Sales force automation (SFA) platforms are aimed at saving businesses’ time, money, and increasing productivity. They let companies achieve perfect results in their work by providing them with lead management tools and making the sales process absolutely automated. The only issue a company has to solve before implementing SFA software is how to choose the best sales force automation software?
As a rule, reliable and functional SFA software include a lead-tracking component, which lets sales reps track their leads from the first contact to the completion of the deal and further follow-up. As for other functions of such systems, they can include sales forecasting, automation of calls, proposal creation, modeling of products, and so on. Let us have a look at the way profitable CRM-oriented software operates.
How to Choose the Best Sales Force Automation Software
The platforms of this kind range from apps tracking phone calls and purchases to cross-functional cloud-oriented software providing the whole range of services. All in all, the key task of such systems is to provide sales reps with a number of customer relationship management solutions. Companies choose CRM software in accordance with their budget and demands. Besides, they should look at the following aspects of the best sales force automation software:
- Type of the platform. Actually, some of SFA systems are designed to service small businesses, while others suit large corporations only. Most businesses decide in favor of cheap, online-based solutions, which can easily meet all their needs. The list of the most compelling systems includes cloud-based software, such as bpm’online. The platforms of the kind minimize overhead and maintenance charges. Besides, they offer safe solutions for data storage and let sales reps access the software remotely without the slightest risk. This option is especially attractive for the sales teams devoting much time to travelling.
- Key features. CRM software offers businesses a variety of functions to accommodate all their needs. You should take into account that different software producers specialize in different spheres, from developing customized sales objectives, to market research and product design. Businesses can choose the best sales force automation software focused on sales lead tracking, keeping clients or brand management. In order to make the right decision, define whether you need any of these tools and if you want to use the platform covering all your demands. The ideal variant is when all your sales software systems integrate easily with one another, so that you have no problems with data management and other aspects of your work.
- Looking for the most suitable CRM software, take into account the number of people who will need to access the system. It is one of the main factors, which determines the price of such platforms. Some of them foresee monthly or yearly fees for the unlimited admission while others charge per user. Find out beforehand, who of your team will use the software and will need the access. It will save you extra charges and guarantee that you will decide on the most suitable platform.
Why Can’t We Find the Best Sales Force Automation Software?
Sometimes companies are delighted with the features they’ve never heard about until the very moment of looking for the necessary CRM platform. These ‘bells and whistles’ lead businesses astray and make them choose the wrong application for customer relationship management. Some CRM vendors emphasize certain functions of their products, an affordable price or the latest release of the platform – and businesses believe that this is the very most important feature of such a software. They don’t look at the picture in general, and soon realize that they were mistaken.
In order to make the right decision, focus your SFA software selection process on the most significant and prioritized factors essential for your business. You can uncover these aspects in the process of the internal assessment of the company. Using measurable criteria supporting the company’s strategic objectives, try to disregard the rootless promises of CRM vendors. Those who can offer you the best sales force automation software will never delude you with vain promises – they always have facts, figures, and examples.
For instance, bpm’online has all the features of a reliable and easy-to-use system, and you can learn about the features right on its website or download the trial. Every function of the platform is described in details, with numerous tables, schemes, and diagrams. Besides, you can see how the software works in the demo clip or try the free version of the system.