Miller Heiman Announces Sales Access Manager for Salesforce.com; New Solution Integrates Sales Process for Improved Results

Business Wire, Nov 1, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO -- Miller Heiman, a global sales process consulting and training company, today announced Sales Access Manager(SM) for salesforce.com. Debuting at Dreamforce 2004, salesforce.com's (NYSE:CRM) annual user and developer conference, Sales Access Manager(SM) helps companies improve sales effectiveness by extending the reach and accessibility of an organization's sales process.

Available today, Sales Access Manager(SM) integrates salesforce.com's CRM solution with Miller Heiman's Strategic Selling(R) sales methodology and the BlueSheet(SM) planning tool. Salesforce.com users can now manage sales opportunities using the Strategic Selling(R) methodology directly from the salesforce.com interface.

"Sales Access Manager(SM) helps companies use CRM for better account strategy and planning, sales funnel productivity, and for making more effective resource allocation decisions," said Damon Jones, chief operating officer, Miller Heiman.

According to preliminary results of the 2005 Miller Heiman Sales Effectiveness Study, which has surveyed over 3,000 sales professionals to date:

--25% of sales professionals effectively use CRM for account strategy and planning

--28% of sales professionals effectively use CRM to move opportunities through the funnel

--33% of sales professionals find CRM beneficial to their overall job.

"We believe Sales Access Manager(SM) will help companies overcome these challenges," Jones said.

Miller Heiman's Strategic Selling(R) sales methodology and the associated BlueSheet(SM) planning tool helps sales professionals develop a customer-focused strategy for managing sales opportunities. The Strategic Selling(R) sales methodology helps salespeople plan and report opportunities with greater accuracy, achieve better close ratios, and shorten sales cycles.

Sales Access Manager(SM) for salesforce.com integrates Miller Heiman's proven sales process into salesforce.com's CRM system creating an ideal combination of technology and sales process. Sales Access Manager(SM) will provide sales managers greater visibility into their sales team's funnels and productivity, while improving salespeople's ability to consistently develop strategies and tactics to win business faster.

For the past 26 years, Miller Heiman has helped companies win business consistently by applying a customer-focused, process-driven approach to selling. To date, more than 10,000 companies and one million sales professionals worldwide have embraced this process.

Miller Heiman's Conceptual Selling(R) and Large Account Management Process(SM) methodologies and associated planning tools will be available as integrated salesforce.com offerings in December 2004.

Visit Miller Heiman at booth #36 during the Dreamforce 2004 conference for a demonstration of Sales Access Manager(SM).

About Miller Heiman

Miller Heiman, Inc. is a global sales process consulting and training company. The company's team of world-class sales consultants helps organizations dramatically improve sales productivity through consistent, field-ready processes, benchmarking tools, development programs, and process consulting.

Best known for its time-tested Strategic Selling(R) program, Miller Heiman provides solutions for introducing a consistent sales process throughout an organization, identifying the strengths and weaknesses inherent in every sales force, and ensuring the cultural indoctrination of training programs.

With a prestigious client list including KLA-Tencor, BAX Global, Marriott Corporation, Dow Chemical, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Pepsi, Schwab Institutional, and Wells Fargo, Miller Heiman understands the issues and challenges facing sales leaders in virtually every major industry, from manufacturing and consumer goods, to technology and finance.

Miller Heiman is headquartered in Reno, Nevada. For more information, visit www.millerheiman.com or call 1-877-552-1747.