From CRM to sales management: why take the plunge?
Sales Management software is the perfect tool for steering companies. This discipline goes further than customer relations, covering pre- and post-purchase events that have an impact on CRM quality. Today, stimulated by e-commerce and the importance of service quality in marketing strategies, sales management is becoming more widespread in all companies. Find out all our advice on the use and challenges of sales management.
What is the purpose of sales management?
Sales Management is designed to optimize a company's value chain by pooling internal processes. In other words, it's all about sharing a single database and a single application for inventory management, purchasing, customer relations, invoicing and delivery.
It makes sense for a company to equip itself with such a solution if it is confronted with three dimensions: products or services, customers and suppliers.
What you stand to gain and lose
The vast majority of companies equip themselves with a CRM to manage customer acquisition and retention. CRMs are often agile and don't call into question all internal processes. Sales management software, on the other hand, generates value by optimizing the company's nervous system: the operation is therefore more delicate and may entail certain risks.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| ✔ Increased service quality (fewer delays and errors) ✔ Reduced costs (better inventory management, process optimization) ✔ Improved profitability (price adjustments, better monitoring of unpaid invoices) ✔ Reduction of administrative tasks (accounting, invoices, quotes, purchase orders, etc.) ✔ Better understanding of the business (business analysis, dashboards, reports) |
✖ Costly implementation linked to project management if support is required ✖ Risk of adding cumbersome procedures or frustrations if the software is not fully adapted or not very scalable |
All in all, sales management software offers real management comfort, and reveals numerous levers for increasing your company's profitability. The rising stars of e-commerce have made sales management a pillar of their profitability.
Which sales management software should you use?
Halfway between CRM and ERP, sales management software is not always easy to identify. Here are a few solutions (non-exhaustive list with their advantages):
- Donzat: Donzat Gestion commerciale is a comprehensive solution that goes beyond the functionalities mentioned above, offering HR functions such as employee and skills management. The solution's editorial team is a source of excellent advice.
- EBP: EBP Gestion Commerciale is a solution that provides extensive functional coverage while offering a pleasant user experience. EBP Gestion Commerciale is suitable for both small and medium-sized businesses.
- Sage: Sage Gestion Commerciale offers an excellent level of security, enabling you to comply with legal requirements at every level. Sage customers benefit from 25 years' experience and a robust, modern technical environment.
We strongly recommend that you compare software on the basis of the criteria you require. Most software publishers also offer free one-month trials, enabling you to evaluate their solutions.
Article translated from French