Choosing The Right Sales Force Automation Solution.

Choose the right sales force automation solution and you can increase the productivity of your sales team, shorten the sales cycle and forecast more accurately. Pick the wrong solution, however, and you can find yourself spending millions of dollars for an overly complex system that goes unused, So how do you make sure you see a healthy return on your investment in sales force automation?

Below are six questions you should ask before signing on the dotted line.

1) How much is it really going to cost?

Be sure to research all of the costs associated with each sales force automation solution you are considering. This means looking beyond the official "list" price. Will it work on your existing equipment or will you have to invest in any additional hardware to get the system up and running Will your reps require laptop upgrades? How much consulting and IT personnel support will you need for implementation, data migrations customization, training and upgrades? Make sure you have factored in all of these costs so you have a clear understanding of the total cost of ownership.

2) How long will it take to get up and running?

Once you have decided to automate your sales force, you need to know how long it will take to get started and reap the benefits. With some systems, you can be up and running in a matter of hours. Others take months of implementation. You will also want to evaluate training time. How many days out of the year will you be required to pull your reps our of the field to teach them how to use the system? Chances are, the more complex and customized the sales force automation solution is, the more time you can expect to spend on consulting and implementation, not to mention training.

3) Will my salespeople actually use it?

Even the best sales force automation solution is useless if you can't get your sales force to take advantage of it. Look for simple, well-designed applications that are easy to learn and easy to use. How intuitive is the interface? How much advance training will be needed to teach your sales people how to use it? Does the service offer personal setup wizards and online tutorials to help your reps ramp up quickly, on their terms, when it is convenient for them? The more complex the application, the more training involved, and the mote likely your sales force will be frustrated with the process and go back to their "old" way of doing things. Sometimes less is more -- especially if it means more of your salespeople will actually use the system.

4) What other useful, time-saving services can my salespeople access through the application?

The Web is full of helpful tools, services and information. Before meeting with a potential client, for example, you can research the company's prospects, find a map and directions to their office and even locate a nearby restaurant for some good old-fashioned wining and dining. To save time, look for applications with built-in access to these kinds of resources so you don't have to shut down your system to take advantage of them. You want your people to take advantage of the best of the Web, but you certainly don't want them to waste time searching for the right information and services. A good sales force automation system can give you quick access to the most useful resources online.

5) Will it help my team follow-up on leads?

Let's say a potential customer shows interest in your company's products or services by stopping by your booth at a trade show, signing up for information on your Web site or calling your toll-free number. The truth is, following up and tracking these leads is a nightmare for most companies. Too often, opportunities are lost because no one was able to follow-up on leads in a timely manner. The good news is, some of the newest sales force automation solutions can help you not only capture leads from various sources, but even route them to the right person in your organization based on geographic territories, industries or size of organization. Some sales force automation solutions can even help you track where the leads came from to help you measure the effectiveness your marketing campaigns.

6) Can it help me forecast more accurately and easily publish custom reports?

Nothing is mote frustrating than having to chase down dozens of sales reps to compile the information needed for forecasts and reports -- except, of course, being one of the sales reps constantly hounded for reports and forecasts. Good sales force automation can help in both cases. It can help the salesperson automatically subtotal the dollar amounts of all deals in the pipeline by month and by quarter, and help forecast estimates based on best and worst case scenarios. It also can help managers set sales quotas for reps and automatically calculate the total revenue projected from reps deals in the pipeline. The best sales force automation solutions can help managers create customized reports at the click of a button.

Selecting the right sales force automation solution is no easy task. Before you make your final decision, you need to have a clear sense of how much it is going to cost and how long it is going to take to implement. That means you can't be afraid to ask tough questions. After all, you need to make sure the vendors you are considering are responsive to your needs. Look at their customer list to see if they have a track record of serving companies like yours. If you can, see if they will let you use the system for a trial period without making a long-term commitment. You should be able to try the product and walk away without penalty. The good news is that there are some very good products and services out there to help you maximize your sales team's potential. All you have to do is find the right one for you.

John Dillon is president and CEO of salesforce.com (www.salesforce.com) and has over 20 years of experience in the sales and technology industries. Salesforce.com delivers enterprise software as an online service. Designed for companies of any size, salesforce.com allows businesses to safely and securely manage, share and leverage critical sales information anytime and anywhere.