Field Sales Management Software vs. CRM: Understanding the Distinctions

While searching for sales management software, businesses tend to think of CRM or Customer Relationship Management. However, it’s important to note that CRM is not the most effective solution for all your business needs. It is vital to equip your sales team with the best sales software. Selecting a field sales software depends on factors like the nature of your business, the sales cycle, distribution of your inside sales and field sales teams, documentation needed, time spent on the field, and much more.

The common misconception that a lot of businesses have is that a field sales management solution and CRM are one and the same. Though there might be certain similarities between the two, it should be noted that field sales management (FSM) is built for an entirely different purpose.

Comparing Field Sales Management Software and CRM

Field sales management software assists businesses in streamlining and optimizing the efficiency of field sales activities, while a CRM tool helps manage customer communications throughout the complete lifecycle. It integrates all functions in an organization and tracks down all interactions with a lead starting from first contact to closure. An effective CRM acts like a nurturing tool to convert a lead into a prospect and finally convert it.

Nevertheless, if a business has field operations and the leads are required to be passed to your field sales team for closure, you would need a dedicated tool for field sales management or a mobile CRM for the field. Field sales management software is equipped with all the important features that make field activity productive and efficient. Thus, a field CRM functions quite differently from a traditional CRM as it caters to critical business needs instead of regular ones that concern sales funnel management.

Reasons You Need Dedicated Field Sales Management Solution

Let’s understand how a field sales management tool works with an example. Say you are a financial institution that provides doorstep banking to your customers. Your field force would need to go to the doorstep of customers to complete the process. For this, you would have to set up appointments, allocate the tasks to the relevant resource, take the right route to reach the customer at the required time, and ultimately do the needed KYC for the purpose of customer onboarding. A field sales management tool will help craft the whole journey for you. With the help of a mobile app for your field force, a field sales management solution allows you to efficiently track the entire lead management cycle.

A reliable field CRM helps you with the following:

• Real-time updates on your field resources
• Automated and intelligent field task allocation
• E-capturing of data and documents
• Analysis of field KPIs to make way for improvement
• Advantage of optimized routes for time and fuel savings

Advantages of Field Sales Management Software Over CRM

Automation of Field Tasks

CRM maintains the flow of communication by compiling all the information concerning a customer and taking into account the requirements of customers from time to time. However, field sales management software effectively automates the field tasks allowing your field agents to use their time more effectively and complete the field jobs on time. The software offers improved features like live tracking and route optimization ensuring overall transparency.

Monitoring the Performance of the Sales Team

CRM and field sales management, both help boost team performance. Alerts and updates are sent in real-time in both tools allowing the respective team members to take the required action. The automation of processes ensures that the time to take action is reduced. Nevertheless, field sales software deals with team performance monitoring related to field jobs, whereas, CRM is concerned with managing the sales updates of customers. For example, if a field sales agent receives an alert about a route with heavy traffic, they are automatically guided to an optimized route, allowing them to complete their task without any hassle or worry. A CRM tool will not be able to do the same. Thus, investing in dedicated software for field sales management is always a wise decision.

Improving Field Performance Efficiency

CRM helps a company plan its sales forecasts effectively by tracking down all the communications with a customer or lead. This allows sales teams to upsell or cross-sell their products to their existing customers. A field sales solution analyzes the productivity of the field workforce in terms of the number of jobs closed in a day, the SLAs being met, or the tracking of agent ETAs. Such insights help in improving the field processes and customize them towards making field performance more effective.

Reporting Crucial Sales Data

CRM dashboards are adept at dealing with customer-centric data like tracking customer service requests and marketing campaigns. Field reports, on the other hand, retrieve important field data insights. These include things like the amount of time taken by the agent to reach the location, time taken to complete the job, the route used and whether it’s the right one, if any time is being wasted on the field, etc. Such a level of visibility into the field operations helps companies effectively identify the areas that may need any improvement. The time spent on the field on different tasks needs to be made the best use of as the same time could be utilized for completing more jobs or doing the jobs in an efficient manner.

Key Differences Between CRM and Field Sales Management

A CRM system allows you to closely observe your top deals and review their progress. This includes carefully considering your sales communications to your customers and the way customers are being handled at different stages and closing any gap if it’s there.

A field sales management solution helps effectively monitor field operations and the efficiency of the field force. It is focused more on improving the performance of the workforce through task automation, scheduling the relevant resource, and making way for the required service delivery. Your field force gets access to a mobile app to boost their field sales and improve their service journey. Above all, a field sales solution acts as a mentor for your field force and guides them to take the right steps at different stages in the field journey. It offers a certain depth to your sales funnel, helping you track the productivity of your field operations.