CRM and the Sales Force: Investment Vs. Time

Carol Smalley
Managing Editor, CRMGuru
Member

Posted 29-May-2003 10:16 AM
CRM and the Sales Force: Investment vs. Time
By Jay Curry

Salespeople are notorious as resisters against the implementation of CRM solutions—and reluctant users thereafter. This behavior is often attributed to the belief that the free-wheeling, independence-seeking, and people-oriented character of a good salesman/woman conflicts with the discipline and structure inherent in the use of a CRM or sales force automation system.

To read the complete article, go to
http://www.crmguru.com/gurubase.php3?itm=965

Carol Parenzan Smalley
Managing Editor
www.CRMGuru.com
carol@CRMGuru.com

Ash Nallawalla
Member
Picture of Ash Nallawalla

Posted 08-Jun-2003 05:52 AM
Jay hits the nail on the head with this article. It reminds me of a meeting where I was at a corporate galactic HQ with a well-prepared CRM requirements dossier, replete with a partner portal, the 360-degree view, a dash of Peppers and Rogers, etc. Then a very senior sales VP from another region summarised his needs in one sentence, "All I want from this system is good leads. I have a meeting to go to now."

This is why an internal CRM proposal that has a strategic architecture and a set of "quick wins" is more likely to fly than something that is sound, but over-ambitious. Yes, something that empowers salespeople without needing to tax their technophobic brains is just the answer. Set up an internal team to prequalify leads to a certain level of confidence (50% is fine—my definition of that means there is a Budget, a Project, and Ready to buy within x days). Then give those prequalified leads to the sales force in the simplest possible way.

---
Ash Nallawalla, MACS
CRM & Lead Management Consultant and Author
http://crm911.com

copparapu bobby(choudesh)
Member

Posted 09-Mar-2006 12:07 PM
As I see out of the Sales Force Automation Process, most of time, several industries like Pharmaceuticals, manufacturers of house hold goods etc., want to leverage the Time Vs Investment to see the ROI. The major issue here is the break-even analysis that they have done, which is narrowing down the total sales within the market regarding the product among the competitors.

Most of time, Time Vs Investment on the product also challenges market financially regarding the pricing and discounting processes. If a medical rep make 10 orders within a week—Of them 5 were cancelled or with held then the pricing or sales revenue influencing by the customer in the market. On whole the Break-even analysis is playing its significant role.

I suggest any organization which is in the market having lot of competitors would do break-even analysis to estimate more effectively regarding its sales in the SFA process.

choudesh copparapu
SFA/CRM/Data Integration specialist
Sea Shells Data Warehouse