Sales Management

Books
Marketing By Dhruv Grewal & Michael Levy
Marketing and Sales By Rajan Saxena.
Principles of Marketing By Philip Kotler & Gany Armstrong, 2002
ppt
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notes
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pdf
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question paper
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Sales management
Definition
Efforts put forth to attain a companys sales objectives.
Sales management can involve any of the following activities:
(1) Formulation of sales strategy through development of account management policies,
sales force compensation policies, sales revenue forecasts, and sales plan,
(2) Implementation of sales strategy through selecting, training, motivating, and
supporting the sales force, setting sales revenue targets.
(3) Sales force management through development and implementation of sales
performance, monitoring, and evaluation methods, and analysis of associated behavioral
patterns and costs.
The Role dimensions of S M

Trends: should be knowledgeable of the trends in the industry and derive product
benefits in an effort to add value for the customer
Review the competitive landscape
Collateral: Review the sales process and the collateral made available to support
this process
Roadmap: Having strategic and tactical timelines in place is imperative
Understand the customer buying process

A good successful salesman should posses some certain qualities in order to achieve
success.
1. Sales personality
Sales personality is all about the sales man itself. Personality can be produced and
improved by developing the qualities in the positive traits. A person may not have all
essential qualities of a sales person but he has to strive in order to compensate the
lacking. The positive qualities to be developed, in order to increase and improve the
salesmans personality such as kindness, courage, confidence, honesty, loyalty, good
health, and cheerfulness.
All the sales person would not have all the positive qualities they might have some
negative qualities such as fear, gloominess, cowardice etc. These qualities should be
neglected from the sales person. Habits once formed are always difficult to change. A
person who has the capability to work hard will always work without any difficulties. So
it is necessary for the salesperson to develop the positive traits which may be difficult at
the beginning, and there by building a positive personality.
Some of the important aspects to be developed by the sales person to achieve success are:
(a) Physical traits
It includes health, breadth, posture, speech, and appearance. Without good health the
sales person would not have the endurance to sell the product or achieve his targets. He
may also be required to move about different places, which would be difficult for him,
and as well as stand during the greater part of the day. Offensive breadth must be avoided
because it may repel the customers. It can be easily detected and controlled by the
salesperson himself. It may be caused to defective teeth or physical disorders or, from
stomach. Good posture considerably enhances the appearance and personality of the sale
persons. Good posture doesnt mean a straight and rigid posture. It means unnecessary
tension of muscles should be avoided. Voice should be very expressive, pleasant and it
should attract the customers a lot. The voice should not be high pitched, hoarse or
monotonous. Neat and pleasing appearance is essential for a salesperson in any walk of
life. A good appearance of a sales person will give him confidence in presenting his
arguments in a convincing manner without being distracted by fear of his own
appearance. Appropriate way of dressing also plays a key role in appearance; it should be

clean and fit well. The salesperson should know how to smile; a good natural smile
would enhance his appearance.
(b) Mental Traits
Mental traits include accuracy, alertness, imagination, initiative, observation, and selfconfidence etc. The salesman should be alert, ready to find out ways and means of
serving the customers. Alertness is a part in which the sales person should inspire
confidence of the customers. Customers normally would not like hurried salespersons as
well a slow one.
It is one of the most important mental attributes, which should be developed by the
salesperson.
If a salesman with imagination will have the capability to visualize the articles required
by the customer, such a customer would be relieved and so grateful for suggestions and
ideas given by the salesperson. The salesperson should be able to think and decide for
himself instead of having to be told everything, he should be self-reliant. The important
quality in a good salesperson is the ego drive, which makes him want to make the sale.
He must remain enthusiastic of the job. The salesperson should have the capability to take
decisions for himself and assist the wavering customers into making his decisions by
gentle means of questions and suggestions.
The salesperson should have the attribute of keen observation. A person who is a keen
observer will immediately sort out the problems and find a solution as soon as possible.
The salesman must be interested in his work and strive to learn all the duties of the
different phases. He must pay a close attention to, the customers, the product he sells, and
the enterprise he works for. Self-confidence springs from the knowledge. Therefore he
should acquire thorough knowledge of the goods he sells, likely type of customers. The
salesperson should have confidence in himself and products he sells to the customers.
(c) Social traits
The ability to make friends and to get along with the people in one of the most valuable
assets. Social traits includes, ability to meet the public, the most important quality of a
salesperson to meet the public and speak about the product he wants to sell them. He is
also required to overcome considerable resistance, deal with the strangers in his selling
activity and open up new territories. The salesman should always be polite and generous
to his work and to the customers. It deals, not to be late for appointments, addressing
customers in a friendly way. Never losing temper, saying thank you and good-bye while
leaving. All the workers should be cooperative help one another to make pleasant
working conditions.
(d) Character traits

There are some important attributes in a persons character. No one can expect to be
successful unless he follows some modal characteristics. It includes honesty and
reliability, enthusiasm, industry and persistence.
2. Knowledge of goods
The salesperson should have the knowledge about the products he is selling. Sales person
without technical knowledge about the product would be a danger to he customer.
Naturally he cannot explain something prospective to the customers, which he himself
doesnt understand .If the salesman has the knowledge about the product he would be
able answer all the queries raised by the customers. Even if a single answer were not
given clearly, the customer would doubt about the quality of the product. Besides by
having the knowledge it will become easier to make the customer understand about the
product.
The extent of the knowledge required of a salesman depends on whether he is in selling
high cost products or low priced products. The salesperson should acquire information as
to the policies behind the products as these are reflected in the products. Knowledge of
the production methods can de used by the salesman to justify the cost of the product, he
should also know about the law affecting the sales and selling, knowledge about the firm,
knowledge about tariffs delivery conditions also. There are different methods to acquire
knowledge about the products:
Personal experience.
Reading books, trade journals.
Consulting with the seniors.
Studying advertisement.
Reading sales manual.
Meetings and conferences.
3. Importance buying motives
There are number of motives. The commonest motives are fear, profit, pride, comfort,
fashion, health, and habit. A salesman selling life insurance may utilize the motive of love
for the family, loyalty, therefore he should find out the fears involved in it. It may be
death, fear of loss etc. Profit in this the salesman should make the two points clear to
make money, save money. He should motivate the customers to buy the products he sell
about the positive aspects and negative aspects which would provide a clear picture to the
customer, whether this product would suite them or not. And by giving suggestions and
ideas to the customers.
10 Characteristics of Successful Salespeople
1. They are persistent
2. Successful sales people are avid goal setters
3. Great sales people ask quality questions

4. Successful sales people listen

5. Successful sales people are passionate
6. Successful sales people are enthusiastic
7. Successful sales people take responsibility for their results
8. Successful sales people work hard
9. Successful sales people keep in touch with their clients
10. Successful sales people show value