Reps don't use it ? Effectively that is. Are we speaking of a large scale business with good forecasting tools or small business apps.? This is a scary thought that companies aren't getting valid forecasts ...
SFA is unlike an other business application. Sales guys want product information, contact lists, proposal generators, order status, etc at the touch of a button. He's looking for productivity improvements. Sales management wants real time opportunity views and consolidated sales forecasts. Management also wants a structured, methodical sales process that an SFA system could enforce.
An SFA solution is supposed to do both of these things. The VP of sales really doesn't care about sales productivity (so what if I save my sales guy an hour a day, that can't justify a $5M expenditure). The Sales guy will never *ever* be able to create and maintain opportunities and forecasts with a level of precision that 'those a**holes at corporate require'. There's just too many variables in a sale for a sales guy keep the system current. And besides, your sales guy is this *last* guy in your company that will follow a structured process. He wants to be out wining and dining and cutting deals, not pecking numbers into a computer screen.
I don't think that the 'vision' of SFA will ever reach its promise. For investors in this market, however, it doesn't matter. The vision will continue to sell systems. Sales guys will get a little better at providing forecasts, and they will provide better customer service through SFA. |
