Effective Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management: A Focus on Selection and Implementation
A Focus on Selection and Implementation
Published on 16. September 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
123 pages
978-1-60649-127-0 (ISBN)
Description
As we move deeper into the 21st century, Firms continue to struggle with the implementation of sales force technology tools and the role they play in sales representative performance. Foreseeing this changing environment, many sales organizations have begun to focus on technology-related strategies, business processes, and applications to adapt to these emerging issues.With this in mind, sales force technology usage has changed the methods of selling. Salespeople are no longer selling just a 'product'; instead, they are providing a valuable 'solution' to customer problems. Salespeople now act as consultant or experts and provide customized solutions. This role requires salespeople to develop a technological orientation to access, analyze, and communicate information in order to establish a strong relationship with customers. Sales technology enables salespeople answering the queries of customers to effectively provide competent solutions. This leads to strong relationships between a salesperson and a customer. Thus, technology tools are used not only for smoothing the work process, but also have strategic utilizations.With the advent and adoption of technological tools at exponential rates, many firms have witnessed the failure of their technology initiatives. The purpose of this book is to outline the important steps that must be considered and adhered to during a sales technology implementation. Perhaps the most important aspect covered within this book is that technology usage is both a strategy and a tool; therefore, we outline both strategic considerations as well as implementation procedures throughout each chapter. It is important to consider all the steps and the necessary actions that will need to take place before making the initial investment in technology; then and only then will the technology have its intended effect.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Sterling Forest
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight
192 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-60649-127-0 (9781606491270)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Raj Agnihotri
Effective Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management
A Focus on Selection and Implementation
E-Book
07/2010
Business Expert Press
€6.49
Available for download
Persons
Dr. Raj Agnihotri is the dean's fellow in marketing and the director of sales initiative at Ivy College of Business, Iowa State University. Previously, Raj held the first John Merrill Endowed Professorship in Consultative Sales at the University of Texas at Arlington and Robert H. Freeman Professor of Sales Leadership and Marketing chair at Ohio University. Before entering academia, Raj held a number of sales and marketing positions with start-up ventures for major global corporations. He currently serves on the advisory boards of several technology startups based in the US and Europe. Raj is also involved in executive education and has given sales seminars to industry professionals from North America, Brazil, Europe, and India. He served on the faculty of Samson Global Leadership Program at Cleveland Clinic from 2014 to 2017 and taught health administrators from across the world.Raj has published over 35 articles in leading scholarly journals and has presented papers at over 50 national and international conferences. He serves on the editorial review board of Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, and Marketing Management Journal. A recipient of the prestigious 2011 James M. Comer Award for the best contribution to selling and sales management theory, Raj's dissertation on salesperson competitive intelligence won the 2010 Best Dissertation Award from American Marketing Association. Raj has also received the 2017 Citation of Excellence Award from Emerald, the 2012 Bright Idea Award from NJPRO Foundation, the 2012 Stanley Hollander Award from Academy of the 2017 Doctoral Students' Mentor of the Year award from College of Business at UT Arlington, the 2012 Advisor of the Year Award from William Paterson University, and the 2008 Marketing Science, the 2010 McGraw Hill/Steven J. Shaw Award from Society for Marketing Advances, and the 2008 Next Gen Award from AMA Sales SIG and University of Houston.Raj is a passionate teacher and he was awarded the 2014 Hormel Excellence in Teaching Award for his innovative teaching practices. He has also received Golden M Teaching Award in marketing at Kent State University. A firm believer in experiential learning, Raj launched Maverick Sales Club at UT-Arlington, Consumer Research Center at Ohio University, Professional Sales Club at William Paterson University of New Jersey, among other initiatives.