Selling through a direct sales force, resellers, a telesales organization, or through the web—or a combination of these channels—makes it more difficult to consolidate critical sales data into one forecast. but with the right systems and sales practices, including oracle crm on demand, all the information you need to manage your sales is available.
companies with broad, complex product lines sell “solutions” with multiple stand-alone products and/or services—requiring teams of sales representatives reporting to different product groups. when forecast roll-up from the field may be scattered in multiple locations as a result.
Maximize your company’s sales pipeline management success
- have a clearly defined sales methodology ─ by standardizing on a crm application such as oracle crm on demand, an organization can ensure that its sales representatives are consistent in the language that is used and in the type of data collected.
- capture quantitative and qualitative information about each opportunity ─ creating a standardized system for collecting this customer information, ensure that the entire sales force is consistent in its reporting—allowing for much more accurate data analysis.
- focus on performance and effectiveness metrics ─ through robust sales force automation applications, companies can thoroughly analyze the range of performance and effectiveness indicators and understand the causes of sales performance via comparison and trend analysis with current and historical data.
- develop forecasts from multiple perspectives ─ triangulated forecasting using oracle crm on demand enable multiple departments to develop their own forecasts using a central source of data. this let’s companies to leverage several distinct assessments of their sales opportunities to analyze deeper.
- translate forecasts into action ─ forecasts must use the forecast to make real-time decisions across the enterprise.
Potential shortfalls alert management whether the underlying cause is related to weak demand, poor sales execution, or heightened competitor activity; it pinpoints whether the shortfall is linked to:
- particular sales region
- product line
- customer segment
once a company has diagnosed the cause(s) for the shortfall, it needs a targeted action plan with designated owners and clear timelines.
