April 16, 2025
Read Time: 5 minutes
Every salesman dreams of tools that make their work easier, whether it’s covering outlets or collecting retailer orders. Salespeople are naturally energetic and always on the move, chasing targets and closing deals. A Sales Force Automation (SFA) solution is one such automation tool that makes their job much simpler and more efficient.
But, What Is SFA?
An SFA app is an automation solution made specifically for field sales reps. It helps the field sales force of FMCG, FMCD, Automobile, etc. improve brand visibility, improve outlet coverage, and streamline sales order management. Additionally, it boosts efficiency in the field and back at the office. By using SFA software, businesses can guide their sales teams with a clear process, which shortens the sales cycle and boosts revenue.
A report from Bain & Co. in 2024 highlights how Indian consumers are shifting from unbranded products to bigger brands. As a result, retail sales have grown by 15% since 2022, with the Indian CPG market now valued at around $25 million.
If your FMCG business is growing, you’ll come across all kinds of SFA software in the market. These range from basic apps of SFA App for tracking salesman attendance and field hours to advanced solutions like ERP-integrated SFA, DMS (Distributor Management System), Analytics and Reports, and Modern Trade sales application
For CPG startups and small-medium FMCG businesses, technology decisions are often made by the Founder, Business owner, or Sales Head. Unfortunately, these decisions are sometimes driven by cost rather than by how well the solution fits the sales team’s actual needs. Since the salesman is the primary user of an SFA app, it’s important to choose a solution that works best for their productivity and efficiency.
So, ask yourself this:
“What kind of SFA app will help my sales team perform better in retail?”
Let us help you with that!
Top Sales Force Automation Software Features to Transform Your Sales Game
Effortless Order Booking
- Easy Navigation: A CPG salesperson spends most of their day visiting retail shops to collect orders. For them, a user-friendly SFA app is essential. The app should have automated sales workflows and provide clear visibility of daily tasks, making their work simpler and more efficient.
- Real-time Order Processing: When new, emerging, and growing FMCG brands in Delhi or similar markets invest in an SFA solution, they expect more than just basic features. The app should allow salesmen to punch in orders digitally, with updates visible on the dashboard in real-time.
For example, the SFA App enables salespeople to suggest the right products to retailers based on their past purchase history and help them communicate relevant schemes. This enhances order accuracy and reduces the time spent on each visit by up to 60-70%, improving overall productivity.
Customizable Schemes and Promotions
An important feature of an SFA app is its ability to create and manage customized schemes. A good SFA software allows brands to configure schemes and promotions based on different store types, such as mom-and-pop shops, semi-modern trade, modern trade outlets, chemists, and paan shops. CPG brands can also tailor schemes for specific regions, such as city-specific or state-wise promotions, and offer various types of payouts like cash discounts, FOC (Free on Board), or free articles.
Optimized Sales Beat and PJPs
- Smart outlet coverage: A well-organized outlet plan ensures that companies avoid route overlaps by clearly defining sales territories. Sales managers can create smart route maps tailored to the business type, customer profile, similar product demands, or retailer size.
- KPI-driven Route Optimization: Route plans can be customized for sales teams using strategic KPIs like category sales, LPC (Lines Per Call), and historical sales data. This helps in driving market expansion and improving the serviceability of each outlet.
- Instant beat-change authorization: To maintain transparency and accountability in sales operations, the SFA should include an OTP-based Manager Approval system. This ensures that any route change requested by a salesman is authorized promptly and securely.
Intelligent Sales Approach
- Intelligent Product recommendations: One of the most sought-after features of an SFA app is automated product suggestions, especially for emerging FMCG brands in cities like Delhi, Gujarat, and Chennai. During order booking, the salesman receives auto-suggestions for fast-moving SKUs and recommended quantities based on historical sales. For instance, the SFA App uses this feature to help salesmen boost their average ticket size per outlet.
- Well-defined, Must sell and focus products: Every SME and growing FMCG brand wants all SKUs to perform equally well. However, in reality, about 20% of products drive 80% of the revenue. To enhance market presence, FMCG businesses must focus on selling a wider range of products.
An effective approach is ensuring salesmen actively promote the ‘laggard’ SKUs alongside the top-selling ones. Look for an SFA solution that allows you to define focus products and must-sell SKUs. This feature, available in the SFA App, empowers sales managers to assign sales targets for specific categories, encouraging sales reps to promote those products and grow their average ticket size.
Digitized DSRs (Daily Sales Reports)
With automated DSRs, salespeople can easily file their daily sales reports and assign orders to the appropriate distributor at the end of each day. This eliminates time spent on repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more strategic business activities and boosting overall productivity.
Automated Reports and Insights
With 24/7 access to their data, salespeople can check details like total calls, productive calls, conversion rate, start day/end day times, and daily productivity percentage. This helps them see how much work they’ve done and how close they are to their monthly targets. Many small FMCG businesses have used sales force automation to build a strong sales culture while growing their brand.
Sales Gamification for Goal-Driven Contests
Even a basic SFA app shows data like beat efficiency, plan follow-ups, and time spent at stores, along with analytics. But when an SFA software adds gamification like the Battleground, it can boost your sales team’s energy! You can turn company goals into clear KPIs, run fun contests, set daily, weekly, or monthly targets, and celebrate achievements. Winners get recognition and social appreciation. In the past few years, gamification has become one of the most wanted features in SFA tools.
Chosen by over 600 Indian and global CPG brands, Smbhav by FieldAssist is the trusted partner for sales force automation. We help hundreds of growing FMCG businesses improve their sales process by offering all the key features of an SFA app in the SFA App.
FAQ
- Will SFA app help my sales team close more orders in less time?
Yes, an SFA app makes order-taking faster and more accurate. It suggests products based on past sales, shows available stock, and allows salesmen to take orders digitally. This saves time during visits and helps them close more orders efficiently.
- Can I track my sales team’s daily work?
Absolutely! The SFA app shows you daily updates like the number of visits, orders taken, and time spent at outlets. You can also see their routes and overall productivity, giving you full control and visibility.
- Does it help save costs on field operations?
Yes, the SFA app reduces unnecessary travel by optimizing routes and helps plan better. It also saves time by automating tasks like reporting and order management, cutting down manual work and costs.
- Is SFA app scalable as my business grows?
Definitely! The SFA app from Smbhav by FieldAssist can be customized as your business expands. You can add more users, regions, or features without any hassle, making it a perfect fit for both small and growing businesses.