WHY AUTOMATE?
The promise of sales force automation is that it will reduce the time spent in meetings, traveling and waiting. It will give the sales reps more time to see prospects and customers. The productivity improvement comes from giving 21% of the work force more time to do their jobs. In addition, automation will improve the quality of the contacts the sales rep has with each customer or prospect. There are four basic reasons so many companies are automating their sales forces.

1. First, sales is the only area of the business where productivity gains generate an immediate revenue increase.

2. Second, sales activity as we conduct it today is notoriously inefficient.

3. Third, sales people are costly and sales calls are getting more expensive every year.

4. And last, sales force automation delivers significant competitive advantage either to those companies or to their competition. (www.ht-sys.com)

SFA:  

Sales Force Automation (SFA) software is a comprehensive sales and marketing approach to building long-term customer relationships and improving business performance CRM solutions consolidate customer and account information from sources throughout your company, making it easily accessible to those servicing clients.  Effective CRM or Sales Force Automation software will offer (www.automation-sales-force.com):

• Comprehensive account management functions
• Contact profile, history and n-tiered relationships
• Automated quotes and correspondence
• Forecast, order and contract generation
• Instant access to historical account summary
• Marketing encyclopedia and Internet communication

ICSG: an SFA software company

The goal of Sales Force Automation is simple: increase selling time and the productivity of both individual and team sales professionals to position the customer as a company's most valuable asset.

Sales Force Automation, however, is not merely the automation of sales processes and data entry of customer sales. SFA really means the overall process that allows the sales force to achieve its ultimate objective of putting the customer first. This process should also include helping your salespeople improve their understanding of your products and services and how they meet the needs of the customer.

An effective SFA implementation requires a thorough understanding of the processes employed in the sales organization and how these processes are integrated across sales, marketing and support. Through this understanding, the implementation of SFA will facilitate the sharing of information and will deliver excellent service to customers throughout the sales life cycle (www.icsg.com).

Increase Sales and Staff Productivity

1. How much does it cost?
2. Six Tips for SFA Success
3. So, Did You Get What You Paid For?
4. Technologies
5. Sales Force Automation - How Do I Get Started?

Links:

StaffWare Workflow Systems - White Paper : (also discusses ERP) note:  click on Supply Chain White Paper on this page

Sales Force Automation Tools:  You Just Gotta Have 'em : (good article)

Xsellsys.com : This company provides salesware for businesses, try out the online demo from this link.  The demo shows you all the features of this software that sales reps can use to streamline their jobs. 

DirectLINK:  Is an SFA system.  This site provides you with notes from customers on how they have benefited from this product and the features of the product.

Uptrends : Is another management software company.  This site will also let you try a demo version of their sales force automation software. 

Cedalion : Is another SFA software company.  This site provides information on their SFA applications such as SalesLogix and Sales Architect.

SFA mega-search page : This site directs you to seven search engines for assistance in finding SFA information and companies.

SFA roundtable

HT Systems : This site gives a great overview of the features and benefits of implementing SFA software into your organization.  **GREAT ONE**

SFA helps generate profits (good article)

Sales Automation Group : A solutions company assisting other companies in becoming more effective in relationship based selling.

Sales Force Automation for Growing Businesses

Software Support for the Sales Force:  SFA  (article)

Implementing Sales Force Automation Solutions : this site is a library of white papers

Sales Force Automation: technology's final frontier (from bizjournal.com)

Sales Force Automation:  Ramping Up Sales Service (article from ComputerScope)

Sales Force Automation Using Web Technologies (book)

Internet Sales Automation Resources:

Internet Sales Force Automation
Introduction To Internet Sales Force Automation
Automation In Sales And Customer Support
The Process Of Internet Sales Automation
Return On Investment For Sales Automation
Sales Automation Evaluations
TeleMagic On The Internet
Advanced Internet Systems Home Page