We recently analyzed interactions with 385 sales force automation (SFA) software buyers to assess why companies are evaluating SFA and what they most look for.

1. Software Advice BuyerView:
Sales Force Automation Report
Insight into today’s software buyer

2. Every year, Software Advice talks with thousands of professionals looking for the
right sales force automation (SFA) software for their company. We recently
analyzed a random selection of 385 interactions to determine the following:
• How are prospective SFA software buyers currently managing sales activities?
• Why are prospective buyers choosing to evaluate SFA software?
• Proportionally speaking, how many SFA buyers represent small or midsize
businesses, and how many represent larger companies?
Abstract

3. Buyers’ Current Methods of Managing Sales Activities
A surprising number of businesses continue to use manual methods to manage sales
activities. Just over 20 percent are replacing existing CRM or SFA software.
6%
3%
8%
17%
21%
22%
24%
Spreadsheets
Nothing
Email/contact manager
Commercial CRM
Industry specific software
Proprietary CRM/SFA
Other

4. Top Reasons for Evaluating SFA Software
62 percent of all buyers were evaluating SFA software to improve organization and
increase efficiency. Many also expressed dissatisfaction with their current methods.
Percent of sample
Improve efficiency/organization
Unhappy with current system
Need more/better features
Company growth/transition
Integration/compatibility issues
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
21%
5%
28%
33%
62%
11%
17%
24%
26%
62%
Small businesses (<50) Midsize/large businesses (>50)

5. Most Requested SFA Features
Percent of sample
Nearly all prospective buyers requested basic contact management, but fewer
asked for core SFA features like lead management (54%) or reporting (24%).
Contact management
Note-taking
Lead management
Alerts and notifications
Calendar integration
Email integration
Reporting/forecasting
Task management
Mobile support
Customization
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

6. Deployment Model Preference
Of those potential SFA buyers who had a deployment preference, an overwhelming
majority (96 percent) preferred a cloud-based solution.
4%
96%
Cloud-based
On-premise

7. Employee Count of Buyers’ Companies
A surprisingly large proportion of the buyers we spoke to represented very small
companies, with 78 percent having 20 employees or fewer.
2%4%
16%
28% 29%
21%
1 employee
2-5 employees
6-20 employees
21-100 employees
101-500 employees
More than 501 employees

8. Annual Company Revenue of Buyers
59 percent of prospective SFA buyers generated under $1 million per year, while only
7 percent generated over $25 million.
1%
3%3%
12%
23% 59%
<$1 million
$1-5 million
$6-25 million
$26-50 million
$51-500 million
>$500 million

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Software Advice is a trusted resource for software buyers. The company's website,
www.softwareadvice.com, provides detailed reviews, comparisons and research to
help organizations choose the right software. Meanwhile, the company’s team of
software analysts provide free telephone consultations to help each software buyer
identify systems that best fit their needs. In the process, Software Advice connects
software buyers and sellers, generating high-quality opportunities for software
vendors.