Ajax, jsp and other technologies can make data entry easy for busy sales people. New online sales tools accept copy and paste, use type aheads, data grids and work flow like automatic lead updates and opty updates from directs and in-direct salespeople. Our goal as a CRM and online sales tool maker is to give our customers a platform to do all work in one view with one click. This is sales force automation. I define this by making data entry simple and easy for the sales team.
Heavy CRM, and we do offer one, is hard to use. This type of tool can be made easier by eliminating tabs/fields to make the interface simpler. These types of CRM tools are sold to the executive suite and the sales person, carrying the bag, is burdened, his bag is made heavier due to the data entry requirements of most CRM tools.
It seems that many small medium businesses, due to being pulled in all directions, can lose CRM tool focus. The hard drive to gain CRM momentum, like a big jet using all engines to gain speed and altitude, will weaken as negative feedback from users grows. The negative feedback strips off momentum, more users will use the CRM less and less and the CRM project will not pay off.
