----------------------------There are external and internal challenges of managing a sales force.

External c hallenges include customers, environment, and competition. Internally there are challenges in shifting the strategy and enhancing performance. There might be a need to redesign the sales force or start a productivity hunt. In terms of custo mers the focus in on customer and their buying processes; whether or not they re c hanging; are customers more knowledgeable or sophisticated, etc. . . Environment al concerns include the economy and its transition, using internet/technology in to your strategy, looking at the employment rate, etc. . . In terms of competiti on there are concerns about global competitors, protecting information from data , etc. . . Internally, there s a concern in adapting to new advances, mergers, acq uisitions, etc. . . The company needs to focus on creating a sales force that ca n either launch a new strategy or enter a new market. There are also concerns in measuring a sales force, what should the correct structure for the sales force be and so on. Apart from this there are other challenges such as whether or not the particular sales person has the knowledge/skills to be in this position? It includes looking at various aspects/attributes such as: attitude, time managemen t, finding the prospective customer, figuring out their needs, presenting soluti ons, handling questions, and closing in on the deal. Managing a sales team present a number of challenges. Successful salespeople ar e often highly driven, aggressive, motivated by sales quota and they like to do things their own way without interference from their managers. Here are some ti ps to help overcome the challenges: Be a motivator Sales managers must be strong motivators. The successful sales manager takes th e time to get to know each salesperson and is proficient at knowing what makes e ach one tick. Develop Negotiating Skills Based on the survey, Salespeople can be difficult to deal with. As a result, the sales manager must be a tactful negotiator, developing ways to keep them happy while not giving in to all their demands. Manage Conflict The competition and their egos of salespeople can lead to internal conflicts. A salesperson may be so driven to succeed, he/she will not hesitate to "step on th e toes" of another salesperson to get what they want. The sales manager should t ake a proactive approach to prevent conflicts, such as counseling a salesperson. Model Desired Behavior If you want your salespeople to perform in a certain way, be sure to set the exa mple. If you advocate providing strong service to your client base, then you pro vide strong service. Waste Nobody's Time Many salespeople earn their living via commissions, and sales managers earn thei r income based upon their salespeople's commissions. Therefore, do not waste val uable money-making time holding unnecessary meetings. If you must meet, do so du ring off-peak sales times, and be sure to include information that will help the m generate more revenue.

================== In today's global marketplace, managers face many challenges related to fulfilli ng the customer's ever-changing needs and expectations. The concept of customer service has recently become more complex as a result of globalization of goods a nd services. Customers are now well-informed decision makers as a result of the abundance of information that is available online and in the media. In addition, today's consumer is most concerned with how a salesperson can solve basic probl ems and ultimately add value to a product or service. The role of sales intermed iaries is now, more than ever, important to success in this new competitive glob al marketplace. As a result, sales managers have a new challenge of responding t o this new environment with innovative techniques for managing and motivating th e sales force. The following sections define general sales management terms, exa mine the role of a sales manager, and focus on methods used to mange, lead and m otivate employees. Sales management can be most easily defined as planning, implementing, and contr olling personal contact programs designed to achieve the sales and profit object ives of the firm. Overall, sales managers are responsible for directing the firm 's sales program. In carrying out this objective, a sales manager assigns territ ories, sets goals, and establishes training programs. In addition to setting ind ividual goals, sales managers monitor the performance of their salespeople and c ontinually offer direction and leadership on ways to improve their performance. The organizational structure for sales management varies depending on the firm's size and strategy. In field sales management, the structure consists of the uni t manager, district manager, regional manager, general manager and vice presiden t of sales. The unit manager is often referred to as the manager-in-training wit h interaction taking place at the customer level. Key responsibilities for the u nit manager include training new salespeople, recruiting, selling to small accou nts, and running district meetings. District managers, a step up from unit manag ers, have 5 to 10 years of management experience and generally manage 8 to 10 sa lespeople. District managers typically report to the regional manager, who is re sponsible for managing multiple districts in a given geographic area. The genera l manager is sometimes referred to the vice president of sales and marketing. Th is position is traditionally at the top of the sales organizational chart, with the VP of Marketing and Sales driving the sales strategy of the firm. Sales managers are confronted with several challenges when designing an effectiv e sales strategy. How should a sales force be structured? How large a sales forc e is needed? What methods should the sales force use to deliver their message? S trategies vary based on the number of products that the firm offers and if the f irm sells to one particular type of customer versus selling to many different ty pes of customers. When selling one product line to a single industry, with customers in many locat ions, a territorial sales strategy is used. With this strategy, a sales manager will assign sales representatives to exclusive territories in a given region. Th ese representatives will sell full product lines consisting of multiple products to customers in that territory. A good example of this strategy is food equipme nt sales. A sales representative for a commercial food equipment company will ty pically promote the companies full line of products when selling to restaurants, schools, and cafeterias in their defined territory. A product sales force strategy is often used when a firm sells along product lin es. Using this strategy, a sales manger will require their representatives to fo cus on selling a single product or small select group of products. This strategy is used by managers when products are numerous and complex. This strategy is wi

dely used in healthcare sales where a salesperson focuses on selling doctors and healthcare providers specific products that are integral to their specialized a rea of medicine. Finally, sales managers may use a customer focused sales force strategy where sa lespeople specialize in matching target customers to specific products or servic es. This strategy helps a company to concentrate more on building strong, long-t erm relationships with key customers. Read more: Sales Management - strategy, organization, levels, advantages, manage r, type, company, disadvantages http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/P r-Sa/Sales-Management.html#ixzz1TKWEv7ZV