Unit -ll. sales management

                                             Unit -ll 

                                   sales management

MEANING

In simple terms, Sales Management means management of selling activities of an organization.

According to the American Marketing association, sales management is," the planning, direction, and control of personal selling, including recruiting. selecting, equipping, assigning, routing, supervising paying and motivating as these tasks apply to the personal sales force."

   

Definition

• Sales function/sales management was very narrowly defined as "the direction of personal sales force".

• The manager would delegate the task of selling, and the sales team were supposed to just go and sell, what the organization produced or manufactured.

Concept  of Sales Management

Sales management originally referred exclusively to the direction of sales force personnel and lately the term transformed into broader aspect in addition to the management of personnel selling. 

In general view Sales Management refers the management of overall marketing activities such as adve nortising, sales promotion, marketing research, physical distribution, pricing and product merchandising

Selection of Salesman

Selection is the process in which an enterprise chooses the applicants who best meet the criteria for the available positions.

Selection is the process in which candidates for employment are divided into two classes, those who are to be offered employment and those who are not.

 The selection process is the information gathering, information evaluation and decision making required to screen applicants and choose among them

training of salesman

Training for salespeople typically includes the following components:

1. Product Knowledge: Ensuring salespeople have a deep understanding of the products or services they are selling, including features, benefits, and how they solve customer problems.

2. Sales Techniques: Teaching sales methodologies such as consultative selling, relationship building, objection handling, and closing techniques.

3. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Training on how to effectively use CRM software to track customer interactions, manage leads, and forecast sales.

4. Communication Skills: Developing effective communication skills, including active listening, persuasive speaking, and non-verbal communication.

5. Understanding the Sales Process: Educating salespeople on the stages of the sales process, from prospecting to closing, and how to move leads through each stage efficiently.

6. Time Management: Providing techniques to help salespeople prioritize tasks, manage their time effectively, and focus on high-value activities.

7. Industry Knowledge: Keeping salespeople updated on industry trends, competitor analysis, and market insights to better understand customer needs and stay ahead of the competition.

8. Role-playing and Practice:Offering opportunities for salespeople to role-play different sales scenarios and practice their skills in a safe environment.

9. Continuous Learning: Encouraging ongoing professional development through workshops, seminars, online courses, and reading materials to stay current with sales best practices and trends.

10. Feedback and Coaching: Providing regular feedback and coaching sessions to help salespeople identify areas for improvement and develop their skills further.

11. Motivation and Goal Setting: Inspiring salespeople to set ambitious yet achievable goals and providing incentives to drive performance and motivation.

12. Compliance and Ethics: Ensuring salespeople understand and adhere to company policies, legal regulations, and ethical standards in their sales activities.

qualities of good salesman

Personal Selling is an art that requires skill and constant practice to be effective. A salesman should have the following essential qualities:

1. Physical Qualities

A salesman should be healthy and should possess an attractive personality. For creating a favourable impression on the customers, good appearance, posture, sound health, pleasing voice. etc., are required. As a salesman is required to travel a lot, he should be physically capable of travelling.  

2. Knowledgeable

A salesman should have complete knowledge of the product and its features, knowledge about the organisation, its philosophy, policies, motto, customers, competitors, etc.

3. Mental Attributes

A high degree of intelligence and imagination are essential qualities for a successful salesman. He should be in a position to understand customers and read their minds quickly. For effective selling, he should have a creative imagination, keen observation, sharp memory, and good judgement ability.

4. Vocational Attributes

The salesperson should be highly ambitious and enthusiastic, as salesmanship is a highly skilled vocation. He should be optimistic and should have creative ability and an urge for excellence.  

5. Courtesy

In order to win the trust of customers, a salesman should be polite, sympathetic and courteous. If the language of the salesman is polite, then he can win the buyer’s confidence.

6. Tactfulness

As a salesman has to deal with humans, who differ in aptitudes, viewpoints, requirements, etc., he must be tactful. He must have the ability to adjust to the circumstances and needs of the customers.

7. Self-confidence

Self-confidence is an essential quality to be a successful salesman. He should have firm determination and take every objection or obstacle as a challenge.

 8. Enthusiastic

A salesman should be enthusiastic and should work with zeal. He should focus on achieving the selling objectives by accepting the challenge of making a positive sale to the customer.

9. Honesty

The policy of honesty should be practiced by the salesman. He should not try to win customers through false and misleading representations.

10. Persistent

A salesman should be persistent. He should try to convince the prospects with persistent efforts. He should not give up on the customers soon. Regular and willing customers for the company can be won by the persistent efforts of the salesman.

Duties responsibility of sales manager

The duties and responsibilities of a sales manager typically include:

1. Setting sales goals and targets for the team.

2. Developing sales strategies to achieve those goals.

3. Hiring, training, and managing a team of sales representatives.

4. Monitoring sales performance and providing feedback to team members.

5. Developing and maintaining relationships with key clients and accounts.

6. Analyzing market trends and competitor activity to identify opportunities for growth.

7. Creating sales reports and forecasts for management.

8. Collaborating with other departments, such as marketing and product development, to support sales efforts.

9. Implementing sales techniques and best practices to improve overall team performance.

10. Handling escalated customer issues and complaints.

11. Participating in industry events and conferences to promote the company and its products/services.

12. Continuously evaluating and adjusting sales strategies based on performance metrics and market feedback.

                                        Thank you

                                                                  JAGADEESHk

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