The Sales Coach Newsletter
May 1997
© 1998 by Galante & Company

Sales automation - are you missing the boat?
In our April issue, we made it very clear that we believe sales automation will never replace salespeople. This month we are going to add the following statement: " If you are in sales today and want to be in it tomorrow, you are going to have to start using some sort of sales automation program soon."

The issue is not weather sales automation is going to replace salespeople, but rather, how are salespeople going to survive without the use of a fully functional sales automation program?

Just as the accounting department uses an accounting program to balance it's books, the selling organization of the future will need to balance new prospects, accounts, referral sources, personal contacts, meetings, to-do's, inventory, vendors, reports, price lists and all the other aspects of selling.

Today's customers demand " real time" response. That's a nice way of saying, " Give me what I want now, or I'll get it from your competitor." The good news is that deals can happen fast, the bad news is that if you are not automated, you are going to be left in the dust. The way we see it, the faster you serve the customer, the more sales you are going to close. That's why Fed Ex, pagers, cellular phones and the Internet have become so popular.

Sales force automation does not have to be expensive or elaborate to be effective. It starts with the basics such as pagers for your salespeople and can be improved by adding cellular phones, voice mail, laptops, a contact manager database, sales automation software, e-mail, internet, intranet, etc. Just build a system that helps you deliver what your customers want faster then your competition.

Defining true sales force automation (with a broad brush) would be - to integrate all the sales, production, shipping, billing and customer service functions in one software program. I as a salesperson could manage a prospect through letters, faxes, e-mails, reports, price quotes, etc. until they become a customer. Once they are a customer, I could print a sales order or contract, check inventory levels, check the status of that order, have the order invoiced by the accounting department and have the order filled by the production and shipping departments automatically. Basically, anyone in any department could respond to a customer request at anytime during the process. The concept is - make it easy to close sales, deliver the goods, get paid and support the customer both during and after the sale. All by using technology and the least amount of manual labor.

In this information age, it pays to keep information on our customers, sales, profits, product use, turn-around times, returns, etc. This way we can track performance, control inventory and make better projections. We can use and analyze this information to improve performance and better service our customers.

So what features and functions should you include in your automation process? " Probably the most important feature is ease of use. It does not matter how advanced the system is, if it is not easy to use. Salespeople want tools to help not hinder," says Everton Wallace, president of Falcon Computer Solutions, a Long Island, NY based supplier of sales automation systems. Wallace also says, " Another important feature that is often overlooked is flexibility. The system should work the way the salespeople do, not the other way around. Different people and departments have different needs and the system should be flexible enough to accommodate these needs."

Another function of a sound automation program is to allow Team Selling. This is an approach where all departments such as sales, production or technical, shipping, accounting and customer service have input into the success of the sale. Customer or prospect data is shared so that you don't end up with islands of information. Information that by itself may not be as valuable as when combined with notes or facts from other departments. The basis of Team Selling is - the more people that have input or contact with the customer the stronger the relationship between customer and company becomes.

There is not enough space in this newsletter to tell you how to put a good system together. However, we can say, " Do your homework!" Ask your salespeople what they would like it to do, talk with other companies that have implemented such systems and find out what hurdles they had to overcome, and enlist the help of professionals. Even if you are knowledgeable about computers, a professional can get you through the process faster. You don't want to have a system that doesn't do what you expected it to or worse yet, is not respected by your staff. As the saying goes, don't be penny wise and dollar foolish.

To fully understand the benefits of such a system, we asked Larry Kirsch, Vice President of Sales at Danka Equipment, a Long Island based supplier of copy and fax machines. Mr. Kirsch manages a sales force of approximately 70 people.

" Our system has allowed our salespeople to spend more time in front of prospects and customers by removing some of their administrative work. It helps them manage their time better which has resulted in more sales and profits." Kirsch also pointed out that his system generates reports that help him effectively track prospects and salesperson activities.

" We have built a meaningful database of prospects from every source within our company. This allows us to keep our salespeople busy with qualified leads and track results on a regular basis," says Kirsch.

There are a lot of companies offering sales automation products. Like anything else, there are good ones and bad ones. Sales & Marketing Management magazine (New York, NY) and Sales & Field Force Automation (Malibu, CA) offer valuable information on the subject and occasionally rate products.

Speaking from experience, I can say, that once you start using a good automation system, you will wonder how you ever did without it.

Quotes to sell by

We live in a time when automation is ushering in a second industrial revolution

- Adlai E. Stevenson

If you are in sales today and want to be in it tomorrow, you are going to have to start using some sort of sales automation program soon

- Michael J. Galante

Lighten' up
Inflation fears have dwindled
The market has stabilized
Home sales are up
Summer is finally here

Galante & Company is a sales training and positioning firm. Our mission is to help entrepreneurs, executives, managers and salespeople realize greater success. Our purpose is to increase the performance of individuals and organizations. Our role is to understand our client, set realistic goals, help create practical action plans and follow through to completion.

Coaching, consulting and training services are available nationwide via telephone, e-mail and in person.

The Sales Coach is a free newsletter. Please copy it and pass it on to your associates or anyone who you think would benefit from it.

Thank you.

Michael J. Galante

GALANTE & COMPANY