CRM

Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM)



Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM)

Question 1: Critically Discuss How The Use Of It In Support Of The Sales Force May Develop Further In The Next Few Years.

Organizations, all over the world, have a valid reason for evaluating their sales forces and selling strategies because consumers are increasingly using online channels to buy a product or services of companies around the globe. Customers have no value for a company who has traditional strengths of product-education and in-use applications. Therefore, companies need to invest in IT for supporting sales force as the time is changing rapidly and it has become important to accommodate customers who take an active role in the buying process (Gundlach et al. 2005: pp. 78-93).

The use of IT support will develop in the future in the sense that all operations of the sales force will be handled and operated by company's IT infrastructure. However, for that purpose, every company will have to invest money in its sales force to provide the sales team enough knowledge of not only the product or service, but customer knowledge after-sales services. Also, currently only companies in IT industry are investing money for training of sales force, but in the near future, companies all over the world, regardless of industry, will include training programs for ensuring the programs take into account the management responsibilities that are need to be fulfilled by sales force (Grossman 1998: pp. 27-40).

A company will be judged with the flexibility, technical expertise, training and strategically focus on people. Each of these traits is discussed below:

Flexibility refers to the sales force, who accepts changes as to adapt to company's strategic directions. In addition, technical expertise refers to the sales people, who should be well-trained with the IT system of the company, and they must have real-time access to information that can be demanded by customers. These people should feel comfortable while using the new technology for helping them in selling the company's products and services. In addition, these people should also train customers about new technology that can help them in gaining information and placing an order online.

Training: Salespeople should get training focused on improved selling and service skills. Product-oriented training does not help the sales force develop the consultative skills needed for success. Companies should consider augmenting the classroom training with on-line refresher courses on sales tactics (Dwyer et al. 2007: pp. 11-27).

Focus ...