Sales Managers today must develop an integrative management style using adaptive, problem solving, extensive information, in many cases is an ever changing market place. The overwhelming majority of business environment workers are service providers such as investment bankers, consultants, and information technology specialists. Sales Mangers in the current business environment must have the ability to add value, which means functional expertise in sales and marketing along with knowledge of industry. However managers must also have the skills to lead, communicate, use changing technologies, build teams, motivate sales people, and form strategic alliance with customers.
These are times of drastic corporate downsizing in which sales organizations are expected to do more with less. Many internal and external changes in organizations have dictated the need to conduct business differently.
External business environment has experienced changing technology, globalization, more competition and more demanding and sophisticated customers.
Internal changes have included greater emphasis on quality levels in product and service output, faster communication channels and more educated, skilled employee base.
The relationship between sales people and customer is changing faster than sales orders can be processed. Most remarkable is the fact that it is customers who are driving change. They are asking for, if not demanding better service from vendors. The shift has radically changed the way selling is done. Companies are building relationships, improving technologies, processes and systems along the way.
Sales Executive is professionals. The professional approach requires thorough analysis, market efficient personal selling objectives, appropriate sales policies and personal selling strategy.
Sales Executives have responsibilities to their Organization, Customer and Society.
Top Management holds them responsible for
- Obtaining Sales Volume
- Providing Profit Contribution
- Continuing Business Growth
Customers (most often, wholesalers, retailers or industrial user) expect them to supply easily resalable products and services backed up by supporting activities (help in doing training dealer sales force, local advertising, and credit) and assurance that products and services are wise investments in competitive market place.
Society looks to them to assure delivery of goods & services
- That final buyers want at price
- Of increasing importance
- To market products whose potential for damaging the environment is minimal.
If goods and services made and sold are needed and accepted by buying public and if this products are socially responsible, then it is likely that management’s objectives will have been achieved. Ultimately, a business’s earnings depend upon, how well the interest of the firm, the final buyers and society are blended. To the extent that these interests are in harmony, the firm experiences Sales Volume, Net Profits and Business Growth.
American Marketing Association — is Planning, direction and control of Personal selling including recruiting, selecting, equipping assigning, routing,
Supervising, paying and motivating as this task apply to personal Sales force.
Sales Managers are responsible for organizing the sales effort, both within and outside their Companies. Within the Company the Sales Manager builds formal and informal organizational structures that ensure effective communication not only inside the sales department but in its relations with other organizational units.
Outside the Company, Sales Manager serves as a key contact with customers and other external publics and is responsible for building and maintaining an effective distribution network.
Sales Managers have still other responsibilities. They are responsible for participating in preparation of information critical to the making of key marketing decisions, such as those on budgeting quotas and territories. Sales Management helps to respond proactively and effectively to customers, the key to winning business and processing orders during the pre-sales, order management and post shipment phases.
