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Sales Force Automation Software and CRM Software: 3 Main Differences

There is confusion about what is CRM and Sales Force Automation Software. Often, it is believed that both solutions are the same or that SFA is simply a feature available to any CRM.

What difference do both solutions have? How are they able to integrate to achieve great results for your company? Let's read all this in the blog. Read on!

What do CRM and SFA stand for?

Before proceeding on the topic, it is necessary to know the full names of SFA and CRM software. So, CRM is an acronym that stands for Customer Relationship Management. The key word is "relationship", which focuses on customer-company relationships.

On the other hand, SFA is an acronym that stands for Sales Force Automation. In this case, the key word is "automation", which focuses on improving sales by using an automation tool.

After knowing the full names of these tools, let’s get further to learn the specific jobs of both tools next.

What Does Sales Force Automation Software Do?

An SFA tool focuses on increasing the sales team's productivity by automating repetitive tasks in the sales cycle. These repetitive tasks may include contact & expense management and document sharing. In short, the Sales Force Automation Software is designed to digitize the sales processes that help increase brand sales.

Some of its basic functions include:

Customer Management: All customers, prospects, and leads details in one place. Whether it's general client information or meetings history, an SFA handles it all.

Design and achievement of specific sales objectives for the company.

Allows tight control on Daily & Travel Allowances (DA/TA) and other expenses.

Manages new customers and reports on the performance of the sales team's work.

Generation of insights through information for better decision-making.

What does Customer Relationship Management Software Do?

This tool is used to manage interactions with a customer throughout the sales cycle. Its purpose is to store all the interaction info and data related to say client on a single platform.

Furthermore, cloud-based CRM software allows companies to access information from anywhere. Additionally, a CRM tool includes features that provide real-time visual/graphical data about company-customer relationship status. This tool is crucial for businesses as it is responsible for growing relationships with our clients (customer service, marketing, sales...).

The main functions of a CRM are:

Definition of the customer profile, including buy history, habits, preferences, demographic data, etc.

Follow-up of communications with the client like last calls, raised queries, last visit made, open issues, etc.

Response to marketing and sales campaigns.

Finally, after learning all the specific jobs of both tools, let’s jump on to our core topic: Sales Force Automation Software vs. CRM.

Main Difference between SFA and CRM

It is possible that you find yourself in the dilemma of choosing which is the best tool for your sales force team. Which is better: SFA or CRM? Here are the three main differences between these two applications.

1. Pre-sale vs. Maximise billing

Although both technologies seek to ease the burden of the sales force team, each tool focuses on different areas. Thus, CRM focuses solely on the pre-sales management part of customer relationships. It manages the interactions, mailings, complaints, consultations, meetings, purchase history, etc.).

The SFA, on the other hand, brings together the entire customer life cycle. Whether from managing new customers to monitoring and reporting, sales force automation software does it all. Leveraging the automation of recurring tasks allows sales reps to focus on other important tasks.

If you need a tool capable of giving you a holistic and transversal vision of your sales department, you will need sales force automation system. If you only want to deal with the customer management part, with a CRM, you will have enough.

2. Data Recording Strategies vs. Automation

The concept of CRM affects the set of strategies that companies use to interact with their customers.

CRM focuses mostly on data collection, intending to enhance each customer's experience. For example, this tool allows you to enter information about the demands of the prospects so that when the sales force team prepares the commercial visit, it can offer a solution to your concerns.

The concept not only refers to the technology that allows this type of action but also refers to the comprehensive customer management strategy. When we talk about SFA Software, we refer only to automating and optimising sales.

SFA, in addition to the client management interface, also includes modules that allow the automation of other actions. It facilitates the sales force team to generate follow-up reports or the planning of visit routes.

In other words, the SFA is an app that can provide a comprehensive vision of the sales process from before it occurs until the final follow-up.

3. Vision a stage of the Sales Process vs. Transversal Vision

While it is true that CRM serves to guide customer relationships, it has an analytical depth about customer behaviour. On the other hand, SFA Software allows you to measure and analyse the tasks performed by the sales force team.

Further, the Sales Force Automation Software provides data visibility of a product at the point of sale, the lead status, total expenses, and efficient visit routes based on geographic proximity.

There is no need to choose between the two solutions as both are complementary. In fact, the SFA integrates most of the customer management functionalities that a CRM integrates. It all depends on what you need. But what are the benefits of integrating both tools? Below is the answer. Continue reading!

Benefits of Integrating CRM and Sales Force Automation Software

One of the most common misconceptions is that a business can select between the two.

When we integrate one with the other, the benefit for the company is multiplied. It is just like having two sales agents instead of one at one cost.

In short, the integration of SFA and CRM can positively impact and maximise the company's productivity. When integrated, you have control over all crucial aspects of business: customer, sales, and marketing. Therefore, there is no need to choose between the two solutions as both are complementary. So choose wisely after recognising your requirements.

Conclusion

From a sales point of view, a CRM and an SFA are the ideal partners. Our sales team and our supervisors will be able to consult all the information in real time about each client. Overall, it’s clear that building good customer relationships is key to retaining and building customer loyalty. In this sense, CRM plays a fundamental role. At the same time, the Sales Force Automation Software allows us to optimize and automate tasks to serve the customer in a personalized way. Hope this blog helped.