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Is Sales Force Automation right for my business?

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Your specific needs and goals as a business will, of course, dictate the answer to that question, but there are certain things you might consider as you decide whether you should invest in SFA software. First, weigh the specific benefits you expect to receive from SFA against the cost of SFA software and the networking and hardware you’ll require in order to maximize its efficacy. Those costs extend not only to initial purchases of software and hardware, but also to employee training, software upgrades and computer and network maintenance expenses. If your business is small and enjoys a great relationship with a few clients who provide your only necessary revenue streams, you may decide that such an investment isn’t worth the costs. In contrast, if your business is rapidly growing in a competitive environment, the ability to quickly accumulate, categorize and disseminate useful sales data may be worth its weight in gold to you and your sales staff.

You’ll also want to consider the potential decline in human interaction among your employees and between your employees and your customers. This is not to say that SFA precludes human interaction. Regardless of the effectiveness of your data input and workflow streamlining, employees will certainly still confer with one another and meet with clients. The human element is reduced, however, because some of the previously necessary discussions are concluded automatically. You might consider discussing the possibility of that loss with your employees and at least a few of your more important clients. If they’re hesitant about a business environment with fewer face-to-face meetings or direct calls, you should probably introduce SFA slowly if you still feel it necessary.

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