As National Retail Sales Manager at Parker Manufacturing in Johannesburg, Jonathan Simmonds was impressed at the efficiency that the HoneyBee app offered his sales force.
“We were actually looking for a CRM package and when Field Office sent an email, it caught my eye, because it was sent at the right time. Normally when I get these emails and I simply press delete. However, this sales management system seemed different.”
The company decided to give the app a try and it was issued to eight sales representatives on a trial basis to assist the sales managers to monitor whether they staff was effective at running their daily activities.
“Before the app was introduced, the admin and attempt at monitoring sales activity was actually making me ill. So having the added service of the app is very helpful.”
While Simmonds says that the app can be seen as a ‘policeman’s tool’ in the sense that it monitors the whereabouts and sales activity of reps, he says the real-time statistics updates for sales has seen a vast improvement in providing detail. “Before we didn’t get enough detail about sales activity and how much time our reps would spend with clients. Now, we are able to analyse the time spent with the client to see whether our assistance as managers is needed by the rep.
The app’s offering does excite and inspire a sales team that is keen to convert to digital in their everyday sales approach. However, with Parker Manufacturing’s more senior staff forming a predominant part of the sales force, Simmonds says there were some challenges in the beginning in adapting the HoneyBee app to his own sales team. “They are a more senior team, so they don’t like having to press this button and that button. It’s advanced technology that they aren’t accustomed to. We also have two sales reps on the road that aren’t technologically savvy, so it’s a challenge getting them to use it.”
However, the app’s camera function came to the rescue. “A picture says a thousand words. What’s nice about the app is that it has a camera capability, so the guys don’t need to sit and write descriptions of what they’re working with on the road. They simply snap a photo and that’s a strong advantage.”
The app’s flexibility makes it a prime choice for businesses with a medium-size rep count. Simmonds’ experience with Field Office has pushed sales and productivity up by 15 %, in a relatively short period of seven months. He also says he is satisfied with the app’s ability to be adapted to his own business’s needs.
