The Manager's Bottom Line

Although emerging technologies have taken sales force automation from a nice-to-have productivity tool to a competitive weapon, the company willing to establish simple and well-defined procedures for its field staff will be the big winner. Sales organizations are working better than ever with headquarters, with their customers, with each other—and with their automation. Remote teams rely less on headquarters to provide them with the information they need.

It's no longer about simply tracking account history or updating address lists. Through sales force automation and its accompanying technologies, companies are proactively helping their salespeople manage the selling process and improve it. The early adopters are finally seeing returns, witnessing how these efficiencies result in lower costs and increasing profits. And customers are experiencing these improvements in faster turnaround times and in price breaks that reflect those cost reductions. For companies, their sales staffs, and their customers, SFA has been a win-win-win.