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Under market conditions, marketing management should include the following mandatory components:

Creation of competitive goods, services, integrated models of offers and service systems;

Conducting a pricing policy that is not only beneficial for the enterprise, but also acceptable to consumers, resellers and allies in strategic alliances;

Ensuring the availability of customers and business partners to the company's products using adaptive marketing and logistics communication systems;

Establishment, support and development of formal and informal connections, which are carried out mainly by sales personnel.

From the standpoint of modern approaches to business technology, there should be nothing accidental and uncontrollable in the formation and maintenance of production and commercial relations between an enterprise, its consumers, various intermediaries and allies in strategic alliances. That is why, in order to ensure the success of the enterprise, the selection, training and stimulation of sales personnel is of paramount importance.

The development of market relations largely depends on the activity and competence of the sales staff. Several illustrative examples can be cited as justification.

The first is from the experience of the well-known marketer A. Hay: "... many years ago I was invited to the corporation" Consolidated Freightways "(" CF ") - a huge company that provides transportation services and logistics to large enterprises. At the very beginning, 80 -x, when the contraction began in SIIIA state regulation in the field of road and air transportation, this corporation faced a new level of competition and was forced to look for new opportunities. Consolidated Freightways ("CF") decided to get serious about marketing, and I was invited to help set up the department. We have put together a marketing program, communicated our research results and latest plans to affiliates, conducted a vigorous advertising campaign and a series of public opinion-building events, developed a sophisticated telemarketing system, direct mail programs, new product launches, and the like.

However, I soon began to realize that all these innovations did not bring much success. Try as we might, we have not succeeded in changing the desire of consumers to do business exclusively with sales personnel through personal contacts. Customers preferred "CF" over other competitors for one simple reason: they liked direct contact with corporate salespeople. In doing so, they basically ignored other marketing channels, and there was nothing we could do about it. For example, if a client had a problem, the first person they contacted was the company's sales agent, who immediately sorted out the misunderstandings. Since the relationship with the sales force was so important to our customers, our entire marketing program had to be built around maintaining that relationship."

Another example comes from the work experience of B. Sigman, no less famous and experienced in the field of marketing and management, from the company "Advanced Systems Group", which provides its customers with new equipment, working with a number of leasing companies. She says: "Our supplier partners have much more in common than any more or less significant differences. Therefore, the choice is often determined only by the personal qualities of the staff. You stop at those who are attentive, with whom it is simply a pleasure to do business."

Many such revelations of highly qualified and experienced marketers and managers from various industries commercial activities indicates that one of the decisive factors for a successful business is the nature of relationships with consumers and business partners.

The category of employees of promotion and sales services who create a corporate marketing system includes specialists who perform various functions. In the field of organizing commercial relations and sales, the following categories of employees of the enterprise are most often found: sales agents, contactees - "negotiators", trade consultants, telemarketing operators, field representatives, marketing specialists of various career guidance and directly sellers.

The main responsibilities to which the activities of the listed categories of trade workers are reduced are as follows:

1. Search and attraction of new prospective consumers and resellers.
2. Development of relations with active (cash) consumers, intermediaries and allies in strategic alliances.
3. Maintaining relationships with passive (former but potential) consumers, intermediaries and allies in strategic alliances.
4. Preparation, organization and completion of each individual purchase and sale process, which includes: targeted study of a particular consumer; establishing contacts in the process of negotiations with him; arguments in favor of the buyer making a positive decision; objections; making a deal.
5. Provision of additional and related business services that are not included in the contractual obligations, for example: Information Support buyers, advising them like that.
6. Conducting research of the target market in the sectoral, territorial context.
7. Collection of information necessary for current activities and development of forecasts.
8. Drawing up reports on the results of visits, telemarketing, written contacts.
9. Advertising and formation of the image of the enterprise and its products in the consumer and business environment.
10. Search for opportunities to form strategic alliances with other producers of goods and services for the joint promotion and sale of related products.
11. Implementation of activities in the field of formation and development of public relations.

Effective management of sales personnel at the enterprise leads to the stages, consistency and complexity of the system of internal company communications and relations. Schematically, the sales personnel management system, regardless of the profile specialization of the enterprise, is presented in fig. 5.11.

Rice. 5.11. Generalized scheme of the sales personnel management system in enterprises

It is appropriate to note that in practice an interesting pattern is observed: on average, 80% of the entire business of producers of goods and services falls, as a rule, on 20% of the consumers of their target markets. This circumstance, in fact, is one of the manifestations of the "Pareto law" in entrepreneurship.

This circumstance is of great importance due to the fact that in many enterprises it helps to specify the strategic tasks for the sales staff in general and for each employee, in particular those that determine the nature of functional activity.

So, for example, in some firms and companies, sales department employees are recommended to devote approximately 80% of their time to existing (active and passive) customers, and 20% to finding and establishing contacts in the target market with new customers, or to devote about 80% of their time to promoting and selling mastered enterprise products, and 20% - search and work with new products (another saying of the "Pareto law").

The specificity of various types of products and markets (especially of a consumer nature) leads to the fact that in addition to the technical and commercial training of personnel necessary for the promotion and sale of the company's products, great importance is attached to issues of interpersonal relations and psychology in the process of activity. This is one of key features marketing as a concept and management as a field of professional activity.

Individual enterprises unprofessionally ignore the "human factor". For this reason, their successes are much "more modest" than they could be. The professional approach lies in the fact that everyone in the enterprise - from top marketing managers to an ordinary employee of marketing departments - must understand the critical role of interpersonal communication.

It is known that sales workers and masters of pre- and after-sales service, providing buyers with information, advising consumers, demonstrating goods, performing after-sales service, etc., often work not only as salespeople and service providers, but also as their own kind, confidants of consumers. Buyers are more frank with them, they are the first to respond to consumer complaints and can advise something not officially, but "humanly". Often, representatives of the enterprise are the only contactees who connect the consumer with the producer of goods or services. Therefore, it is on them that the buyer's perception of the image of the company and its attitude towards consumers depends.

The peculiarity of the activity of employees of marketing departments is that each employee who belongs to the sales and service personnel is at the same time a marketer-universal for his enterprise.

Renowned marketer P. Krendell claims that the company's employees are its best agents and its best advertisement. He refers to the rating data of the decisive factors influencing the choice of the seller in the event of a need for a particular product. Here is the content of this rating:

I know a person who works there (worked) - 30%;

I use (used) their products or services - 12%;

I often see their sign on buildings or cars - 7%;

Heard or read about their activities in the media - 5%;

In most cases, the enterprise is almost completely dependent on those people who are engaged in the promotion and sale of products on the market.

Sales and service personnel must be trained to interact with consumers in a wide variety of situations, including extreme situations. The processes of promotion, sale and customer service require more personal involvement than is necessary in other activities. Very often, employees of the marketing and service departments of the enterprise act, figuratively speaking, in the role of doctors, who were asked for help to solve the problems that have arisen.

Sales associates must be able to achieve customer satisfaction and at the same time ensure profit for their firm. Good staff Specializing in the organization of sales, in addition to their immediate professional duties, should be able to:

Analyze general and local statistical data;

Identify the potential of the target market in the sectoral and territorial context;

Correctly assess the current situation;

Monitor market dynamics;

Determine the prospects for production and commercial activities in the conditioned market;

Collect market information;

Develop effective approaches and select marketing tools for the implementation of operational plans and programs;

Look for effective ways and methods to promote and sell the company's products.

All of the above qualities cannot be realized without skills. marketing analysis. These skills are especially necessary for senior managers in sales management. Practice shows that when comparing the final results, a sales apparatus focused on the needs of the market, and not on a simple increase in sales, turns out to be effective.

Despite the fact that the actions of individual sellers are individual and dictated by a specific circumstance, at the same time, the organization of sales often requires teamwork, which is impossible without the support of employees of related departments of the enterprise.

From the point of view of consumers, the seller is the one who directly carries out the purchase and sale transaction. From the point of view of manufacturers, there is a complex approach to the interpretation of the concept of "seller".

Sellers can perform various roles in the process of promoting and selling the company's products. The combination of these roles largely depends on the specialization of the enterprise, its size, type of organizational structure, features of supply models, the specifics of customers, the competitive environment and other factors. But even if, in a particular case, a certain employee of the sales system of an enterprise is not directly involved in the acts of buying and selling goods or services to consumers, he is still considered one of the sellers, since he is infatuated with the organization of more capacious processes related to the promotion of the company's products to the market. and preparation of activities aimed at the implementation of the sale.

Sellers can be not only employees of sales services, but also support staff, employees associated with various forms of customer service (consumers).

An overview of all employees involved in the receipt of orders for goods or services by the enterprise, that is, those who, to one degree or another, can be attributed to sellers, are divided into six types. This distribution is due to functional specialization in the commercial process:

1. "Applicants" orders. These are sellers who are responsible for receiving orders initiated by the enterprise. They can increase sales to active buyers, reconnect and enter into agreements with passive consumers, and attract new customers. More than others, this type of salesperson needs creativity and rare entrepreneurial qualities.

2. Order receivers. These are employees associated with the reception, execution and accounting of orders for the sale of goods or services. Orders can come both at the initiative of buyers and at the initiative of manufacturers. Order receivers belong to the category of "sellers" due to the fact that in the process of processing and detailing orders of incoming ones, they skillfully "advising" them, help to increase the initial volumes or expand the structure of these orders through additional, related products and services.

3. Order executors. These are employees who perform work and operations directly related to the sale and purchase processes (product packaging, loading, delivery to the destination, unloading, installation, configuration, etc.). Very often, in addition to specific duties, they simultaneously play the role of sellers, since in the course of fulfilling orders they help to identify and highlight in the light necessary for the seller enterprise the nuances that are not known to the buyer or that he did not pay attention to before. These nuances can lead, as in the previous case, to an increase in volumes and an expansion of the purchase structure through the acquisition of additional and related products and / or services.

4. Service personnel. Practice shows that employees service departments Selling enterprises play a huge role in stimulating demand and intensifying sales. The importance of service workers is manifested in several aspects.

First, thanks to them, in many cases, buyers have a feeling of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the purchase. Satisfied customers are the best advertising, and dissatisfied customers are bad advertising. they cannot be suspected of being biased against the selling enterprise. Satisfied customers, according to F. Kotler, will share their impressions with an average of 11 potential customers, and dissatisfied customers with 3 (according to other sources - with 7). Thus, good pre-sales and after-sales service can significantly increase the volume of sales of goods and services of the manufacturer.

Secondly, a well-established service often encourages repeat purchases from the same seller. According to the studies carried out, each repeated purchase from the point of view of promoting products to the market costs the seller from 10 to 25 times cheaper than attracting a new buyer. In addition, the frequency of purchases doubles on average.

Thirdly, in the process of after-sales service, for example, technical equipment, buildings and structures, furniture, etc. a number of activities such as diagnostics, repairs, adjustments, provision of spare parts, restoration, maintenance operations, and the like can be performed. In the course of these works, service employees provide users with specific and stimulating information that may lead to a series of purchases - a new product, service, spare parts. As a result, as observations show in practice, high-quality after-sales service contributes to the emergence of corresponding demand, which ensures an increase in sales to the seller from an average of 50% to 300%.

Based on the foregoing, service personnel is rated as one of the most categories of "sellers".

5. Sales support staff. These are employees who usually do not directly sell the manufacturer's products, but facilitate efforts to promote and sell them. In addition, in order to attract customers, it is their responsibility to provide potential customers with some services that facilitate purchase decisions. They are directly related to the stimulation of demand and the organization of sales, but indirectly to the very processes of buying and selling. The range of activity of this type of workers is very wide. This is the study of the demand and needs of buyers, the provision of comprehensive information to potential and real consumers, advertising, the formation of the image of the manufacturer and its products, and the like.

5. Sales agents-missionaries. This group of sellers is distinguished from others due to the specifics of their duties. Formally, their function does not include making a deal. their purpose is of a different kind - to try to convince buyers to recommend the goods or services of this enterprise to their acquaintances, customers, business partners. For example, architects acting as developers of various projects can recommend a reliable construction company to their clients. In turn, employees of the construction company can recommend their customers a good insurance company, and employees of the insurance company can appoint their client, if necessary, the necessary expert organization, etc.

The chain of recommendations that generate consumers can be long. Tracking such chains, creating new ones and ensuring their vivacity is not an easy task for missionary agents. Very often, missionary agents of various branches, supporting each other, act together, forming a certain informal community, the mechanism of functioning of which is known only to them.

It should be noted that each of the presented types of sellers includes many of their varieties. At the same time, there are no clear boundaries between them within the type, since the variability of the market environment, the specifics of the product and the production and commercial policy of the producer determine the role dynamics depending on the situation.

Omitting a detailed analysis of the types and types of sellers who create the sales staff of enterprises, let us dwell on the characteristics of the "applicants" of orders. This type of seller is active.

The most popular in practice are two approaches that characterize the mode of action of the "applicants" of orders - this is "hunting" and "farming".

The sellers are called "hunters" and "farmers" respectively.

By "hunting" is meant attracting new customers, "farming" also involves increasing sales by developing relationships with consumers who have already become customers of the manufacturer of goods or services. The skills required for the first and second approach are different. Therefore, when selecting sales personnel, this circumstance must be taken into account. At a minimum, this means that it is necessary to determine in advance what qualities workers of profiling approaches should have and what their ratio in overall structure"applicants" orders.

"Hunters" must have perseverance and the ability to be prepared for losses. The nature of the job forces them to come into contact with strangers who may not know or be fully aware of their needs. Sometimes these people get nervous when a pushy salesman calls them on the phone or comes into their office.

Since the "hunters" are often given little time, they have to work quickly. At the stage of completion of negotiations (communication with a potential buyer), if there are complications with the sale of products or the decision-making process is delayed, they experience dissatisfaction, which is not always possible to hide. This situation arises because they are very good advertisers and in the process of negotiating they are able to skillfully "process" the client. Feeling this, before taking the last step towards concluding an agreement, a potential buyer may begin to doubt and therefore wants to make sure once again whether he really needs the offered goods (services) and how justified the seller's promises will be.

There is an opinion that it is the "hunters" who sometimes contribute to the creation of a disappointing reputation in relation to sales agents ("field" sellers). This is partly true, but it must be borne in mind that the "hunters", in fact, are pioneers. They create conditions and launch campaigns to implement innovations. "Hunters" get great pleasure from work, especially when they receive the first order from a new client. Then they feel like winners, they want to continue the "victorious" procession, but at the same time they regret that not everyone knows about their successes.

"Farmers" are inclined to other tactics. They avoid selling innovation and prefer to work with well-established products. Usually "farmers" act slowly and do not show pressure and fuss to receive orders. their professionalism is manifested in something else - in preparing the base for a long time. Especially big role they perform in industrial marketing, as they have the art of forming long-term relationships between the producer and the buyer of goods (services). their advantage lies in the fact that they seek to deeply understand the type of consumers, sometimes creating for themselves such a database that the buyer himself would be surprised. The benefits of "farmers" are manifold. First, the orders received by the enterprise are predictable. Second, they know their market well and have competitive information. In addition, they are able to maintain formal and informal relationships with customers and permanently "attach" them to the product manufacturer. At the same time, there are also negative aspects. In "farmers" who work for a long time at the same enterprise (in the same territory assigned to them, in the same market segment), sometimes a problem arises. its essence lies in the fact that such sellers begin to rely solely on old and trusted customers, while avoiding actively trying to find new ones. They get used to acting, as they say in marketing, in their "comfort zone" by calling familiar numbers, sending mail messages to familiar addresses and visiting only well-known customers. The problem is exacerbated when "obsessed farmers" stop making any effort to find and attract prospective consumers.

The commercial success of an enterprise often depends on the structural combination of "hunters" and "farmers". If the ratio is found correctly, then a balance is formed that is crucial for the promotion and sale of goods (services) to the target market, as well as a balance between the desire to hastily do business and move forward and the desire to secure the rear, following the rules: "old friend (buyer ) is better than the new two".

The principles of building the organizational structure of sales personnel can be reduced to commodity principle, on a territorial basis, by buyers (consumers), and sometimes by phases of the sales process. To choose the most effective approach, the company must take into account a number of important heterogeneous market factors.

Particular attention should be given to the so-called "field" sellers, that is, those categories of distributors who sell products through personal selling, telemarketing, direct mail.

Simple and common form organizational building"field" sales personnel is a sales structure that operates on a territorial basis. It allows the company to better control the activities of sellers at minimal cost.

The number of "field" sellers does not have to be equal to the number of territories. The territory is a conditional unit of control. For each of the units (territories), tasks are set for the promotion and sale of the company's products. Then, for each of them, the results are evaluated separately. Marketing managers can combine the work of several sellers in one territory.

The decision to "redistribute territories" can be caused by various factors. For example:

Creation new company, a new representative office or a new structural unit;

Mastering new models of offers, as a result of which the workload on the existing sales staff increases;

Reorganization of the sales service due to major changes that occur or are expected in the market environment, and the like.

In table. 5.1 presents the technology for determining territories for the promotion and sale of industrial goods and business services of a conditional manufacturer.

The procedure for determining territories begins with an analysis of the types and number of real and potential buyers (consumers) in the target market.

At the first stage, buyers are divided into categories according to their importance to the enterprise. The code AA is assigned priority, then A, B, C, D are ranked lower. We emphasize that the criteria for classifying buyers and their status are determined by the goals and objectives of the enterprise.

At the same time, customers, which make up the bulk of the producer's business, can be dealt with by specially created groups, and especially important customers for the company - directly by senior managers.

The table below provides an example of a set of criteria that can be used to classify buyers. In this case, the company is faced with the task of increasing the number and volume of sales.

Table 5.1

Determination of the workload in the service area of ​​the REFERENCE MANUFACTURER

Based on this, the most important customers (code AA) will be those that have at their disposal good development prospects for consumer enterprises - growth in industrial and commercial activities, and therefore a rapid and significant increase in demand for goods or services; for physical consumers, improved welfare. Particular attention is paid to large customers.

At the second stage, the number of each type of customers in the target market is estimated. As a rule, the producer has a small number of customers in categories AA (perhaps even one or two), A and B. Together they make up about 20%. The rest of the customers belonging to categories C and D make up the majority. their number fluctuates at the level of about 80% ("Pareto's law").

At the third stage, standards are set for the sales staff of the producer according to the average frequency of contact with each type of customer (per year).

Then norms are determined for the average duration of contact for each type of buyer. It should be noted that customers of categories AA, A and B are recommended to devote more time. For example, category AA customers average about 1.5 hours per week each, category A customers 1:00 per week each, and category B customers 0.5 hours per week. However, consumers of categories C and D should not be ignored. Very often, among them there are subjects that have good prospects. It is very important not to miss such buyers.

At the fourth stage, the total time required to contact all potential customers during the year is calculated. Calculations are carried out by the method of direct counting. The number of customers of each type is multiplied by the length of time stipulated for each category and per potential customer. Then the results are summed up. As a result, the total time required to complete the tasks assigned to the sales department of the enterprise is determined.

At the fifth stage, the required number of "field" sellers is found. To do this, the total time required to contact all potential consumers of the target market is divided by the time from a personal sale, which has at its disposal (on average) one seller. Let's add that in practice "field" sellers spend about 50% of their working time directly on sales.

The commodity producer has a total of 500 consumers (of all types). The total time required for contacts with them is 10,000 hours per year (see 2nd, 3rd stages). Each "field" sales employee of the enterprise devotes directly to sales about 22 hours a week of pure time. Multiplying this by an average of 48 weeks (minus vacations, sick days, holidays, and the like) results in 1,056 hours of total sales time per year per salesperson. Further, dividing 10,000 hours by 1056 hours, we get 9.46. Anticipating a possible increase in sales, and therefore an increase in the burden on sellers, it can be assumed that 10 "field" sellers will be needed to cover this market.

The solution to the problem of assigning territories to specific sellers should be based on the needs of the territories and the abilities of "field" sellers. It is clear that not all of them have the same experience, abilities, connections, advantages or education. It is desirable to select territories for them in such a way as to ensure the maximum use of their skills and individual abilities, as well as the optimal level of interaction with potential buyers.

In the field of sales personnel management, the management's constant concern for improving the efficiency of the "field" seller is of great importance. The main limiting factor in increasing this kind of efficiency is the time intervals between visits to consumers. If potential customers are located close, then the seller can make several visits per day. Otherwise, the productive work of the "field" seller is reduced.

Most producers in the capital goods market and many producers of goods and services of a consumer nature have their own generally accepted territories for the sale of services. their value depends on the type of products sold by the concentration of customers, their characteristics, transport network, and the like. In recent years, computer programs have become very popular in developed countries, which help to determine the optimal territories for minimizing travel, balancing workload and maximizing profits.

A change in the size of the territories assigned to individual "field" sellers is a serious event, as it violates

well-established relationships between sales staff and customers and may have a negative impact on other territories. At the same time, market circumstances often call for corrective measures in relation to sales territories.

Due to the fact that the market is far from saturated among many types and types of goods and services, fast-growing firms are considered normal. Therefore, it is worth dwelling on some of the problems that may arise in their management of "field" sales personnel and sales. Fast-growing industrial and intermediary firms have to constantly redraw territorial boundaries due to increased sales. Under such circumstances, they must be extremely careful both in their internal sales management policy and in their external sales management policy.

Before changing the territorial contours, you need to weigh everything so as not to spoil the relationship with your experienced sales staff, who have put a lot of time and effort into developing the consumer environment - creating formal and informal relationships with their charges.

It should be noted that in practice there is another course of events. Parallel sales departments of an enterprise-seller, organized according to a territorial principle, can not only operate independently on the market, but also become active in the sphere of rivalry between themselves until mutual absorption of one another or merger. We are talking about the seizure of territory, poaching consumers and even sales staff from each other. That is, there may be manifestations of fierce internal firm competition between several divisions. As in the "big" (intercompany) competition, the strongest and the best in terms of commercial results also win here. Such confrontation not only suits the management of some firms, but is also encouraged by them. The degree of independence of parallel marketing services and the prospects for their development are determined by the organizational policy pursued by the management of the enterprise. Not wanting to take risks, the administration may allow parallel distribution services to function until it becomes clear that an acquisition or merger is overdue, that further separation of functional activities becomes economically justified.

It is also possible that as a result of the absorption of clientele, territory, poaching of specialists and other actions of the enterprise, it will more firmly gain a foothold in the conditioned market than the rival structure. Being confident in the stability of the positions occupied by a certain division, the management of the enterprise can "twist" a not entirely ethical operation - to offer its potential competitor, who is attracted by the market segment, part of his business and sell him a division - a "doll". With this maneuver, the enterprise can achieve several goals. First, it's not bad to make money on structural "waste" - a spent organizational resource. Secondly, it is advantageous to get rid of the "agonizing" subdivision, which lost in the internal corporate struggle, by presenting it as a kind of commodity in the form of an independent, "well-organized", "promising" economic entity. Thirdly, to create big problems for a competitor, which, in addition to the costs incurred to acquire a loss-making structure, must incur additional costs to raise it. In this regard, the competitor's competitive activity can be suspended for a sufficiently long period, during which the company can further strengthen its position in the specified segment. As a result, the acquisition of a competitor may result in the loss of the desired market sector for him.

It should be noted that in a market that is characterized as growing, manufacturers from various, sometimes beyond their control, reasons are often not able to determine the number and specifics of all their potential consumers. In such a situation, producers often resort to aggressive sales and sales management policies. The essence of an aggressive policy is to increase the number of sellers until the profit they bring ceases to justify their existence. Thus, in practice, the real potential of the market and the boundaries of territorial coverage are tested.

The construction of the organizational structure of the sales personnel of the enterprise according to the commodity principle provides for a good knowledge of the products by the employees-sellers. This approach is applied in the following cases:

1. the complex of goods and services that the enterprise sells in the target market is complex and heterogeneous. A wide range of goods and services allows the manufacturer to offer consumers many different options for product and service models, increases its entrepreneurial resilience in crisis situations;
2. the company's products are so specialized in scientific, technical or other aspects or so complex in composition that its promotion and implementation requires the involvement of various specialists and the development of recommendations from various experts. In this case, the qualifications and experience of salespeople and support staff play an important role.

Thus, the goals and nature of the production and commercial activities of manufacturers, market features, product specifics and the range and assortment structure of offers often force enterprises to create branches, representative offices and separate sales divisions. In this regard, in marketing, in relation to the creation of partially separate sales and distribution divisions, they are treated as a normal phenomenon.

At the same time, an insufficiently thought out and debugged management system can lead to duplication of work. For example, on the same day, the same consumer may be disturbed by several sellers at once, who offer, although different goods (services), but of the same enterprise. This irritates potential buyers and negatively affects their attitude towards the enterprise and its products, which, in turn, damages the image of the company. In addition, unjustified confrontation flares up between the personnel of various sales and marketing divisions of the enterprise in the same territory. Ultimately, it turns out that the company incurs additional costs for the organization of sales, and the effect can be directly opposite. Therefore, when resorting to the management of sales personnel and selling on a commodity basis, it is important to carefully consider all organizational, functional and psychological aspects.

The formation of the organizational structure of sales personnel based on the principle of distribution by consumers, as a rule, is carried out at enterprises that produce goods for industrial purposes or business services. The creation of this kind of trade and marketing structures involves a number of approaches. For example, you can distribute consumers according to the following criteria:

By industry;

By purchase size (large, medium, small)

By priority (especially important, important, permanent, non-permanent, etc.);

According to real and potential (new), etc.

The main advantage of the specialization of sales personnel for consumers is that each salesperson or a separate group of them can study the specific needs and behavior of their customers much deeper, establish close contacts with them, and respond faster to changes in all factors that influence.

The disadvantage of this approach is that the group of wards of a certain seller may include a wide variety of consumers, and this, accordingly, requires a wide creative diversity in the activities of this "field" worker. Another negative point is manifested in cases where customers who are part of a conditioned group are located over a large area. This forces curators to move around a lot.

An important role in the organization and management of the sales staff is played by the system of internal corporate relationships, as well as the policy of attracting the required number of salespeople, in particular, additional, auxiliary, freelance employees and stimulating them.

It is quite obvious that the enterprise in connection with this should develop an appropriate system of remuneration. Moreover, the level of remuneration must be linked to the current market prices for certain goods (services) and for specialists of appropriate qualifications.

Considering that these issues can be coordinated and resolved in a certain way, we focus on other circumstances. In marketing management, the following are of great importance:

Formation of an effective flexible system for attracting, selecting and training sales workers;

Development of effective ways to control the work of sales personnel;

The use of adequate methods for evaluating the results of the work of sales staff, especially those that belong to the "field" category.

At the heart of the effective work of the sales staff of the enterprise is a careful selection of capable, promising employees. Hiring unpromising salespeople results in losses for the enterprise in three main areas: loss of time, effort and money to train such an employee; losses incurred by the enterprise as a result of a lost sale, which could have occurred in the case of the highest competence of the employee; direct losses incurred by the enterprise through an incapable employee who does not justify the cost of his official maintenance.

The problem of recruitment would not be so urgent if it had a simple solution. Psychologists and HR professionals in many countries spend huge amounts of money trying to figure out ways to identify good and bad, promising and unpromising, able and incapable candidates.

In this case, qualification plays an important, but not decisive role. After all, a beginner can be taught, helped to reach his potential. The stumbling block is that those involved in the selection themselves do not always know or are not fully aware of what traits and their combinations to look for in candidates. Many leaders only intuitively imagine what qualities a person should have. good seller. It would seem that when selecting candidates, preference should be given to those who have good communication skills, aggressiveness, energy, etc. At the same time, practice shows that many salespeople achieve good results by being shy, polite and not very energetic. Among successful sellers there are men and women, old and young, tall and short, beautiful and "so-so", who can or cannot speak beautifully, neat or untidy. The manager's task is to find such a specific combination of characteristics that would indicate the ability and good prospects of the candidate to master the art of promoting and selling the goods and services of the enterprise.

A number of studies have shown that men and women have different attitudes towards commercial activities. For most women entrepreneurs, consumers are the main source of job satisfaction. Men are more likely to say that consumers are the main source of disappointment in their activities! A radically different outlook towards consumers is the main reason that explains the trend in the number of women in the sales force of many companies. This trend is especially evident in the service sector.

It is clear that there are different consumers and different situations, which can cause different reactions from different sellers. Therefore, in the context of the diversity and uncertainty of commercial activity, any industrial and commercial enterprise, both consumer and business, is interested in having such a sales staff, whose employees consider it a burden, but would find satisfaction from their work and incentives for creative manifestations in communication with consumers.

The search for promising employees for the marketing system of the enterprise as a whole and directly for the sales departments in particular is carried out on the basis of certain criteria, previously developed by the management. Various methods are used in the search for applicants.

For example:

Data collection among own employees;

Attraction of specialized firms with employment;

Placement of advertisements in the press;

Establishing contacts with alumni educational institutions etc.

The selection technology itself can also be different.

For example:

Formal and informal conversations;

Testing;

Short-term or long-term testing;

Conducting business games, etc.

Now business games are gaining more and more popularity. This method is considered by many enterprises as a universal approach in the selection of personnel for sales personnel.

Example. The Donetsk company "New Technologies Plus" is constantly searching for capable salespeople, sales agents and commercial consultants who could not only attract new customers, but also correspond to the corporate culture and philosophy that have been formed in the company. After previous selections based on interviews and tests on professional suitability, the applicants who remained pass the main test. they are invited to give an hour-long presentation to the company's employees. The specificity lies in the fact that, firstly, the presentation should reflect modern market, social and cultural trends, and secondly, how thematic tasks are chosen that are not related to computers and software for them, the implementation of which the company specializes in .

The purpose of such tests is not to assess the special knowledge of applicants, but the skills they have acquired and the degree of development of their abilities in presentations, as well as other public and commercial events. Such rehearsals and trainings are multifunctional in nature. On the one hand, company employees feel involved in the formation of their team, and on the other hand, those who are examined get an idea of ​​the nature, requirements and interests of their future colleagues. Game presentations sometimes turn into real shows that turn work into leisure. In addition, they are useful even for experienced salespeople, as they help them learn something new for themselves, discover unexpected arguments that can be used in their work, identify original approaches to the processes of promotion and sale of goods and services on the market.

Regarding interviews, it can be noted that they perform several functions. First of all, a number of issues related to a specific applicant that are of interest to the employer are preliminarily clarified. But at the same time, in parallel with the collection of formal information in the course of a conversation, they often look closely at a person, she smiles and how she smiles. Many enterprises adhere to a specific requirement, the essence of which is of a professional commercial nature. It lies in the fact that, with all the other virtues of the applicant, he is expelled without regret if in the process of communication he is not inclined to smile or the candidate has an unattractive smile. The fact is that in the marketing environment, especially in the field of trade and sales, they prefer to work with those who initially look like a completely happy, benevolent person. "Natural" cordiality is very important in any activity, but especially in the field of commerce, in which the volume of transactions can be in the millions.

In practice, unfortunately, there is a fairly widespread opinion among employers that for hired applicants as future sellers, the main issues are those that relate to forms of material remuneration. This view is refuted by numerous studies. Research findings and analyzes of the most attractive features of the sales profession suggest that sales methods and independence attract people far more than the potential earnings. At the same time, the independence of employees associated with the sale is among the most valuable criteria for people to choose the appropriate profession. Research on this topic contains a number of practical and psychological justifications. They confirm the importance that marketing and sales managers should carefully identify the reasons that motivate people to associate their work activities with sales-oriented professions, taking into account industry specifics and characteristics of the one being implemented. Managers involved in human resources, marketing and sales management in an enterprise need to develop hiring strategies that reflect the indicated desires of applicants.

Applicants selected to work in the marketing departments, especially those who start their careers in the field of commerce in the sales department, are eligible to take an appropriate training course before taking up their duties. In some enterprises, referring to the turnover of sales personnel, they consider the cost of training as redundancy and even as a loss. However, if training is not carried out, then the qualifications of employees will remain at a low level or will grow very slowly. From the very beginning, conditions are created for the low efficiency of the daily work of sellers. At the same time, management does not have the moral right to demand an increase in the return on their functional activities and commercial contacts. As practice shows, staff turnover increases even more.

If the leaders of the enterprise hire a specific person as a seller and set tasks for her: to find profitable buyers (consumers) of certain products; establish productive contacts with them; receive relevant orders; to establish good relationships, etc., then they must be consistent and provide the sales employee with appropriate training, which, firstly, meets the requirements for him, and, secondly, after which he will be able to do the job, if not brilliantly Well, at least it's normal. It often happens that well-organized training with approbation of skills in practical conditions can be an important factor successful work than the presence of certain personal qualities. In the field of marketing management and implementation, of course, it is more profitable to bear the costs of organizing the training of sales personnel than to find and attract sellers of nuggets.

The objectives of the training are:

1. Familiarization of the new sales employee with the enterprise. This is the first part training course. It can be devoted to the study of the history of the enterprise, corporate philosophy, culture, policy, its goals, objectives, organizational structure and the management system adopted on it. Its leaders are characterized financial system, structure production capacity and their potential, products - assortment, main goods or services, composition and principles of modulation of complex offers, etc. Part of the information about the dynamics of sales volumes and the main factors that influence this is also disclosed.

2. Acquaintance with the range of products.

3. Studying the production technology of the enterprise's products. The strengths and weak sides products of the company and its competitors.

4. Gaining knowledge about the characteristics of the consumer and competitive environment. Characteristics are given various types customers for the company's products. Their needs, purchasing motives, consumer expectations and the degree of their validity, forms of behavior and decision-making mechanisms are considered. The conceptual attitudes of the enterprise, its strategies in the sectoral, territorial and target markets in relation to products, prices, quality, as well as in relation to consumers and competitors are explained. Examples of tactical actions depending on the emerging situations are given. Existing and potential competitors are being studied, ways of dealing with them, obtaining information about them the necessary information and misinforming rivals.

5. Training of sales personnel in the art of promoting and selling goods and services of the enterprise, the ability to maintain relationships with consumers. Provides knowledge on developing and implementing effective sales presentations. Techniques for preparing and conducting negotiations are being mastered. Business games are held to find convincing arguments in favor of each type of product, service, individual elements of complex proposal models. Develop skills to overcome customer objections. Methods for finding compromises and optimizing solutions are highlighted.

6. Familiarization of employees of sales departments with the peculiarities of their work and related responsibilities. Considered, for example, the question of how to effectively allocate time and effort to work with active and passive consumers, how to use service supplies, equipment, sums of money that stand out, how to write reports, develop rational routes for the movement of marketing agents and distribution channels, and the like.

In the process of learning, the most "exotic" tasks can be solved. For example, the French marketer J. Croman believes that one of the first lessons of the training program for sales personnel should be teaching the handshake technique. Referring to his experience, he assures that both the energy and the mood that the seller conveys to a potential buyer during a handshake can play a decisive role. The rules of business etiquette are indeed very important, they should be known, especially to those who own negotiations with foreign partners. The fact is that the traditions and norms of behavior among entrepreneurs in the Far Eastern countries, the Arab world, Europe, North and South America differ significantly. Often, without knowing it, you can offend the buyer with some gesture or word and thereby disrupt a deal that is quite beneficial for both parties.

Of great importance are the traditions of the company, obliging employees of sales departments to help each other. In practice, such a form of mutual assistance as mentoring has proven itself well. Very good when new employee works in tandem with an experienced professional. Together they can develop action plans, discuss situations that have arisen, visit consumers, and negotiate. The salesman, who starts his career, gets the opportunity to watch a "pro" who will help with advice, show "how it's done", explain "what is good and what is bad." Partners often become attached to each other and continue to communicate in an informal setting. It is worth noting that the mentoring program within the framework of sales force management helps to solve the classic problem of internal company relations: the problem of the relationship between old and young employees.

The mentoring program, combining the pros and cons of both sides, allows you to get a good result. It forces partners to consider each other as interesting persons and capable workers. The mentor has experience, he has a lot to learn. At the same time, the trainee can bring enthusiasm, a fresh, unexpected look at the situation, original thoughts to the team. In addition, young people are more familiar with electronic technology and computer technology, so they can provide their mentors with help in mastering technical innovations. The senior partner can not only teach the younger one the tricks of sales, but also with the help of a kind of corporate folklore, which consists of different stories, examples and legends, arouse respect for his enterprise and its activities, convey the spirit of collectivism, create a friendly atmosphere. This psychological aspect is essential in entrepreneurship.

Far-sighted managers rightly believe that the attitude of consumers towards the company largely depends on the mood of the sales staff. Therefore, in enterprises where they value their employees, as part of internal marketing, they develop systems to support and stimulate sales and support personnel for high performance and good work quality. Managers periodically check the degree of satisfaction of employees with their functional activities and internal company relations.

For example, the telemarketing agency "RMH", well known in CELA, uses cinema and theater to stimulate the creativity and optimism of its staff. The best are awarded their own "Oscar", plays of their own composition are staged, shows are organized. According to the company's management, such a fun and unusual corporate identity helps keep employees in shape and attracts additional interest from consumers. These words are convincingly confirmed by very high rates. According to company reports, such a program pays off annually with 50% business growth.

The professional return of employees and the degree of satisfaction with relationships within the company is significantly increased if the company provides them with assistance not only in creative development, but also in solving life problems. One of the ways to combine industrial and personal interests is the development and organization of activities on flexible work schedules. Another way to provide professional and human attention is to send some managers to the field along with salespeople, not to supervise their activities, but to help them perform their assigned tasks. Employees, seeing such care, are likely to try to make every effort to fulfill their duties in the form that the enterprise needs.

At some enterprises, it is believed that the best way to stimulate employees is to create conditions for them to earn extra money (if such a possibility exists).

Yes, some transport companies allow drivers to carry out personal service simultaneously with the performance of their corporate duties. Going on the route, many drivers receive a special document (certificate, business card), which gives them the authority to take orders on their own. This brings drivers additional profit.

It is generally recognized that the "golden key" to achieving goals and accomplishing tasks is the organization of a reward system, support for individual efforts and the issuance of monetary rewards. Sales personnel need to be encouraged (morally) and stimulated (financially), encouraging them to act in the name of certain collective achievements, otherwise the processes of hiring, selecting and training workers are meaningless.

The management of the organization needs to define a system of goals and objectives for each employee, department and the enterprise as a whole, the degree of achievement and the quality of the solution of which should be used in the form of criteria for additional (above salary) incentives.

Example. Banc One, one of the ten largest companies in the US and specializes in providing financial services, has identified the level of customer service as a key indicator for evaluating the work of its employees. In order to increase the responsibility of personnel for work and manage their professional interest, the bank sets the amount of payments (salary, bonus rate, incentives, rewards) depending on how customers evaluate the work of branches. For this, a rating system has been introduced. The higher the rating of the branch, the subdivision in contact with customers, the more pay its employees receive. The management of Banc One abandoned the "equal pay for equal" scheme, considering another scheme - "equal pay for equal results" to be effective, and was not mistaken. He managed to focus the attention of all branches, employees and divisions of the financial structure on the full satisfaction of the wishes of customers. Moreover, we managed to create an atmosphere of competition. Employees try not only to improve the level of service and satisfy the desires of customers, but even to anticipate these desires.

Quite an interesting experience of encouragement of the company "IBM". In this company, customer satisfaction is viewed as a mirror of service performance, because the customer is the only one who can evaluate it objectively. Thus, the need for a systematic customer survey is recognized, for which various communication channels are used to provide customers with prompt contacts with the company's service department. To ensure that the right contacts are in place, IBM reviews both internally and externally to ensure that customer needs are met on a monthly basis. Based on the results of these checks, the shares of incentive payments are determined not only for personnel, but also for managers of middle and higher ranks. Every 90 days, the attitude to the case on the part of employees is re-evaluated; a record is kept of the opinions expressed by the company's employees on how customer service is provided, a number of other activities are carried out.

It should be noted that when using a system of incentives and rewards, it is very important to be honest about the intended individual plans and real results. Otherwise, a backlash may occur - distrust of the leadership, ignoring the proclaimed principles corporate culture etc. Each employee must understand what determines and what constitutes his monetary incentive, as well as to what extent his personal performance is consistent with the system of target settings of the enterprise. If there are deviations or even opposition (conscious, unconscious), then their reasons should be carefully analyzed, since an unfavorable situation can arise not only due to negligence or malice, but also due to

employee circumstances. The effectiveness of any incentive system depends on how far the possibility of rewarding undisciplined employees is excluded.

All forms of incentives for personnel of marketing (sales) divisions can be grouped into four blocks (Fig. 5.12).

Rice. 5.12. Forms of stimulation of management and personnel in the marketing (sales) systems of enterprises

Main financial reward is considered as basic for enterprises, regardless of the conditions and nature of their production and commercial activities. This block includes two levels and groupings for special purposes.

The first level is salaries (pay or wage rate). Usually their value is from 40 to 70% of the total remuneration of a certain employee of the marketing system.

The second level - allowances, additional payments, additional payments, bonuses, commissions for employees of marketing departments, employees. Together, their value can reach about 60% of total payments.

Separately, in this block, the "special forces" group is singled out, that is, the tools for stimulating special purposes. This includes various forms of profit sharing, as well as options, which are special methods of stimulation that are not used by all enterprises and not for all employees, but only for those in whom they are interested. Basically, such radical means are resorted to by relatively executives, inventors or innovative specialists.

Compensation. This is a specific set of tools to stimulate commercial employees of enterprises, they are used, as a rule, on large enterprises, which have foreign representations and / or maintain international economic relations. Compensation is more often provided for foreign official appointments and long-term business trips.

They are the main distinguishing feature of the remuneration system in the international environment from the so-called "home". Enterprises compensate their employees for real and estimated expenses associated with long-term business trips (transport, renting premises, meals, etc.), as well as provide special payments and benefits, for example, for educating children, holding holidays, vacations, etc.

non-financial incentives. This block includes "classic" and specific forms of employee incentives that do not provide for material rewards.

The first group (classical forms) includes gratitude, awards, encouragement, transfer to a more prestigious job, early promotion, etc.

To the second (specific forms) - games, competitions, programs of general and special education, and the like.

Mixed incentive. This includes methods involving the use of combined (tangible and intangible) forms. Stimulants of this kind are seen as an addition to the main rewards and compensations. These can be all sorts of prizes, gifts, pension and insurance programs, etc.

Various catalysts for strengthening positive motivations and the emergence of enthusiasm among employees of enterprises also contribute to the development of employee loyalty in the present and an increase in the duration of vigorous activity in the future.

The theory and practice of management and marketing agree that the system of remuneration and incentives most directly affects the competitive advantages of an enterprise of any professional orientation. Moreover, this influence is often decisive not only in local areas of activity, but also at the corporate level.

In marketing, the role of the incentive system is so important that it seems to many that it is on it that everything rests, and the level of service provided to consumers is only an expression of the degree of satisfaction of employees or the fear of losing what can be provided to them.

In many enterprises, the promotion and encouragement of sales agents (sellers) is in the spotlight. Some of them are real virtuosos of their business, closing deals (making sales) 5-10 times more than the "average corporate norm". Enterprises should look for, train, educate and cherish such personnel. Such agents (sellers) are paid according to their abilities, which can exceed the earnings of others several times.

When hiring and remuneration, one should be guided not by how much an average sales agent can "cost", but by his personal value in terms of the number and volume of sales. By any analysis, good but expensive salespeople are cheaper than mediocre ones. Those businesses that are trying to save money and pay little to their marketing and sales staff often experience higher costs in preparation and execution of the sale, as well as in connection with their number and volume. The reason is that mediocre sales workers sell less products than is possible. In addition, the service life is usually short, since they soon either leave on their own or are fired. After that, the enterprise again has to look for and select new employees, train them, "take root" to the place (sites, territories *) of work, etc. At this time, sales fall, production suffers, income may be lost, but, most importantly - buyers and lost part of the target market. All these troubles can be avoided if the company has qualified marketing and sales personnel, makes sure that the work of the specialists of the relevant system is paid, firstly, no less than the work of employees of other structural divisions of the enterprise, and secondly, no less than what they deserve.

In general, the problem of motivation and stimulation is a very complex area of ​​management, especially in relation to sales personnel and employees of other marketing areas. Due to the range of issues for many years is the subject of serious research. In the theory of sales personnel management (marketing management), a number of conceptual provisions have been developed that can be found practical use in the motivation of employees of relevant services and departments. These provisions lead to generalized conclusions, the essence of which is as follows.

Once a need is satisfied, it can no longer serve as an incentive.

Different people have different needs and values.

Increasing the degree of responsibility, the level of qualification, public recognition of the results achieved and the corresponding material incentives contribute to increasing the motivation of the majority of employees.

People, as a rule, are motivated if they believe that their efforts will bring the necessary results, these results will be rewarded, and the form and method of rewards constitute a certain value and significance for them.

Eliminating "disincentives" (for example, exposure of injustice or negligence on the part of management) increases the level of motivation.

There is a relationship between the goals of the heads of marketing and sales departments (which are determined by their importance for the enterprise and largely determine the productivity of managerial work) and the corresponding targets (and labor productivity) of their subordinates.

All this determines the requirements for the management process. Marketing managers, regardless of job level, should:

To know what is of value to each of the subordinates and what certain employees strive for (that is, to identify their unfulfilled needs);

Strive to increase the responsibility of their subordinates for the work entrusted to them;

Understand that learning can increase motivation, as well as the ability to see the connection between the efforts made and the results achieved;

Set realistic and at the same time quite serious goals for your subordinates;

Associate the measure of remuneration with the achieved performance of their subordinates;

Understand that not only material rewards, but also moral encouragement (for example, praise, sympathy, understanding) can play a big role.

A good illustrative tool for marketing managers is the sales force motivation model developed by the American scientists Churchill, Ford and Walker. This model suggests that motivation as a phenomenon is cyclical. The stronger the motivation of the seller, the more he strives, which leads to increased productivity. The more productive the labor, the higher the reward and pleasure from the work performed, it provides the seller. The cycle ends with a new degree of satisfaction, which exceeds the previous one, which determines the formation of a motivational complex at the species-specific-vishom-level (Fig. 5.13).

Rice. 5.13. Sales staff motivation cycle according to the concept of Churchill, Ford and Walker

The practical conclusions that can guide marketing managers in their activities can be reduced to two main generalizations:

1. managers who are responsible for selling must convince their subordinates that the results of their work ultimately depend on effort and skill;
2. by working harder or by learning the appropriate sales secrets, they will be able to increase sales of the enterprise's products.

In many enterprises, it is believed that the motivation of employees depends mainly on the characteristics of the payment system in a particular organization. However, in management theory it is known that not all people are equally motivated by money. Various studies have been carried out on this subject. It turned out that there are five types of sales workers, each of which is determined by its own structure of goals:

1. Victims of habit. They strive to maintain their standard of living by earning quite a certain and sufficient, in their opinion, amount of money.
2. Those who are content with little. These people want to work at a level just enough to keep their jobs.
3. Compromisers. Such distribute time between work and rest, based on their own ideas and characteristics of their personality. As practice shows, even the prospect of earning more money is not capable of changing these ideas and, accordingly, the ratio of work and rest.
4. Purposeful. Sales people of this type really like it when their achievements are noticed and recognized by management. At the same time, money for them is only one of the manifestations of recognition of their merits.
5. Money oriented. These types of salespeople aim to make as much money as possible. For this they are able to sacrifice free time; relationships with colleagues, friends and family; own health. Such a mercantile desire cannot be characterized unambiguously. Along with many shortcomings, it also has advantages that can be skillfully used in corporate interests.

Based on the presented structuring, marketing managers should try to pre-classify employees associated with the sale before creating / developing a reward system for their subordinates.

In the event that "victims of habit", those who are "satisfied with little" and "compromisers" prevail in the composition of the sales personnel of an enterprise, creating conditions for receiving only additional monetary rewards is likely to not bring the corresponding results.

If, among the sales staff, most of the employees can be characterized as "purposeful" and "money-oriented", then expanding their opportunities to receive additional monetary rewards may result in an increase in the level of motivation and labor productivity, which will ultimately give an adequate effect in the organization and implementation of commercial processes.

It is necessary to pay attention to another aspect of sales personnel management that is important in modern conditions. Sales automation is becoming more and more common among the means of increasing the productivity of sales personnel. In many enterprises, managers who are responsible for organizing promotion and sales pay great attention to the "equipment" of their salespeople, especially sales representatives. In developed countries, "field" representatives of companies are provided with a laptop computer, printer, copier, mobile phone, software, etc. All this is expensive, but progressive experience shows that the cost of technical equipment the active part of a commercial apparatus quickly pays off. For example, the company "Hewlett Packard" provided at the disposal and taught the use of the above funds some of its agents. It soon became clear that their productivity immediately jumped by 30% compared to those agents who did not use such equipment.

Decent "equipment" pays off on the other hand, perhaps even faster. Some enterprises, having provided their "field" representatives with everything necessary, no longer see the need to maintain offices for sales agents. This is the same company "Hewlett Packard", no less famous company "Kotrak" and many others. Representatives of such "advanced" organizations work at home and do not go every day to their departments or offices. Thanks to this, companies significantly reduce the cost of renting premises, their heating, electricity, and the like. At the same time, the sales staff of the enterprises receive additional time for productive work.

Sales automation is beneficial and here's how. When on average one manager can supervise 10-12 sales staff, then thanks to a full-fledged technical and software"field" category of sales personnel, each manager is able to effectively manage from 25 to 40 external representatives of the enterprise. This means that the need for such bosses is reduced by 2-4 times with all the ensuing consequences (in particular, savings on salaries, offices, reduction of the hierarchical management structure, increased management efficiency; coordination of actions with agents and support staff over a larger area, etc. .d.).

In conclusion, it is important to reiterate that management, sales and support personnel at all levels of the organizational system should be held accountable not only for the performance of their work, but also to an appropriate degree for the implementation of the corporate philosophy, culture, plan and policy (set of strategies ) companies. They should know that both the prospects of their enterprise and the amount of individual earnings depend on this.

The development of a personal communication strategy requires first of all to determine the role that the salesperson will play in the implementation of the firm's marketing strategy. To do this, you need to clarify the nature of the connection that the company wants to establish with its customers in each product market.

Typical sales staff tasks can be grouped into three areas:

- actual sale, including identifying potential customers, studying their needs, discussing the terms of sale and closing a deal;

- provision of services customers, including assistance in the use of goods, after-sales service, promotion of goods, etc.;

- collection of information for the company regarding changes in needs, activity of competitors, adaptability of goods.

The salesperson is thus not only the commercial body of the firm, but also an important element of its marketing information system.

Depending on the attention paid to one or another of these functions, the terms "trade worker" and "sales agent" in real life can be given different meanings. The following types of salesperson can be distinguished.

- delivery representative, the main role of which is the physical delivery of goods.

- Salesman, operating in the sales area, who takes orders and, in addition, can act as an adviser to the client, especially in large stores.

- traveling representative, who meets with wholesalers and retailers in order to obtain orders and ensure the continuity of goods supply.

- Sales Promotion Representative: it organizes advertising and promotional activities directly at the point of sale.

- commercial propagandist, which does not take orders, but only informs about new products, especially in the medical sector.

- sales engineer, technically competent and able to play the role of a consultant helping the client in solving his problems. That's how IBM sales engineers work.

- Traveling salesman, selling goods such as automobiles, electrical appliances, encyclopedias, insurance policies, where creativity and communication strategy play a decisive role.

- Contract drafter on a complex project, which, in addition to technical and financial competence, must have a talent for negotiation.

The roles of all these employees are to some extent related to creative and strategic functions. The task lies in the proper organization of commercial relations and in the optimal distribution of responsibilities between salespeople, the distribution network and the means of communication.

The Role of Sales Personnel in Strategic Marketing

Generally speaking, the main task The salesperson is still concerned with satisfying the well-informed buyer's need for two-way communication about whether the product fits his needs. For the company, the new value of the sales force is to obtain information that allows the company to accelerate the adaptation to market changes.

Here is how one Japanese firm defines the role of its sales force:

“Vendors are indispensable information gatherers; they need to be educated ... rather in solidarity with other salespeople and the firm as a whole for better verification and gathering of information, than in the individual vanity of the salesperson seeking to fulfill his sales plan, i.e. improve only their own performance” (Serieyx, 1985).

This evolution of the concept of the role of sellers enhances the degree of their participation in strategic marketing, which is to perform the following strategic functions.

Encourage market acceptance of new products.

Discover new clients.

Maintain the loyalty of existing customers.

Provide technical assistance.

Provide consumers with product information.

Collect the information.

Thus, the sales staff is involved in the development of: commodity policy, i.e. e. in strategic marketing that provides information about the needs of buyers.

Sales Staff Strategy

Various organizational structures sales force: regional, by product, by customer type or a combination.

Regional organization - the most popular structure due to its logic and simplicity. The seller is the exclusive representative of the company for all goods for all potential and real clients region. This, and also the cheapest, approach is applicable only when the goods are few or similar, and all customers have similar needs.

A paint and varnish company whose clients are wholesalers, retailers, and industrial firms (construction, automotive) obviously cannot have one representative for all clients.

Organization by goods preferred when products are dissimilar or difficult to use. To respond to customer requests and resist competition, the sales representative must be more specialized. Costs can increase, especially if multiple representatives must visit the same client.

Organization for clients effective when customers have very different needs and require specific services. Customers can be classified by industry sector, by size, and by other segmentation criteria discussed in Chapter 6. The strength of the approach lies in the possible specialization and thus the good adaptability of sales representatives. But in the case of a large geographic dispersion of customers, this option can become very expensive.

Most computer firms distribute their sales staff to the following groups of buyers: administration, banks, industrial enterprises, trade.

When using combined schemes, sellers can specialize, for example, on the basis of "sector-customer", "customer-product" or even "sector-customer-product" criteria. This principle is used only by very large firms with a diverse clientele.

13.2.4. Multilevel Selling

Multi-level selling, also called network marketing, can be defined in the following way:

“Multilevel marketing is a system that allows anyone who wants to sell a range of products, without first investing anything but their own time and effort, to get goods directly from the manufacturer, and creates a multilevel distribution network through successive assignment of rights” (Xardel, 1986) .

A multi-level sale using sales staff working on a commission basis is characterized by the following elements:

The increase in revenue is due to the expansion of sales, not the distribution network,

The final price is the same for all customers,

Sellers are officially independent persons,

The seller's inventory is limited,

Trade associations act as guarantors of the quality of goods.

This approach allows you to quickly cover a large market at low cost, which is important for mass production. It has become widespread in the USA. Merchants working on this principle can more easily adapt to their customers. For a manufacturer, this constant interaction with customers is a very valuable source of information.

The described principle is effective for overcoming the inertia of classical distribution networks and especially for bypassing barriers to entry that may be created by firms that control traditional distribution channels. Small firms benefit in this case by reducing communication costs (Clothier, 1992).

The need of modern society for personalized communication gives new life to the described form of trade. However, we must not forget about its inherent limitations in relation to industrial goods, goods that require technical competence or are sold at a small margin.