Selling and sales management

The role of selling is continuing to change and evolve in response to dramatic moves in the way buyers and sellers interact. Individual knowledge, skills and abilities are still required, perhaps more than ever, but teamwork and technology are also vital ingredients in an effective organizational response to the needs and demands of customers. The salesforce have always been ambassadors for their firm, but in a turbulent business environment the information and persuasion role of salespeople is being absorbed into their relationship role. Salespeople must take responsibility for creating, developing and maintaining profitable relationships with their customers. This being so,...
Nội dung trích xuất từ tài liệu:
Selling and sales management CHAPTER 14 Selling and sales management BILL DONALDSON Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1377 exchange situations. We then address some of Introduction the key issues in managing the salesforce as they relate to marketing. The role of selling is continuing to change and evolve in response to dramatic moves in the way buyers and sellers interact. Individual knowledge, skills and abilities are still required, The changing role of salespeople perhaps more than ever, but teamwork and technology are also vital ingredients in an Consider the following statistics. In 1970, 80 per effective organizational response to the needs cent of grocery products were sold to 1656 and demands of customers. The salesforce have buying points, the remaining 20 per cent to always been ambassadors for their firm, but in thousands of smaller units. By 1980, 80 per cent a turbulent business environment the informa- of grocery products were purchased from only tion and persuasion role of salespeople is being 656 buying points. Today, 80 per cent is bought absorbed into their relationship role. Sales- from only five major buying points (Keynote, people must take responsibility for creating, 1998). Less dramatic but similar trends can be developing and maintaining profitable relation- found across industries, and the effects on ships with their customers. This being so, the salespeople and on the efficiency of sales need is paramount to focus on how to win, operations has been radical. These changes develop and retain customers to achieve the imply a new perspective for integrating sales marketing and sales objectives of the firm. This and other forms of communication with the puts the spotlight once again on the role of operational side of the business. Driven by an selling in the marketing mix and on the urgency arising from more complex supply management of sales operations. Sales opera- chains, fewer and larger purchase points, the tions are the revenue generation engine of the availability and use of IT in customer contact organization and thus have a direct impact on operations, relative increased costs of labour, the success of the firm. In this chapter, we and the continuing internationalization of busi- consider how selling is changing and evolving. ness, sales operations are now different. These We examine the new role of salespeople and factors contribute positively to the need for redefine the sales encounter in different more efficient exchange and communication Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1377 Selling and sales management 361 systems between firms and their customers, be no guarantee of competitive advantage. predicated by increases in the costs of acquiring Purchasers will have to be convinced that the new customers, and the need to retain the company has correctly identified their needs existing customer base and stimulate the pur- and that the offer provides benefits over any chasing power of those customers already on other firm. Salespeople are part of this process the books. through persuasion and service. Personal selling can be defined as the A third role is relationship building, and personal contact with one or more purchasers salespeople must initiate, build and develop for the purpose of making a sale. To be effective, relationships between the firm and its custom- marketing management needs to integrate per- ers. Owing to their boundary-spanning role, sonal selling with other promotional elements, the salesforce of a company has traditionally with other organizational functions such as been a vital link between the firm and its distribution and production, and with the customers, and a prime platform for commu- customer and competitive structures prevailing nicating the firm’s marketing message and the in the market. The importance of personal voice of the customer to the firm. In the high- selling is such that expenditure on the salesforce tech world, it is easy to overlook the impor- usually exceeds the budget for all other market- tance of personal relationships and how the Buy this file from http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=1377 ing communications activities added together, interaction with customers has changed, if at with the possible exception of advertising in all. Salespeople have always realized the large, fast-moving consumer goods companies importance of relationships, but there is now or direct marketing organizations. evidence that salespeople’s and customer’s Personal selling has several ...