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Ten Tips for a Successful Sales Automation Rollout

1. Enlist an executive sponsor who is committed and visible. This person needs the power to marshal resources, the determination to see the project succeed, and the ability to communicate enthusiasm to the user community.
   
   
2. Analyze the current sales process. Don't automate faulty processes. Instead, tune them up for maximum effectiveness and efficiency before designing the new system.
   
   
3. Focus on business needs, not technology. A system that is techno centric will quickly fall into disuse. One that helps the sales force sell and earn more will be well received.
   
   
4. Form a broad-based executive steering committee. Choose managers representing every functional unit whose processes the system will alter.
   
   
5. Start with a project that will yield a quick win. Credibility comes with success. Gain experience before tackling more complex undertakings.
   
   
6. Involve project team members from every affected functional group. Be sure to look for a cross-section of computer skill levels. Don't let the most technical people call the shots.
   
   
7. When it comes to requirements, sales rules. The sales organization knows its own needs best.
   
   
8. In matters of implementation, IS leads. Technical professionals should set the standards, and choose products and vendors to ensure that all of the enterprise's systems work in harmony.
   
   
9. Be sure each side understands the other's concerns. IS should take the time to understand how the sales function works. The sales organization needs to understand the importance of interoperating systems.
   
   
10. Be flexible: negotiate and compromise. The goal is the good of the company, not a win for one group or another. Strive for solutions that everyone can live with.