Sales Force and Channel Management

Assignment # 1

Submitted to:
Mr. Parag Deshmukh

Submitted by:
Name: Kushal Gupta
Roll No: 41193
PRN: 18020141093

Specialization and Division: Marketing – B

Programme and Batch: MBA Regular 2018-20
 Q1] Explain sales management function and sales and channel role

Sales management is the holistic set of processes involved in developing a sales force, coordinating sales operations and
implementing sales techniques and methodologies developed by the management, in order the sales teams reach or
even surpass their sales targets.

While other important functions like marketing or HR can be considered cost centres, effective sales management
strategy is the one investment that distinguishes between surviving and flourishing companies.

Sales management function incapsulates three key aspects:

Sales Planning
Sales planning is done by the sales management by developing the macro level sales strategies and programs to be
deployed by the on-ground sales teams. It also involves micro level tasks like setting overall sales targets for regions and
teams, quotas, demand/sales forecasting and strategy. This involves:
 Knowing the product. Sales professionals must know the selling propositions and benefits of the product for the
consumers to believe in it.
 Identification of the target market and making the products available to the end users at the right time and at the right
place at the right time.
 Devising appropriate strategies to increase the sales of the products.

Sales Operations: Building and nurturing the sales team

This involves recruiting, training and keeping the team motivated. Recruitment should be done by using advanced
selection programs and procedures to test the behavioural, managerial, personality and technical skills of an individual to
ensure that the best personnel is hired for selling position. Training and onboarding the sales force to beat the
competition. Upgrading the skills of the members of the sales force during the life cycle of a product through well-
designed training programs is very important.

Sales Reporting: This involves

 Checking the effectiveness of the various strategies by analysing whether they are bringing the desired results or not.
 Keeping the sales representatives aware of their roles and responsibilities in the organization.
 It is important for the organizations to evaluate the outcomes of proposed strategies in any department. Organizations
depend on KPIs, or Key Performance Indicator to measure the effectiveness of implemented strategies.
 Training the sales team on submitting reports of what all they have done throughout the week. The management must sit
with the sales team frequently.
 Mapping individual performance over time is also done to ensure that each individual grows with the organization.

Channel Sales Role:

A company can sell directly to the clients and consumers and this might appear like cutting the middleman. Had it been
true, two thirds of world computer sales wouldn’t have been channel sales. Channel Sales doesn’t just mean shipping
your products off to a third party and hoping for the best. Channel Sales means keeping your outsourced sales teams up
to date with your products, ensuring that they are adequately informed and regularly updating them on changes and
issues for them to function at their best. The channel partners expertise in sales and thus outsourcing to a trusted
channel partner can help a business expand by focusing on its core competencies like the way Microsoft or Dell does.

Some important aspects to be taken care of for channel sales:

 Some channel partners exercise greater influence in the operational region and it is important to build a strong network
of such partners
 Company should be prepared with strategies to resolve conflicts like territory wars or price wars
 Payments and outstanding need to be cleared in time to keep the channel operational efficiently
 Motivation can be in the form of 3 R. Respect, recognition and reward. Respect is something which comes from the
channel sales executive. Recognition comes from managers and the senior people in the organisation who show
recognition to the dealer and his importance in the organisation. Recognition can also be in the form of awards and
certificates.