Sales Force Automation Solution

STEP 1 – KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

1. Employ the Merritt-Gentry exclusive BrainMining® process to envision where you want SFA to take you.
2. Include key stakeholders and decision makers up front.
3. Get outside today’s logic box.
4. Understand fully what it will take to get there.

STEP 2 - FOCUS ON THE SALES PROCESS

1. Understand the Sales Process
   • Know what sales people do
   • Describe what sales people want to do that they can’t do today
   • Learn what sales management wants sales people to do that is new
   • Capture the broad, long-term needs of the organization
2. Define the Scope
   • Define what you intend to affect or change
   • Identify what will not be considered
3. Identify Sales Process Experts
   • Find out who has experience and knowledge of what is done today
   • Tap into those who have a vision of what needs to be done tomorrow
   • Align the effort with sales and sales management leaders
4. Identify the Critical Points in the Sales Process
   • Focus on where the sales results really come from
   • Figure out where material process improvements can be made
5. Match Process Improvement Needs with Systems Applications
   • Begin to understand how electronic systems can influence processes and results
   • Identify what processes can be automated
   • Challenge IT staff to fully define the technical roadmap in English

STEP 3 - BUY OR BUILD SFA APPLICATIONS

1. Use Functional Requirements as Your Guide
   • Identify all non-negotiable functionality
   • Generate a Request for Proposal (RFP) even for internal suppliers
2. Rate All Potential Suppliers
   • Rigorously analyze RFP responses
   • Arrange a forum for responses most closely matching requirements
3. Keep Business Requirements Front and Center
   • Avoid technology without a clear business need
   • Provide a customer-focused solution
4. Conduct a Joint Application Development (JAD) session
   • Partner with every vendor – external and internal
   • Sweat the small stuff early
5. Beware of Obsolete or Proprietary Technology
   • Avoid system solutions using out-of-date (or soon to be out-of-date) technology
   • Eliminate proprietary systems from consideration
6. Tread Cautiously on the Cutting Edge
   • Do not invest heavily in untried, unproven systems
   • Resist paying for the vendor’s R&D
7. Beware the Compromise Solution
   • Make sure that the solution affects enough of the right things
   • Do not let prudence become avoidance of the real issues
   • Shoot for an order of magnitude improvement in results
8. Fully Understand the Contract
   • Get fully involved in contracting negotiations with a win-win approach
   • Insist on a detailed Statement of Work with specific timelines and deadlines
   • Know what the contract requires of you and marshal your resources to meet the requirements

STEP 4 - PILOT EVERYTHING

1. Test Every Aspect
   • Put processes and systems through their paces in real-time usage
   • Understand the deficiencies – fix or remove them immediately
   • Re-test
2. Enlist Enough Testers
   • Identify a cross section of sales offices and sales representatives
   • Enlist the participation of sales and sales management opinion leaders
   • Involve local management
   • Gain their commitment to the scope of the test
3. Maintain a Rigorous Attention to the Details
   • Communicate (and re-communicate) expectations
   • Pay attention to short-term sales activity
   • Focus on Key Success Factors (KSF)
4. Survey the Testers
   • Assess the effectiveness of the systems
   • Understand the ease of use
5. Measure the Real Difference Makers
   • Isolate where the results really come from
   • Find the root causes – positive or negative
   • Understand the people quotient
   • Don’t kid yourself
6. Pay Attention to the Learning Curve
   • Define the training requirements
   • Understand how long training will take
   • Articulate how training will be accomplished in the future
   • Set up a dedicated support team
   • Consider a business and technical help line

STEP 5 - ANALYZE THE RESULTS

1. Compare Expected Results with Actual Performance
   • Focus on the Key Success Factors
   • Determine causes of variances
2. Itemize the Technical Issues
   • Reassess system requirements
   • Make technical corrections
3. Estimate Ongoing Support Requirements
   • Don’t lowball the effort
   • Don’t let sunk cost make the decision for you
4. Identify Additional Functionality
   • Find out what is missing
   • Determine how and when it can be added
5. Implement Process for Process and System Improvement
   • Implement an organized Revisions and Modifications (RAM) process
   • Involve the customer continuously

STEP 6 - DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE NEED FOR CHANGE MANAGEMENT

1. Anticipate Resistance to Change
   • Get out in front of change
   • Manage expectations
2. Manage the Change
   • Involve the target audience from the start
   • Identify milestones
   • Communicate regularly and completely
   • Celebrate group progress
   • Use a phased approach
3. Expect Casualties
   • Determine in advance how to handle non-participants

STEP 7 - IMPLEMENT THE SFA SOLUTION

1. Be Quick
   • Complete the implementation quickly
   • Take advantage of the window of opportunity
2. Enlist Sales and Sales Management Leaders
   • Gain early converts
   • Publicize their results
   • Arrange for their participation in the implementation elsewhere
3. Don’t Look Back
   • Commit fully to the new way of doing business