Introduction
With the current revolution in the corporate world, many organizations find the need to keep up with the set trends in the corporate scene. This is essential for them to maintain relevance, as well as achieve set targets and strategic objectives. One of the important aspects of business management is sales personnel management. This is an important business aspect that can lead to efficiency and effectiveness in business. This study will seek to analyze the various tools and techniques used in sales personnel management.
Management Techniques
Personnel management encompasses a deep interest in the well-being of an employee. Its main aim is ensuring that employees have a sense of satisfaction. Personnel management tasks include training, selection, hiring, motivation, rewards, and compensation among others. Personnel managers are mainly involved in execution of these important tasks (Ingram, 2008).
Training
Training encompasses the process of improving personnel competencies, knowledge and potentialities, (in regards to the specific tasks that will be assigned to them). This is an essential process that should be perpetual, in order to achieve excellent execution of jobs (Ingram, 2008). It gives sales personnel managers an easier time in dealing with sales personnel. There are different basis on which training is carried out.
Training is carried out upon induction of new sales people to the company. It is also important to train current sales personnel .This empowers them to brush up on their knowledge and ultimately improve their performance. Another party that would require training would be a promoted employee. It would be important for him to be fully trained on new aspects pertaining to the job. Training that accompanies upgrades on the existing technologies is fundamental as well.
Sales personnel training is implemented on the basis of the premise that salesmanship is a dynamic profession .Effective salesmanship demands an ongoing learning process. The sale force requires knowledge on company products, as well as markets they should venture into.
Lack of training leads to lower sales, which ultimately has an impact on the company returns. With adequate training, personnel will be motivated to achieve set targets. They will also require minimal supervision, leading to improved efficiency in the work place (Ingram, 2008).
Selection and Hiring
Selection entails assigning tasks to the most competent persons. It is critical to hire self driven sales people, who are ready to face challenges in the market. This can be done by conducting interviews, in order to identify the unique qualities required. Organizations should therefore take their time in screening suitable candidates.
Rewards
Salespeople highly appreciate their efforts being acknowledged. Rewards are mainly in form of bonuses and prizes. These act as impetus for them to increase sales and improved their performance. Managers should take the initiative to acknowledge the efforts of the most outstanding sales people. This will have a positive impact on the selected employee as well as the entire sales force.
Motivation
Salespeople also require freedom to exercise their ideas, as well as discernment of what is good for their sales. Such provision enables them to feel trusted enough to conduct business on behalf of the company .This motivates them, with the impact being improved performance. Motivation should be done by implementing policies that provide a given a level of autonomy to employees.
Compensation
Compensation is an important aspect in employee performance. Organizations need to pay employees adequate and a reasonable commission for their work. The feeling that they are compensated accordingly will boost their morale. The company should also cater for the expenses incurred in the course of the employees work.
Management Tools
Management tools include quotas, targets, and sales reports as well as call reports. These tools are important in monitoring sales force performance and identifying what areas need to be worked on.
Sales Quotas and Targets
Quotas and targets are stipulated levels of sales that are set for the sales force. In most cases, the sales manager and the personnel come to an agreement on a certain level of sales. However, these levels may be stipulated by the organization. They may be set with no consultations with sales force (imposed quotas) or on the basis of prior company performance (extrapolated quotas). Nonetheless, it is important to note that such targets should be as achievable as possible. Failure to this can lead to the sales force being frustrated.
Sales and Call Reports
Sales reports are written accounts of sales made. They are used by managers to access needed information pertaining to the sales. Call reports are written accounts of the number of customers contacted by the sales force. They provide information on customer information and potential sales to be made.
Both reports provide an avenue for communication of information between the personnel and their managers (Ingram, 2008,). Report evaluation enables the two parties to discuss sales performance and come up with ways to improve it. In addition, the sales and call reports are used to evaluate the progress of the personnel’s work. Managers also find these reports helpful, in determining the most suitable target market.
Effects of technology on Sales management
The use of technology in sales management is beneficial to the managers, as well as their employees. Technology automates some of management and sales tasks, making it easier to accomplish set objectives. Increased efficiency is evidenced in use of the internet to deliver reports to managers. This makes work easier for both parties, by getting rid of bulky paper work (Goldenberg, 2002). Such developments boost employee morale and simplify manager’s administrative tasks.
Conclusion
Today’s corporate world necessitates effective sales personnel management practices. These management practices are essential for companies that aim to have a cut above the rest. Among these sales personnel management techniques, is employee training. Training empowers employees with additional knowledge that is essential for specific tasks. It also enables them to brush up on what they may have forgotten.
Another sales management technique is selection and hiring. The practice entails detailed screening of employees and only hiring the most promising sales force. Employee motivation, use of rewards as well as a proper compensation plans are also management techniques. These ensure that employees are motivated and in the right frame of mind needed to deliver desired results.
Management uses tools such as quotas, targets and sales reports for a number of reasons. These include, monitoring of sales force performance and determining suitable markets for their sales force. Technology is also an aspect in sales management that has revolutionized it. The incorporation of new technology has made work much easier for both employees and the management.
References
Goldenberg, B. (2002). CRM automation .London: Prentice Hall
Ingram, T. (2008).Sales Management: Analysis and Decision Making. New York: M.E.Sharpe