Managing sales data and processes can be simplified using today's software solutions. While these applications used to be beyond the price range for most small businesses, they're now affordable. Moreover, they heighten the productivity of smaller companies.

These products automate nearly all of the tasks that salespeople and their support staffs once performed manually. As a category, these products are generally referred to as customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. Read more about CRM price options in Is CRM Feasible for Small Businesses?

CRM applications started as simple contact-management softwares that salespeople ran on their PCs. Then, vendors began to develop products that automated a larger number of processes, tying together all of the organization's sales data into one comprehensive source.

Though the features of a CRM solution can vary from product to product, there are a few industry-standard functions: