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Sales Management Example Next month you are going to be hired to the position of sales director (CSS) at IT Company. At the moment you work in telecommunications. Your new company is offering professional solutions for computer and networking systems, business solutions, support and consultancy. You are in BIB environment. Your clients are from Telecommunications, Finance, Manufacturing, Energy suppliers and Retail.
You have 50 people in sales throughout the Adriatic region. How are you going to analyze current sales management practice in your new company (which areas will you check, what questions will you ask, list of priorities)? Please list the main aspects of sales management you are going to check in the first 3 months, priorities and key questions for each aspect.
As a sales director at the presented IT Company, I expect a long and varied list of responsibilities and tasks that should result in making the most effective contribution to the achievement of the company objectives, including: developing the sales strategy in line with the Company goals, defining tactics, sales plans and profit targets; organizing and motivating the sales team, managing the performance and controlling the focus of the sales force; ritual decisions regarding hiring, developing, training the sales personnel; developing the marketing concept with the responsible marketing unit; representing the business at different events (conferences, trade fairs, networking); identifying new opportunities and maximizing new business development opportune ties; possibly developing relationships with clients (even though not a primer responsibility). In order to maximize my efficiency and become a high performing CSS, in the first 3 months as a new CSS at IT Company, I would enter a top-down approach in order to understand deeply he Company goals and strategy and perform business planning that will align my own and my team’s actions within the Company.
In addition, it is crucial to comprehend how the sales personnel perceive the goals, as well as how clients perceive the company and its products and services. Taking into account the findings, should have a much clearer impression on the company’s market position, possibilities and improvements that should make my priority and hence establish a clear business plan, process for cascading Company goals throughout the salesrooms and monitor performance. A more detailed plan of activities for the first three months are explained in the following table: Aspect of sales management that I am going to check in the first 3 months at the CSS position? (Sorted by priority) Explanation of importance of the aspect and key questions to be asked 1.
Business definition, company goals and strategy – Who are we? Besides being and IT Company, that offers professional solutions for computer and networking systems, business solutions, support and consultancy, what is the business that we are really in? What is it about our Company that satisfies the needs of our customers, but also brings them added value? What kind of company do we want to be? Where do we want to go? How do we plan to go there? What are our goals, specific objectives? These objectives, finally, represent the basis for the selection of marketing strategies and tactics (precise actions to be done). 2. Clients – Who are our clients What do our clients need/ want from us?
What are their problems, challenges, and troubles? What benefits do we bring them? How do their needs change over time, what are the expected trends? How do customers from different industries make decisions? What is important for them to maintain the relationship? Which segments do we target? How can we increase the current usage of our products? Our clients are businesses from Telecommunications, Finance, Manufacturing, Energy suppliers and Retail industries, throughout the Adriatic region. Understanding them more deeply should provide us with the focus on where to improve, what to develop next and foresee their future needs that should drive our business. 3.
Environmental analysis and macro trends that might influence the future of the company Analysis of the environmental effects and macro trends, is important for understanding the changes and identify how they influence the IT business, connecting product developments o the expected changes and identify market opportunities: Political (government policies and directives, affecting IT industry, but also industries that our clients operate in); Economic (The health of the economy and possibilities of spreading, whether through bigger volumes, or through offering most efficient and cost-saving business solutions; current and recent size and growth of market – by product, industry segment, customer size… ; Social (major social trends and changes and their possible implications for demand for IT solutions in business) Technology (new standards and trends n both hardware and software, orientation on big data analysis could open a wide area of growth in business solutions) 4. Competitors Direct/ indirect Today/ future Generally, competition is here to make us better and motivate us for improvements. But the only way to succeed in doing so is knowing our competitors: Who are our direct and indirect competitors? Who could be our competitors in the future? What is their strategy, products, target markets? What are their prices, how quality are their products? What is their current performance and market share? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What is our and their customer advantage? What are the expectations of their future actions? 5.
SOOT Analysis A realistic and objective appraisal of internal company strengths and weaknesses in the context of potential external opportunities and threats are important to recognize in order to determine the direction of future moves, sales and marketing strategies. What are the main strengths and weaknesses of our Company, products/ services, our opportunities and threats? 6. The marketing mix In order to set the proper marketing program, the following elements need to be well defined and communicated: 1. Price: what are the price levels, credit arms, changes, discounts? How do pricing decisions affect selling? 2. Product: what are the features, packaging, quality, range? 3. Promotion: what is the usual/ optimal combination of advertising, publicity, sales promotion, personal selling, and sponsorship for different products? 4.
Place: what are the inventory, channels of distribution, number of intermediaries? 7. Segmentation of clients/ products Well defined segmentation and targeting are important for clear identification of market opportunities and analysis of gaps in a market, the design of product and market appeals tuned to the needs of the market, and for sousing of marketing and sales efforts on those segments with the greatest potential. Which clients and which products bring the most profit Which bring us loss? Which products are important for cross selling even if they bring loss? How much resource do we invest in each segment? Do they return the investment? What are the most attractive segments of clients for us in the future?
How do the desires of various segments differ? 8. Channels of sales What channels do we have, and what are the income and profit of each? Are there difference between them? How is the effectiveness of the channels measured? What are the opportunities in the distribution networks, which new sales channels are expected in the near or further future? 9. Organization of sales process An optimal sales process helps the sales force to focus their energy on performance, instead of investigating the instructions, provides the alignment of goals and resources and results in stronger relationship due to the clients trust that the Company can deliver what is promised.