CRM enables you to acquire new customers and to grow and retain profitable relationships with current customers.
Often the sales functionality is called Sales Force Automation(SFA). Functionality covers areas such as sales planning and forecasting, territory management, accounts, contacts, activities, opportunities, quotations, orders, product configuration, pricing, billing, and contracts. This is often coupled with Key Account Management programmes that identify where best to put resources to generate the best returns.
The Benefits
The benefits of SFA include:
- Grow profitable relationships with customers
- Maintain focus on productive activity
- Improve sales efficiency
- Transform service into a profitable line of business
- Increase customer loyalty
- Drive revenue
- Reduce costs of customer service and field service
- Decrease discounts
Sales functionality can be found in all the major CRM suites such as:
- Salesforce.com
- Microsoft Dynamics
- SAP
- Netsuite
In addition there are sales specialist companies such as:
- StrategyMix
- Act!
- Avidian Technologies
- InsideSales.com
- SalesNexus
Learn the Key Features For Choosing a Sales CRM Solutions Here!
Sales CRM – trends and functions
Sales features are usually one of the key areas associated with CRM deployments. A range of benefits are expected, usually brought under the umbrella of Sales Force Automation(SFA):
This is usually delivered through a range of functions:
In B2B environments this is often known as Key Account Management – we have a separate Guidebook on this. In consumer businesses this may well be delivered through Call Centre features of the software,