Sales Process Management

In 2000 I developed a Sales process management system using ACT II, by Symantec. This product was later sold to Saleslogix Corporation.
The the system essentially helper in the following way:
1. Aid the sales people to schedule their calls in a better way.
2. Plan, forecast and achieve their budgets in a better way.
3. Monitor these calls sales person wise
4. To monitor these calls product-wise
5. Have an updated history on any client.
i) How the system works?
There will be a main system at the HO, which is installed on a single machine. At every Branch the same package is installed, which has to be updated with the daily schedules of the sales person.
Every day the branch sends the update via email to the main unit at HO. The main system then updates its database, which can be used to generate relevant reports and track individual account, product or sales person.

ii) Tools required for implementation at branches
1) ACT CD
2) Floppy or CD with data structure
3) Floppy or CD with contact1 layout file
4) Floppy or CD with reports layout file
5) Database of each branch and the account assigned to each of the client.

iii) Process of installation in branches:
Day 1:
1) Install ACT software on the system
2) Check and configure modem and dialup properties where the email has to send through dialup
3) Set following settings
· Set word processor to Microsoft word
· Set email account.
· Replace Contact1 file in the layout subdirectory
· Copy reports in reports sub directory
· Set up all groups.
· Set up logins for each user.
4) Set database structure by importing copy of data structure from Data-structure floppy or CD.
5) Import existing Data from their Database or excel sheets
6) Assign each account to relevant product groups and Sales Person

Day 2:
1) Train the salesperson to schedule calls
2) Train people to set groups and new logins.
3) Train them to assign new accounts
4) Use letter and mail-merge facility
5) Solve problems.

iv) Checklist of todo’s while installing system at branches:

1) Check whether all fields have been imported on the database. Ensure Contact layout and Reports structures have been copied in their respective directory.
2) Check whether all existing database is imported to this system.
3) Update the Agency list with all agency names.
4) Time schedule on updating system and deleting unwanted records. (Monthly Backups in different file etc.)
5) Set up Email Account
6) Set up Scheduling activities
7) Ensure before going to branches the following things are setup
· Have a email account on their system
· Have their database ready for the required accounts
· Ensure that the branches have minimum hardware such as modem. Celeron 333 Mhz, Windows 95 with Office 97,
8) After system is setup do a test run of all data

v) IF’s and But’s:
a) If the branch doesnot have a excel sheet or DBF format of their database?
Ans: Tell the branch in advance about your plan of installation. Even then the database is not kept ready let the salespeople update their package on a daily basis and enter contact data on a daily basis and send it to HO on a regular basis.

b) But the sales people donot go out on calls on a regular basis and also make telephonic calls?
Ans: That is the reason why one has to write his comments or developments on a telephonic conversation in the notes column of the Notes and History section.

vi) Database maintenance
Data received from the branches will be taken as a combined backup on a weekly basis in the format ddmmmyyyy.zip.

The Regions database is programmed to purge in 90 days or on a quarterly basis.

Incase the older database has to be retrieved a parallel database is installed on the main system which can be used to retrieve these record and observe the changes.

Following reports can be generated from the Database, which a person might find useful.

1) Contact Report: This report gives you on a page the entire account details with its activities and Notes and History.
2) Contact Directory, PhoneList : Gives you an list of selected Contact info or Phone list, which is handy to carry around.
3) Notes/History Report: Gives an updated report on the Past, Present and Future status on the Contact.
4) History Summary Classic: This is an useful reports Which gives ata stretch the number of Meetings held with this customer and Who.
5) Activities and Time Spent Report: Gives an important insight into the Time spent with each of the client, by a sales person, and what were the outcome of such meets.
6) Contact Status Report: Gives an updated information on the status of each of the Contacts.
7) Individual Product Forecast Report: This report can be used by a person to find out their Yearly and Quarterly Forecast against their actual achievements.