quicker service to keep them satisfied.
Related
reading:
1. "Sales process management: the natural evolution
of sales force automation", Cargill.E.Gilbert, 2001.
2. "Maximizing your investment in sales force automation";
Voelker, Michael P.; Insurance & Technology; Oct 2000
3.
"Old school vs. new school", Karr, Ron.
