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Q: One of my sales reps has recommended a product she uses. She's the expert -- why shouldn't we just buy what she recommends?

A: Most sales automation packages are designed to meet the needs of the individual sales rep. While this creates happy sales reps, it doesn't necessarily mean that the program your reps love is appropriate for the company-wide sales and support process.

Why?

Because these programs nearly always lack the functionality you will need the most:

• Replication among various locations and laptops
• Security
• Inter-operability
• Configurability
• Computational reporting capabilities
• Database engine performance
• Flexible user-definable fields
• Nesting, linking and computational capabilities between fields

To be truly effective, your choice of automation software should focus on the flow of selling-oriented information in your company. Take a close look at the software your rep recommends and ask yourself the following questions:

• Can it provide the kinds of reports managers and reps will need?
• Can it track all the selling and sales support activities we want it to track?
• Can it provide the data the reps need, and does it present it on screen the way they want it to?
• How often will it update the data?
• Can it handle the type and volume of data the reps will input ?
• Can it provide the communication and data sharing needed between field sales, sales management, customer service, telemarketing, marketing support and customers?

If the software you're considering doesn't do at least all that, it will probably be a waste of your money and your reps' time.

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Q: My work group's offices are scattered throughout the county, and many team members are on the road all day, every day. Can GoldMine® meet their needs?

A: GoldMine® provides a variety of ways to share data with remote computers.

• GoldSync® allows employees to keep an entire database on laptops, and then synchronize with the resident database when they get back to the office.
• GoldMine Thin Client® allows users to log in to your office's home computer over the Internet, giving them access to applications stored there.
• GoldMine® Everywhere Web Server gives users the freedom to access customers, calendars, and key sales, service and marketing information in real time, from any remote location.

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Q: Each of my company's sales reps has purchased software of their own to keep track of their contacts. Why should I purchase a whole new system and force them to use it?

A: Have you ever taken a call from a sales rep in New York who had questions about a customer - questions you couldn't answer because the data existed in someone else's laptop currently en route to Atlanta?

As a sales manager, your need for accurate reporting is critical for the success of your company. And the only way to get accurate, timely reports is with a single, standardized database. You simply are not an effective team if you're all wearing different uniforms.

And don't worry about forcing your group to do anything. When they see GoldMine's powerful, easy-to-use features - and IMA's effective and helpful training - they'll thank you for the switch.

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Q: In my field, sales people need to store and retrieve technical information that most contact-tracking software doesn't support. How does GoldMine address this issue?

A: GoldMine's Info Center provides all the speed and convenience of an online help file. It allows you to store all the information to which your people need quick access -- pricing, mission statement, product specifications, weekly meeting minutes - anything. Users can search the Info Center by key words or subject categories and can print and fax anything they find.

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Q: My data is stored in an older database format. Will I have to rebuild them in GoldMine?

A: IMA's proprietary tool will convert your data and provide a seamless link between GoldMine and your database.