Selling Things and Managing Sales Are Not the Same!
LEARN TO ORGANISE SALES
So you can grow without losing control!
For any company or organisation to have success financially it must have a desirable product. This product must be of need to a large proportion of the general public. Advertising, using all available media outlets, should get the message across. But the most important link after the manufacturing and advertising (marketing) is the salesperson/sales representative - The person who actually sells the product to the consumer. Without him, the financial/corporate world would come to a halt!
This course will take you from developing a strong personality (confidence and knowledge) through to communication, marketing, dealing with upper management, getting to know your product, the A B C of selling, the opening and closing or a sale, stress management, how to increase your company's profits, etc.
COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT
The content of the nine lessons is as outlined below:
1. Developing Sales Concepts
Goods & Services, Ways of Managing Sales, Developing a Sales Concept, Planning Ahead, Understanding Selling, Understanding Buyers, Steps in the Sales Order, Increasing Sales
2. Developing Sales Relationships
Sales Methods, Presentation & the Selling Personality (personality traits of a salesperson), Communication skills and conversational selling
3. Sales Ethics
The Law and Ethics, Social Problems, Pricing, Deceit, High Pressure Sales, Poor Quality Products, Predetermined Obsolescence, The Impact of Marketing and Selling on Society, Public Responses to Modern Marketing Trends (eg. Consumerism, Environmentalism etc), Enlightened Marketing
4. Building Product Knowledge
Good & Bad Features (eg. Make/trade name; Model; Purpose or use; How & where it is manufactured; Materials used; Wholesale/retail price; Guarantees; Warranty; Spare parts (availability and location); Service Costs)
Knowing the Competition etc.
5. Developing a Customer Strategy
Types of Buyers, Buyer Motivation, Difficult Buyers, Key Rules for Every Salesperson
6. Presentation Strategy Options
Displays (eg. Locating Your Displays For Best Results), Shop Layout, Trade Displays etc.
7. Closing a Sale
Difficulties with closing a sale & solutions, importance of the personal approach.
8. Managing Yourself
Time management, Territory management, Record Management, Sales Records, Stress Management
9. Managing a Sales Team
Building quality partnerships.
AIMS
- Explain how a sales concept reflects and aids the marketing goals of an organization.
- Identify key ways to develop good sales relationships with customers and others.
- Identify ethical and legal considerations in sales.
- Explain the importance of product knowledge and what it includes.
- Explain the role of a developed customer strategy and how to create one.
- Identify elements of good product presentation.
- Explain the stages of a sale and how to achieve results.
- Describe the importance of self-management to sales success.
- Identify and explain key methods for managing a sales team.
- Identify and explain key methods for managing a sales team.
Any business that needs to sell something will require a sales force. Small businesses may only need one sales person; and if that person knows their job, they may be able to organise themselves and be very productive. As a business grows though; and needs to sell more; it may need more people involved in marketing and sales; and there can be lots of different ways to manage that situation.
The sales force can be small or large, and may be organised in any of a number of different ways. Here are just some of the options:
1. Sales Territories
The sales force is organized according to different categories or territories (eg. geographic areas, market sectors etc).
2. Dealers/Agents
The task of selling is assigned to dealers or agents.
3. Franchises
The entire business operation including sales is sold in neat packages for someone else to run.
4. Commission Salesmen
Individuals are contracted to undertake the job of selling, and are paid a predetermined amount for each sale they achieve.
5. Distributors
Some industries have well established distribution networks. The product is sold to a distributor in bulk, then the distributor sells smaller quantities to a much larger number of customers (e.g. some door to door cosmetic products are sold in bulk to housewives who sell them on to their friends and neighbours. A magazine publisher may sell all of these publications to a distributor who then sells them to individual news agents and news-stands).
6. Sales Departments
Sales may be split into different departments, for example, one handling direct mailing, one handling telephone sales, another maybe selling at trade shows, etc.
Becoming a Sales Manager
Sales managers organise and lead a team of sales staff. They will be involved in selling the goods and products of their client or employer. This can involve selling by meeting up with potential customers, cold calling, calling at pre-arranged times, door to door sales and so on. As a sales manager, you will be more involved in organising this, but you may be involved in selling directly. They will work towards particular sales targets.
To be a sales manager, you be required to demonstrate:
- Good business sense
- Good sales skills
- The ability to motivate and lead a team
- Enthusiasm
- Initiative
- The ability to work under pressure
- Good IT skills
- Good budgeting and planning skills
- Good planning and organisational skills
- Good communication
Opportunities
Sales management can be a challenging and exciting role. You will be involved in motivating and leading a team of staff, so good people management and motivation is important.
There are a lot of different opportunities in selling and it is possible to gain experience in many different areas of sales and marketing.
Because there are so many opportunities, there are also a lot of jobs available and there can be opportunities for international working.
You may also be involved in marketing as well as sales.
Risks and Challenges
The role is high pressure and demanding and if you do reach targets and achieve results, this can affect your job and income. Your income is often based on results, so if you and your team do not perform well and achieve results, it can mean little commission.
Some jobs are commission only, so if you do not sell, then you may not receive much income.
Sales people are not often viewed positively by the general public, so it is important to have a tough skin when dealing with and encouraging them to buy a product or service.
You may be required to travel and work long hours at times. Networking and attending trade conferences are often required.
How to become a Sales Manager
To get a sales manager job, you will need sales experience, management skills and an ability to impress and convince an employer. A good record of achieving sales targets will impress the best businesses to employ you. Your skills and experience may be more important than qualifications, but a useful starting point can be studies in sales skills or sales management.
If you work in a particular area of sales, knowledge of the sales product can be useful. For example, if your work involves selling engineering products then knowledge of engineering can be useful. If you work in sales within the publishing industry, then knowledge of writing and publishing is helpful. Courses related to these topics such as publishing and editing, creative writing, or in the former example – engineering, can help, but what is required will obviously vary from job to job.
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