The advantages and disadvantages of sales force automation.

Essay by crywolfUniversity, Master's August 2005

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Introduction.

Sales Force Automation is a technique of using software to automate the business tasks of sales, including order processing, contact management, information sharing, inventory monitoring and control, order tracking, customer management, sales forecast analysis and employee performance evaluation(Thomas, M.S & Michael, S.M 1996). This revolution that is sweeping through society is changing the nature of selling. For last 150 years, traditional selling process bases on the two ways communications, that is salespeople to customers, customers to salespeople. Such face-to-face selling or in-person selling can require a lot of time, energy, and expense, but the payoff can be tremendous. Despite all of the new high-tech alternatives, an in-person sales presentation is the single most powerful marketing tool in use today. National television advertising, telemarketing, e-mail, or print advertising have nowhere near the ability to motivate a particular customer to actually place an order as does face-to-face selling (David, G. H & Mckee, D 1999).

Discussion.

Face to face communication in sales force.

Social trends point to the increasing need for face-to-face communication in efforts to change people's attitudes and behaviors. That communication is simply a method of sending a message from one person or group of persons to another, which the communication process is the most natural and the most familiar. It is direct, immediate and responsive. We can perceive reactions at once and can modify our own behavior to clarify the message. It is vital importance to salespeople whom use this communication tool with their potential buyers of a product with the intention of making a sale; also they can focus initially on developing a relationship with the potential customers with an attempt to 'close the sale'(Pyle, J. 2004). Does face to face is the best way to communicate? In the small business, Personal selling involves face-to-face interaction between...