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Sales automation is a management system used to manage and market sales. It is often used in combination with a MIS (Marketing Information System). What it essentially means is that the system can record and monitor every stage of the selling process.

The sales manager is able to track all contact that the sales people have made with clients, the reason for the contact, plus any necessary follow-ups. This reduces the risk of a client being approached by more than one sales person, which can be very irritating. Therefore overall customer satisfaction is much improved.

Productivity will also rise because the sales people will be required to use their time more efficiently and more effectively. The same goes for the sales manager. If productivity increases, the company can get the upper hand on competitors by increasing revenue, offering reduced prices and increasing market share.

Sales staff will be able to submit their information after every call, as opposed to the traditional weekly report. Instead of collecting a pile of call sheets, then spending hours putting them into a coherent presentation, the sales manager can receive all data in an automated format with graphs, charts and tables.

The sales manager is able to quickly see confirmed orders, progress reports and other important information. He or she will then be able to check on stocks and formulate any discount options. The system basically gives the sales manager a complete overview of the workings of the sales department.

This hot-off-the-press information can then be referred to management a lot sooner so they, in turn, can be more efficient. Once again the customer reaps the benefits. The overall image of the company will also be vastly improved. A sales automation system will also provide important market research data about competitors. This includes new products and campaigns, as well as overall information about trends in a specific industry.

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