| CRM is the fastest growing category of enterprise | | | | increase in revenues that compounds in perpetuity. |
| applications with worldwide revenues expected to | | | | 3. Technologically straightforward deployment |
| reach $67 billion in 2004 (Meta Group). By automating | | | | Online sales management keeps it simple. Deployed |
| and integrating a host of customer-related processes, | | | | as a stand alone solution, the system can begin to |
| vendors of high end CRM suites promise enterprises | | | | deliver ROI immediately, while allowing for an |
| the ability to increase revenues, streamline processes, | | | | evolutionary phased-in integration process that |
| and reduce costs. While high end CRM vendors brag | | | | minimizes risk and complexity. Rich interoperability |
| about the virtues of their solutions they neglect to | | | | standards such as XML, and a powerful strategy to |
| discuss less appealing characteristics: | | | | create web services, enable on-line sales |
| Excessive license and implementation costs | | | | management to leverage the latest Internet trends |
| Endless implementation timelines | | | | and technologies for simple yet powerful integration |
| Technologically complex deployment | | | | with existing corporate systems- both best of breed |
| Organizational upheaval | | | | and custom built. |
| Poor adoption rates | | | | 4. Organizational simplicity |
| Weak links in solution set | | | | As a self contained sales department initiative, online |
| Elusive ROI | | | | sales management keeps the number of cooks in the |
| Any one of these factors would be enough to | | | | kitchen to a minimum. The service can be designed |
| trigger second thoughts about investing in a million | | | | to support existing sales resources and processed for |
| dollar CRM suite. Taken together they cry out for an | | | | a much smoother transition; coordination with other |
| alternative. Online sales management is a particularly | | | | groups is streamlined by simple best practices |
| strong one, offering many benefits of CRM in a small | | | | guidelines. |
| fraction of the time and expense----and none of the | | | | 5. Enthusiastic user adoption |
| chaos. | | | | Salespeople can be the toughest software customers |
| How to Achieve Results | | | | around, reluctant to change the practices that have |
| Companies want increased revenue, streamlined | | | | brought success in the past unless they can see |
| processes, and reduced internal costs for real top-line | | | | immediate benefits in a new way of doing business. |
| and bottom line impact. But a big bang implementation | | | | Online sales management is designed with salespeople |
| of a full suite CRM suite is hardly the only way or | | | | in mind, giving them simple, intuitive functionality for |
| even the best way to achieve these results. | | | | automatic lead delivery and management, calendaring, |
| Online sales management is holds many virtues for | | | | channel communication, partner coordination, and |
| those seeking benefits of customer relationship | | | | other sales oriented functions that will improve their |
| management without putting their companies through | | | | sales productivity from day one. By inviting rapid and |
| a traumatic paradigm shift. | | | | enthusiastic adoption, online sales management |
| 1. Low Cost | | | | ensures that companies get the results they are |
| Online sales management is available at a small | | | | looking for. |
| fraction of the cost of a full-fledged CRM project. | | | | 6. A targeted, best-of-breed solution |
| Because the service is browser based, there is no | | | | Online sales management does one thing, and it does |
| software to install or maintain at the client site. | | | | it well: improve sales productivity. The sales |
| Deployable in a matter of weeks, online sales | | | | department is the first priority. At the same time |
| management causes minimal disruption of work. Fully | | | | simple integration based on open standards enables |
| outsourced, the solution frees up IT staff with no | | | | companies to link the solution to other applications to |
| need for support staff. At the same time, the | | | | form a truly best-of-breed solution set. |
| solution provider's ability to amortize costs across its | | | | 7. Proven ROI |
| entire customer base results in a cost-effective sales | | | | Calculating the return on an online sales management |
| management solution. | | | | solution is simple. With organization costs minimized, |
| Built to support commonly accepted sales methods, | | | | the size of the investment is little more than the |
| the solution can be simple and intuitive to use with | | | | service fees-typically $20,000 for a 20- seat |
| minimal training time and expense. Total cost of | | | | subscription. The payoff is simple to see. Giga |
| ownership is limited to small subscription fees that are | | | | Information Group reports that companies deploying |
| easily recouped many times over by real gains in | | | | SFA can expect, on average, a 15% increase in sales. |
| sales productivity. | | | | For a $100,000,000 company that deploys an online |
| 2. Saved Time | | | | sales management solution in 15 days, this amounts |
| With none of the extensive planning, installation, | | | | to approximately $14,000,000 in additional revenue |
| customization, and training requirements of a high end | | | | the first year alone, for a return on investment |
| CRM system, an online sales management solution | | | | ranging from 14500% to more than 30000%. Give |
| can be up and running in as little as fifteen days. | | | | the small costs and high returns involved the |
| Rather than waiting until the end of the year for | | | | investment decision is easy. |
| productivity to improve, the company sees higher | | | | Online sales management provides a fast, low-risk |
| revenues almost immediately. An online sales | | | | alternative that will have you counting your ROI and |
| management customer can see more than a 15% | | | | a lot more business. |