Sales Force Automation: Managing CRM and ERP Solutions

CRM applications started as simple contact-management software that salespeople ran on their PCs. Then vendors began to develop products that automated a larger number of processes and tied together

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

• Contact manager. A CRM solution must have a powerful yet easy-to-use contact manager to track sales leads; it should give you instant access to relevant information about your clients.
• Marketing encyclopedia. This feature includes base of information about different vertical industries, competitors, and products. It's a valuable tool that diminishess research time and informs you of your clients' needs.
• Forecasting module. The forcasting module lets you analyze where and when leads are generated. This information helps you to determine how to spend advertising and marketing budgets in the future.