External Soft Intelligence

 

Any sales force and other field operators possess and handle unbelievable amounts of external intelligence about customers, market players, associations, industries and events with all developments and dynamics. Not to utilize this vast amount of intelligence in any organization is a major competitive disadvantage.

Customer call reports, meeting minutes with clients and partners, management discussions incorporate lots of up-to-date information and data. Collecting this field information in Customer Relation Management (CRM) systems could be an efficient way to transform this information into intelligence and thus make it usable for the organization.

Field signals should also be collected and brought into context with other business intelligence. This can be done by a mindset and focus change for management and field force. In order to do so, two things need to be established within the intelligence conscious organization: create an environment of awareness about the value and impact of such intelligence and setup simple processes and tools to collect field signal intelligence.

For example could an intelligence depository incorporate a snappy text input box in any major startup interface of any given major category where an assigned group of individuals (e.g. sales managers, account managers, marketers, marketing department heads) enters field signals dedicated to the intelligence topic at hand along with a recommendation of action and contacts to involve in the way forward.

This intelligence process requires strict rules, encouragement, empowerment and a sense of urgency for anyone involved. While published success stories could resolve the motivation part, firm rules and rigorous follow-up with action would enforce field signal use and develop awareness throughout the organization.

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