The supply chain
Special skills required of salesperson
A salesperson selling GE Appliances must have knowledge about the different products offered by the company. There is a different variety of GE products. A salesperson must have skills in selling electrical appliances, because most of the products of the company are of this nature.
A salesperson of GE Appliances requires having the skills of selling products in different countries because the company operates in many countries globally. In addition, a salesperson of the products should have the skills of working with corporate and individual customers. The company works with corporate and individual customers.
Compensating salespeople
General Electric provides basic salary plus commission to sales people. The salespersons are compensated with salaries and they are paid commission for all products sold. The company provides different wages to different employees at different levels. On average, senior employees of the company earn $80,000 annually (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel. P. 552).
Criteria of dividing the sales territories
A sales manager of GE appliances should divide up the sales territories according to the company size. The customers of the company are companies, and sales managers should categorize the companies according to size. This allows the sales manager to identify large companies, medium-size companies and small companies.
The prospective buyers of GE appliances
The prospective buyers of this company are retail companies. For example, Sears, Wal-Mart and other retail companies dealing in electrical appliances. Salespeople of GE Appliances should contact the purchasing departments of the business customers. For instance, at Sears, the GE salespeople should contact the purchasing manager. In addition, the salesperson should contact the CEO of Sears so as to get permission to deliver goods to that company.
The customer profile for GE Appliances
GE Company deals with corporate customers. Therefore, the customer profile for GE appliances is B2B. B2B is a system where a company deals directly with another company. There is no direct relationship between companies using b2b system with the end consumers (Rushton, p. 517).
Objections
A salesperson might experience objections about the unwillingness of the end consumers to buy products from company. Buyers of GE appliances may object about the prices of products in comparison to other products in the market.
Average sales cycle time for the product
The average sales cycle time for GE appliances depends on the location of a customer. It takes less than 9 days to complete a transaction in the US. In other countries, there are sales representatives of the company, who link all customers to the company. The contacts that are necessary should be made to the sales and marketing department to complete any sales deal.
The sales manager instructs the processing of orders; products are packed and delivered. The purchasing department from the customer’s side then receives the products after delivery. There is a need for multiple meetings with the buyer over the course of sales cycle to ensure that the goods are delivered (Geasset Manager, p. 1).
Important information for a buyer considering making a purchase for the first time
A buyer considering making a purchase for GE appliances for the first time will require information about the quality of the products, the price, and the distribution centres. The buyer will also require knowing about the brand loyalty and the good image of the products of the company in the market. Since the company sells to retailers, the salesperson will require assuring the buyer that the products have a high demand in the global markets.
Major competitors
Major Competitors in the industry are: Citigroup, Inc., Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV., and Siemens AG. The GE brand has a high level of customer loyalty. The company has a good image, and the products of the company are readily accepted by customers globally. This places the brand of the company at a high position in the market.
Works Cited
Geasset Manager. GE Advantage, 2012. Web.
Lamb, Charles W, Joseph F. Hair, and Carl D. McDaniel. Marketing. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western, 2008. Print.
Rushton, Alan. The Handbook of Logistics and Distribution Management. London: Kogan Page, 2010. Print.