A COMPUTER software company in Clifton Moor, owned by York racehorse owner and business magnate Steve Hull, is preparing to take the world of sales by storm.

Sawfish Software Ltd, at Pioneer Business Park, in Amy Johnson Way, was today launching a programme which records sales leads, prioritises them, sets the sales person tasks and monitors progress all the way to deal-clinching.

This should revolutionise the world of sales in which sales men and women are often left to their own devices to pick up leads and follow them through.

The company claims that in trials, a leading internet car sales provider using its Sales-Flow package dramatically improved from one sale per 44 inquiries to one sale in nine.

It is the first major product launch since Mr Hull bought the company, formerly known as E-sales Consultants in February.

Mr Hull was former managing director and owner of the 120-staff software company Online Group Holdings Plc, at Clifton Park, York, before he sold it in 2000 to retailing specialists Alphameric Plc for £10 million

As managing director of Sawfish, he built up a team of eight, including former Online Group Holdings financial director Steve Wood and product manager Joe McClelland. He also hired operations director Grant Stevens, who previously specialised in sales and sales systems with Zurich and Sun Life of Canada.

Sales-Flow, a browser-based system, is accessible by any Web user with a valid login. But with an optional text messaging system via mobile phone, remote sales people can be alerted to emergencies or tasks even when they are not logged into the system.

A constant update of all activity is maintained and automatically synchronised, which means that key management information is available at a glance.

Mr Hull, 50, said: "Many managers work on instinct, but that wastes a lot of opportunities, time and money. In today's increasingly competitive markets, the most valuable assets are sales opportunities. Unless they are managed properly, you can lose them. Our system does that."

In many sectors there is a high turnover of sales staff and the new system can avoid the loss of continuity. New sales people automatically pick up exactly where their predecessors left off.

Updated: 10:12 Thursday, May 20, 2004