Cerado

(This article originally appeared in DestinationCRM, November 18, 2002.)

Today’s sales analysis software is primarily focused on analyzing and tracking the mechanical aspects of the sales process up to the point where a deal is won or lost. This includes tasks such as lead, opportunity, and forecast management. Even assuming that every deal is diligently tracked in the system from time of first contact with the customer until the time the deal is completed (which, as anyone who has worked with a field sales organization can tell you, is a huge assumption), these systems often fall short. Today’s sales management systems don’t implement or enforce processes to enable organizations to obtain an unbiased understanding of what really caused a deal to be won or lost. They fail to adequately capture and disseminate the feedback of customers, prospects, or the sales reps.

The greatest failing is that systems are not in place to actively reach out and get the facts from customers and prospects. The causes of this are two-fold: systems and processes are not in place to perform these functions, and it is challenging for an organization to go out to a customer or prospect and get unbiased information.

Most sales management and analysis systems are concerned with the who’s what’s, and when’s of a deal (who is the prospect, what is the size of the deal, when is it supposed to close), and not the why’s (why is this prospect going to make a decision, why would it choose us over a competitor). Even now, it’s still mostly contact management and pipeline tracking.

Even if systems and processes are in place to capture win-loss information, if a prospect chooses a competitor that prospect may be reticent to tell an organization the real reason why it lost. External systems and processes are often required to capture and synthesize this knowledge.

From an internal perspective, the story is similar. While what’s in place may help an organization to gain a gross understanding of the size of the pipeline, it often does not adequately capture the voices of the reps on the front line who were competing in the deals. Processes need to be woven into the organizational fabric, both in software and in the company’s culture, to actively listen and learn from the field why they are actually winning and losing deals, and share that information with the rest of the organization.

Cerado today announced the availability of its new win/loss analysis service, which analyzes information and provides tangible recommendations based on direct interactions with customers and prospects. The new service will allow organizations to tailor their activities based on real customer feedback, and provide a direct link not only to customers, but also to prospects that may have chosen a competitor in a recent sales cycle.

This service strengthens the relationship between an organization and its customers and prospects. Subscribers to this service will get regular reports and recommendations for action based on live conversations with customers and, perhaps more importantly, prospects who may have chosen a competitor. Although in the past it has been notoriously difficult to obtain this kind of primary information, Cerado’s proven process and relentless execution enable an organization to predictably receive it on a regular basis.

This service is available immediately, and features a risk-free pricing model based on actual results delivered.