The marketing machine behind the latest mobile devices and technology solutions is pumping furiously, and sales organizations are not immune to the promises in the offing. bInstant connectivity, smartphones with thousands of applications at your fingertips—what’s not to like
The real question, though, is not simply whether to go with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, or something else. The real question is, what are your organization’s needs?
That’s a more complex and nuanced question, one that you need to discuss not just inside your sales organization but also in meetings with your corporate peers. It’s not just about cool and powerful technologies, but also about cost of ownership, real productivity, corporate policies, information ownership, security, and how you want your sales organization to present itself in the field.
To determine your organization’s needs in the mobility space, consider the following 10 questions:
1. Which of my sales personnel should use a mobile device, and what are the top objectives to be covered with a mobility solution? Do your sales representatives need access to the latest information about customers and products anytime and anywhere?
Do your sales managers just need mobile dashboards that can tell them how the team is doing against metrics? Different needs may require different mobile devices and technologies, and it’s important to identify what your personnel need to do.
2. How can a mobile device fix some of the key pain points in your sales organization?
Do your sales personnel complain about lengthy decision-making processes? If your personnel could gain access to key decision-making criteria and workflow information on their mobile devices, you may be able to increase transparency and expedite decision making in the field.
3. What do different sales roles require in the way of device comfort, functionality etc.?
There remains a wide range of functionality among mobile devices and services. An iPad may provide a powerful platform for mobile applications, but it may be unwieldy if your sales representatives need only voice and text. Are your personnel willing to carry two devices, a smartphone and a tablet? And what about the question of customer etiquette? I’ve known customers to take offence if a sales representative opens a laptop in a meeting, but an iPad may be perceived as the ideal marriage of cutting-edge and discrete.
4. What are my company’s security requirements and how will this affect my sales teams?
Which devices and technologies would violate your company’s security policy? Would your organization be vulnerable if a sales representative lost a mobile device in the field? You’ll need to confer with your IT department and work together to develop a modern policy for mobility—one that can empower your field while protecting your flanks.
5. Would a hybrid approach to mobility be better? If you have different user groups within the sales organization—defined by role, perhaps, or geography (or both)—then an approach to mobility that assumes a common device or technology may not suffice. A hybrid solution—involving different kinds of devices and technologies, each one identified with a specific role or geography (or both)—might provide all your sales personnel with the support they need.
6. Do you want to allow your sales representatives to use (or choose) their own devices?
This approach may cut costs and increase mobile adoption rates, but it also raises its own thorny questions: Who is responsible for managing and maintaining the device? If your sales representative owns the device, can he or she also claim ownership of the information on the device—such as customer lists and contact information? The answer to this latter question turns out to depend on the country in which your employee lives—so it’s important to consider location when addressing this question.
7. Do you or your sales teams need a mobility experience that constantly pushes information to the field?
If your sales team needs the latest information at all times, then a system that aggressively pushes it to their mobile devices is critical. If they do not need that, then technologies that enable them to pull down information on demand may suffice. These approaches can have very different cost of ownership profiles, so a needs analysis on this point is important.
8. Do you need centralized device management?
Do you need the ability to shut down or wipe devices remotely if they are stolen or lost, or if the employee leaves the company? What about the ability to track devices and know where they are?
9. Do you need mobile application support for your sales teams?
Are the mobile applications readily available that will help your representatives accomplish the goals set out in question one? If so, you’re in great shape! If not, where will you get them? Who will maintain and support them? How will your representatives get these applications on their mobile devices
10. What flexibility do you need regarding customization of a mobile application?
Do your representatives’ applications need to be customized or configured to meet your organization’s needs? Do you constantly need to enhance/modify the applications to adapt to always changing business requirements? If so, does your organization have the resources to perform that customization? If not, how can you acquire that support
The mobile space is evolving rapidly. There’s no single answer to the question of what is best for Sales Leaders—it’s what is best for your organization and your personnel. With these questions in mind, you’re in a much better position to discuss how best to meet the mobile needs of your sales organization and develop a business case for the right decision.
Dietmar Bohn is Vice President Solution Management at SAP AG. He runs SAP’s Solution Management for the Line of Business Sales. Dietmar brings more than 10 years of CRM experience from both outside and inside SAP and more than 20 years of industry experience. Dietmar has held different management roles spanning CRM strategy projects, CRM implementation projects, CRM development and CRM product management.
Â
