Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? Marketing Strategy Analysis & Solution

Marketing & Sales Case Study Analysis and Solution

At Fern Fort University, we use Harvard Business Review (HBR) marketing principles and framework to analyze Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? case study. Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? is a Harvard Business Review case study written by Robert M. Barker, Stephan F. Gohmann, Jian Guan, David J. Fauldsfor the students of Sales & Marketing. The case study also include other relevant topics and learning material on – Sales, Technology

Strategic Marketing Analysis of Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? case study written by Robert M. Barker, Stephan F. Gohmann, Jian Guan, David J. Faulds will comprise following sections –

• Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? Case Description
• Marketing Definition
• Market Potential Analysis of Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing?
• Market Share Potential Analysis
• Segmentation and Segment Attractiveness Analysis
• Competition and Competitiveness Analysis of Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing?
• Customer Value Analysis of Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? case study

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Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? Marketing Case Description

Sales & Marketing Case Study | Authors :: Robert M. Barker, Stephan F. Gohmann, Jian Guan, David J. Faulds

Sales force automation (SFA) is the use of software to automate sales tasks, including sales activities, order processing, customer management, sales forecasting and analysis, sales force management, and information sharing. An SFA system is often part of an enterprise-wide information system that connects and integrates sales activities with the organization's other operations. Therefore, SFA software is not only a tool critical to the success of today's sales force, but is also vital to the entire organization. SFA has the potential to empower companies to more efficiently manage their sales force and sales processes, to automate and standardize sales activities, and to connect the sales force with the rest of the organization. The value of these potential benefits in terms of lower costs or increased revenues has encouraged businesses to adopt SFA. Once adopted, however, SFA systems often fail to deliver anticipated benefits. The leading cause of SFA failures has been revealed as low user acceptance, which can be attributed to such factors as the disruption of established sales routines, sales force perception of the system as a micromanagement tool, differences in sales force and managerial expectations for the system, and lack of managerial support for the system as perceived by the sales force. Given these circumstances, managers who are aware of the major issues surrounding user acceptance of SFA will be more successful in implementing such systems. This article explores the utilization of SFA, the benefits derived from these systems, and user acceptance issues. Herein, we offer suggestions that will help organizations succeed in adopting SFA systems.

Sales, Technology

Marketing Definition

According to American Marketing Association – Marketing is a set of activities that a firm undertakes for creating, communicating, delivering, & exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

Kotler explains - Marketing is a process by which organizations can create value for its potential and current customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value in return.

Market Potential Analysis of Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing?

Market potential analysis comprises evaluating the overall market size of the related product that the firm is planning to launch. This will involve defining – Why the target market segment needs the product and how it will provide a solution to full its consumers’ needs. Market potential of Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? products various on factors such as –

• Maturity of the market. In mature markets the profitability is often stable but the market potential is less as most of the players have already taken market share based on the segment they are serving. New players have to go for market share strategies in marketing.
• Technological competence of the existing players and culture of innovation and development in the industry.
• Untapped market sizes and barriers to both enter the market and serving the customers. Often companies can easily see the unfulfilled needs in the markets but they are difficult to serve as there are costly barriers.
• Define the core need that your product is serving and list out all the direct and indirect competitors in the market place. This will help not only in positioning of the product but also in defining or creating a segment better.
• Uncovering the current and untapped market sizes and barriers to serving the larger market. Analyze the areas that you need to sort out while launching the products to wider market and what are the challenges the firm will face in market place.
• Estimate the current stage in product life cycle and its implications for marketing decisions for the product.

Market Share Potential Analysis

• Understanding the buyer behavior model for Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing?industry.
• Identifying the market share drivers relevant to Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? market.
• Segment Attractiveness Analysis – Our analysis will work out which are the most attractive segments and which are the one the firm should go ahead and target. We point out in great detail which segments will be most lucrative for the company to enter.
• Understanding the different needs and relative value of your offering by segment.
• Developing segment priorities and positioning the product based on the product need fit developed by the firm.

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Competition & Competitive Position Analysis

• Uncovering customer-based competitive positions for key rivals and firm’s offering. This will not only help in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors but also help in defining and positioning of the product.
• Developing a positioning and launching strategy. It will require not only distribution channel analysis but also promotion mix for the product.
• Strategic Marketing Planning — the process of developing and maintaining a strategic fit between the organization’s objectives and capabilities and the ever evolving marketing opportunities for its products.

Why Is My Sales Force Automation System Failing? - Customer Value Analysis

Capturing customer value is essential to marketing efforts as it results in higher return in the form of both current & future sales, greater market share, and higher profits. By creating superior customer value, the organization can create highly satisfied customers who stay loyal and buy more. This, in turn, means greater long-run returns for the firm.

• The crucial role of customer perceived value in acquiring and retaining profitable customers. Product differentiation is often based on building on a value niche that a firm believes that is very important to the customer. This niche contributes to perceived value. If the perceived value is high then customer stay loyal to the product if not then she can switch to the competitor’s product.
• Graphically displaying value differences for deeper understanding and better internal communication. This helps is building a narrative that a customer can identify with. The better the insight more are the chances of connecting with the potential customers.
• Identifying and selecting actionable value creation options. This can help in increasing the customer lifetime value. Customer lifetime value is the value of the entire stream of purchases that the customer would make over a lifetime of patronage.

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