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Business Services Industry

High-Tech Handshakes

Entrepreneur, August, 2000 by Cassandra Cavanah

Bring your sales force up to speed with the latest tools.

There's no question that computers--and the software that runs them--have done a lot to change the way products and services are sold. For one thing, they've enabled salespeople to throw out their Rolodexes. Contact managers, like ACT! and Gold-Mine, have changed the way salespeople interact with their customers--automating follow-up letters and e-mails, prompting phone calls (even dialing phones!) and enabling prospecting off companies' Web sites.

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The Internet and handheld devices are adding a new dimension to the concept of sales automation, and the advent of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software programs is taking customer interaction to a new level. Whether your company maintains a sales force of five or 50, there are plenty of new programs, services and tools out there worth a closer look.

BEST BETS

* Winning the negotiation: Solid negotiating tactics will serve you well anywhere--like when you need to ink that major deal. [Win.sup.2] from Binary Research International (www.binaryresearch.net) promises to take you through negotiations by recommending strategies to use to get what you want and predicting the strategies the other party might use. Endorsed by leading negotiator Gerard Nierenberg, author of The Art of Negotiating (Nierenberg Publishing), [Win.sup.2] helps you establish the right negotiation tactic by giving you quick answers or detailed analysis. It even takes ethics into account. Cost: $179 (street), or you can download a trial copy for free from the Web site.

* Make a proposal: A solid proposal can be key. Sales Proposal-Architect from SalesProposals.com (www.salesproposals.com) guides users through the proposal-design process. Rather than fully automating the process, the software works with you to analyze potential customers' needs and objectives. The software is based on two books by Bob Kantin: Quality Selling Through Quality Proposals (South-Western Publishing) and Strategic Proposals: Closing the Big Deal (Vantage Press). Cost: $99.95, street (program requires Microsoft Word).

* Hit the road: Xerox is in the business of helping companies manage documents, so get the idea of copy machines out of your mind when it comes to thinking about Xerox. To this end, Xerox Mobile Solutions has recently launched MobileDoc, software that lets sales professionals gain access to documents on your network on the road without a computer. Instead, your sales force will make use of a mobile device, like a mobile phone or pager, to access a document and then e-mail or fax it anywhere. Pricing depends on the solution. Cost: based on licensing agreement.

* Keep in touch: If you want to take your sales automation to the Web, look to Salesforce.com (www.salesforce.com). This sales-automation tool works much like a traditional contact manager--complete with to-do lists, calendars and contact management--but its Web-based architecture lets you access competitive information on your customers from partners like Dow Jones and Hoovers. Because it's on the Net, you'll be able to easily share information with your sales team. A forecast section lets you monitor various opportunities; reporting functions make it possible to analyze what your sales force is doing. Of course, putting all that data on the Web could be a security nightmare. However, Salesforce.com promises a completely secure environment. And because we're not always hooked to the Web, data from Salesforce.com can be downloaded to Microsoft Outlook 2000 and can be synchronized with a Palm device. Cost: Salesforce.com is offering one-year, five-user service free of charge; additional users cost $50 monthly .

* Keep in touch: A successful sales team must be in constant communication and sharing information, feedback and potential leads, and huddling to strategize new and improved sales tactics. Yet the sales process often makes sales professionals feel isolated. As the original "road warriors" and remote-office dwellers, salespeople are often islands unto themselves. With HotOffice (www.hotoffice.com), your sales manager can keep tabs on the sales force no matter where they are. HotOffice, a virtual office on the Web that features e-mail, a group calendar, document storage and sharing, contact management, business research and more. HotOffice can also be used for real-time conferences, eliminating the costs of expensive phone calls. Document-management capabilities let you rest assured that your sales force has the most up-to-date documentation at its fingertips. Cost: Sign up for free (if you're willing to view some advertising) or pay $12.95 per month per user.

* Net gains: ACT! is without a doubt the leading contact manager. The program was recently acquired by SalesLogix, a major CRM solutions provider, from Symantec. Expect some major changes for this sales-tool mainstay in coming months. SalesLogix has already changed its name to Interact Commerce Corp., and a Web site has been launched (www.interact.com) that promises to integrate the power of the Internet with the muscle of ACT!. Interact will bring the Web to your contact manager, letting you book travel arrangements, buy targeted leads, gather up-to-date news and stock quotes, create e-mail marketing campaigns, send gifts and incentives, and even get advice from experts. Cost: varies--some are free and some are subscription-based.

Business Services Industry

High-Tech Handshakes

Entrepreneur, August, 2000 by Cassandra Cavanah

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