What is SFA - Sales Force Automation? How does SFA software help you with sales force automation?
- What does SFA means?
- What is SFA?
- What activities does an SFA cover?
- How does an SFA application work for sales force automation?
- Who is an SFA software aimed at?
- Transactional selling vs. Consultative selling
- Difference between SFA system and CRM system
- What are the modules of an SFA software application?
- SeniorSFA – solution for sales force automation
What does SFA means?
What is SFA?
Sales Automation Definition
SFA is a software application, “otherwise known as sales force software,” that optimizes the activities and processes related to a company’s field sales. Through this system, organizations can manage and monitor multiple aspects of the sales process, including planning customer visits, tracking customer interactions, and managing contacts and purchase history. At the same time, companies have the ability to quickly access the information needed in the sales process, generate reports and analyses, and automate repetitive sales activities such as invoicing, issuing shipping notices, collections, and more.
SFA mobile
In other words, an SFA system offers sales departments mobility and effectiveness in order to accelerate and optimize sales processes. Through centralized activity planning, direct access from the field to customer data, stocks and transactions, sales teams become more productive, thus managing to take more orders per day, provide accurate and interesting information to customers in real time and better promote the company’s products.
Therefore, the main goal of an SFA system is to increase efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction by reducing manual and repetitive tasks and by providing useful and updated information in real time.
What activities does an SFA cover?
An SFA (Sales Force Automation) system covers a wide range of activities in the sales and distribution area, helping to optimize the actions carried out by an organization’s field agents.
The main activities performed with an SFA software:
- Data Management and Organization: The SFA system manages data about customers, prospects, products, sales history, and other relevant information. The application organizes this information into a database to give users a complete picture of customer interactions and sales activities.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Most sales force automation systems integrate customer relationship management (CRM) functionalities. These allow you to keep a history of interactions with them, identify sales opportunities, manage the sales follow-up process and tasks assigned to the team. Thanks to the CRM functionalities integrated into the SFA system, companies can manage a wide range of activities related to customer relationships and the valorization of customer data.
- Order and receipt recording: The SFA system allows for the quick and accurate receipt and recording of orders and receipts from customers. This facilitates inventory management, invoicing, delivery planning and sales performance monitoring. At the same time, with the help of the SFA system, any detail regarding an order can be easily recorded, such as quantity, price, payment term, delivery methods and other relevant information.
- Access to information about stocks, prices and commercial policies: an SFA system offers easy access to updated information about stocks, allowing sales teams to instantly find out information about product availability, prices for each product, but also details about discounts, payment terms or credit limits established in the relationship with customers.
- Monitoring sales activities: SFA software can track the activities of sales team members within a company. Using the SFA solution on your phone or tablet, agents can easily and in real time record information about their field activities and more. Thus, they, as well as their managers, have access at any time to information about phone calls made, emails sent, scheduled meetings or any other information related to interactions with customers or potential customers, all operations involved in sales activity can be monitored down to the smallest detail.
- Generating reports and analyses: With the help of SFA software, detailed reports and analyses can be generated about the sales team's performance, such as average order value, conversion rate, number of sales and many more. This information helps managers evaluate individual employee performance and identify opportunities for improvement for each team member, including increasing sales performance.
How does an SFA application work for sales force automation?
Through an SFA system, sales agents can more easily manage customer data, have access to inventory, record orders, receipts, etc. Typically, a sales force automation software has two perfectly integrated components:
1. The mobile application, which works on tablets or smartphones and is used by field sales representatives who interact directly with customers. With the help of the SFA mobile application, sales agents manage customer contact details, view product stocks and their characteristics, take sales orders, record market or competition information, communicate with managers, track their daily route etc. Moreover, an SFA solution can integrate with an ERP software system to automate the entire sales process, from visit preparation to the analysis and optimization stage.
Who is an SFA software aimed at?
A Sales Force Automation (SFA) system is primarily aimed at companies that have field sales teams and want to optimize their sales processes. These can be organizations of various sizes, from small businesses to large corporations. Therefore, SFA is relevant in a wide range of industries and sectors, such as: retail sales, B2B sales, service sales, FMCG, pharmaceuticals and many others.
The main users of an SFA application:
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Sales Managers
Sales managers use the SFA application to monitor and coordinate the activities of their sales team. They can access reports and analyses related to sales performance, monitor individual team members' progress, plan sales process activities, and devise more effective strategies to increase sales performance.
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Sales Agents
With the help of the SFA application, sales agents can use the SFA application to manage their customer list and prospect for new sales opportunities. They can record relevant customer data, such as contact details, interaction history, preferences, and other specific needs. This information helps sales agents personalize interactions, identify, and prioritize potential customers.
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Supervisors
With the SFA solution, supervisors can access, manage, and track sales performance reports and analytics. They can also assign tasks and communicate with sales representatives through the application.
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Merchandisers
Merchandisers are responsible for implementing the marketing strategy of the company they represent in partner stores. They conduct in-store audits, perform guided tours and check product availability. The sales force automation system also allows merchandisers to access information about products, promotions, stocks, prices, etc.
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Direct Sales Representatives
Direct sales representatives can deliver merchandise, collect money, and manage inventory directly from their vehicle. With the SFA solution, they have access to up-to-date information about products, inventory, prices, and promotions, as well as order and payment history for each individual customer.
Transactional selling vs. Consultative selling
Transactional selling and consultative selling are two different approaches to sales, each with its own characteristics and objectives. The main difference between the two methods is that transactional selling focuses on closing a sale in the shortest possible time. On the other hand, consultative selling involves a more collaborative approach, in which the salesperson assumes the role of a consultant and offers solutions tailored to the client’s requirements, following their needs over a longer period of time.
Selling high-value products, often customized to customer needs and accompanied by services, involves a longer and more complex sales cycle – a process also known as “consultative selling”. This situation involves a long-term relationship, which aims to identify the customer’s needs and desires, offer personalized solutions and create a relationship of trust and long-term collaboration. Thus, consultative selling is based on active listening, open questions, empathy and feedback.
Both consultative and transactional selling can be managed with an SFA (Sales Force Automation) system, which is a software solution focused on managing and automating the sales process. SFA helps companies to complete sales activities in the shortest possible time, including prospecting, monitoring leads, tracking contacts and sales opportunities, managing field activities, and reporting results.
Essentially, SFA software can be used as a support tool for both consultative and transactional selling, providing sales teams with access to up-to-date information and detailed reports. These activities are designed to help improve customer relationships and increase sales by optimizing processes and personalizing the customer experience.
Difference between SFA system and CRM system
Sales Force Automation (SFA) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software systems are two similar software, but their roles are completely different. Both solutions support sales teams and have certain common functionalities, such as: contact management, sales opportunity management, sales team management, customer data analysis and others. In addition, CRM and SFA applications aim to increase the profitability of the company, while ensuring increased sales and reduced costs.
The main difference between SFA and CRM is that some SFA systems focus primarily on the process of selling products or services, while customer relationship management software takes into account all interactions between the company and the customer, such as marketing, sales, customer support and other post-sales services. However, there are also SFA systems on the market that include basic functionalities specific to CRM systems, such as the management of sales opportunities, potential customers or offers.
In short, a CRM software focuses on customer relationships and creating a complete picture of the history of interactions with them, while the SFA system has the role of automating as many administrative tasks of the field sales team as possible.
What are the modules of an SFA software application?
- PreSales – for automating distribution and sales activity by taking orders directly from the customer's premises and printing receipts on site.
- Van Sales – for verifying and completing customer information, direct selling, inventory management, invoicing, and collecting information from the field.
- Targets and analysis – for setting and tracking sales objectives, thus motivating field teams to be more efficient and productive.
- Back-office – for planning marketing campaigns, creating forms and questionnaires, assigning tasks to field employees, viewing information regarding visits, customers, users, and transmitting information to field employees.
- Merchandising and Marketing – for planning visits, verifying and completing customer information, tracking product shelf placement and promotional materials, managing promotions, and gathering information about competitors.
Learn more about the SFA software solution for Presales, Van Sales, Merchandising and Marketing activities
SeniorSFA helps manufacturers and distributors of consumer goods achieve maximum results in the field.
What are the benefits that SFA offers?
By using an SFA system, companies can obtain numerous significant benefits, such as:
- Sales Streamline: SFA streamlines workflows and reduces manual tasks, allowing the sales team to focus more on the actual sales activities. Automating routine processes, such as generating reports and managing contacts, leads to improved workflows, eliminating human errors, and increasing operational efficiency in sales activities.
- Increase field agent productivity: By using an SFA system, sales agents can quickly access customer information, sales history, available inventory, and other relevant details. Using sales force automation tools, users can spend more time on important tasks, such as contacting potential customers, organizing meetings, promoting products, and performing up-sell and cross-sell activities, and less time manually entering data into the system.
- Improving Decision Making: Sales Force Automation enables the collection, recording, and analysis of sales and customer data, leads, and other relevant information in real time. This allows managers to monitor sales, identify opportunities and challenges, analyze trends, and make better-informed decisions.
- Effective Customer Relationship Management: SFA facilitates the collection and management of customer data, including information about preferences, needs, and purchasing behavior. This information allows the sales team to personalize customer interactions, develop stronger relationships, and provide better service.
- Improving decision-making: The SFA system provides detailed reports and analyses on sales activities and results. This information helps managers evaluate and monitor performance, set realistic goals, and make strategic decisions to improve profitability by generating higher sales volume.
- Easy access to data of interest: an SFA offers access to relevant information about products, prices, stocks, order history and customer preferences, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with customers through different channels, such as: email, phone, chat, etc. Thus, application users can have a complete picture of customer interactions and can access updated information about contacts and other important details.
- Improving internal communication: An SFA system facilitates the exchange of information between sales team members and other departments of a company, such as marketing, customer service, and finance. Data is centralized and available in one place, being accessible at any time and from anywhere. In addition, company managers can assign tasks from the office and leave messages to employees in the field, who, in turn, can request the information they need at any time, such as approving a discount for a specific customer. This can lead to more efficient collaboration and a better understanding of customer needs.
SeniorSFA – solution for sales force automation
The SeniorSFA solution – software for sales agents, from Senior Software, is one of the most modern SFA applications – Sales Force Automation app, designed to automate sales processes and manage field teams. The SFA system allows for efficient planning of daily activities and rapid order taking, ensuring data accuracy and access to updated information in real time. Moreover, application users can gain control over customer balances, a shorter sales cycle, increased performance for the sales team, personalized actions and real-time intervention.
Perfectly integrated with the SeniorERP software platform, the SFA application streamlines the entire sales flow.
The benefits offered by the SeniorSFA application from Senior Software:
- Increasing sales and customer satisfaction
- Reducing costs, returns and errors
- Pursuing new opportunities and improving sales strategies
- Improving sales team performance
- Automating repetitive tasks
- Real-time monitoring of operations in the territory