Small businesses with sales staff face unique challenges. Chief among these is finding good, manageable, and understandable software applications that enable sales and management staff to keep abreast of the success of the sales unit.

While there are some great options out there in management software, most of them simply aren’t geared toward the small business sales force. So what should you look for when looking for sales reporting software for small businesses?

The Sales Reporting Software Small Businesses Really Need

When you talk to small business owners, a few things quickly become clear in terms of what they need their sales management software to do.

• They need it to be affordable. Number one in small business – you can’t pay for something you don’t need. (Mobile apps are much less expensive than desktop software. Options range from free… things like the most basic sales tracking calendar to all-in-one apps like IHateCallReports for under $10.)
• They need it to get the job done. Number two, you need programs to do what they say they do, and nothing more. You’re not looking for the most unnecessary features; you are looking for the most meaningful results.
• They need it to be mobile. Small business owners are active people. So are dirty people, more or less by definition. It just doesn’t make sense to have non-mobile software for a mobile sales force.
• They need it to keep track of contacts and clientele.. This is really what the sales call report is about, or at least half of it. What is the use of making contacts that get lost in the shuffle? (Most free apps will do this; Sales Call Manager is one, but the best apps will do this and more.)
• They need it to be a second pair of eyes.. Nobody really wants to talk about this, but human nature is such that when the cat is away, the mice aren’t always exactly busy. Therefore, good and effective sales call reporting software should help be the “Big Brother” that keeps staff honest and focused. (There aren’t many tracking apps that can actually tell you your staff was where they said they were when they said they were there, but IHateCallReports is one—it uses GPS auditing so you know the job actually got done.)
• They need him to work for the sales staff. In addition to being something that management can access and understand, the software must also be usable by the people who use it. Dual-duty apps keep everyone on the same page. Look for an app that makes it possible for your staff to fill out the report with real and meaningful information, but in a short amount of time so they can get back to doing what you really need them to do.
• They need it to help them move to the next step. Sales calls are never made when the rep walks out the door and fills out the report. Effective sales calls and return customers are born from service and follow-up. Your reporting app should have the added functionality to help reps take the next step.

Although this may seem like a big demand for a small mobile app, it really isn’t. Today’s best apps are masters of software functionality that easily deliver this and more at low cost. When shopping keep in mind that free apps often have limited functionality unless you start paying and add updates and features, so the best money spent is on the app that starts with full functionality at a reasonable cost.