In what 3 ways information technology (IT) has been used to improve efficiency and effectiveness of business processes in Sales in an...

Information technology (IT) has been used to improve efficiency and effectiveness of business processes in general and sales process in particular an many different ways. As per the requirement of the question I will discuss hoe IT has impacted the following three areas in particular.

1. Identifying customers


2. Making customers aware of the product


3. Selling the product

Identifying customers and Making customers aware of the product

A firm identifies its customer in two way - the customer approaches the firm, or the firm communicates to the customer in different ways such as advertisements, personal visits, and simply presence of a retail outlet that customer can see. It plays an important part in customer identification in all these ways. The presence of customers on the Internet in form of its website, makes it very convenient for the customers to approach and know the company and its products.

Advertisements on the Internet, e-mail campaigns and cell phones messages are also now very powerful means of advertising making heavy use of IT.

The interactive nature of Internet websites and Internet based selling and support systems now act as very cost effective substitutes for personal selling that the customers also find more convenient as it is less invasive on their privacy, and there are no pressures to stick to schedules of appointments so common in face to face communication.

In addition to above facilities the e-mail is replacing letters, memos, and telephone calls for most types of communication.

Selling the product

Selling the product involves interaction with customers for identifying customer purchase requirements, offering specific products and sales terms to the customers, convincing the customer to buy, negotiating sales terms, and finally closing the sale by making customer place order. Today Internet selling systems are making all these processes very convenient for the customers. In addition the Internet is also used for actual delivery of products such as music, which can be converted to digitized forms.