Design and manage a sales force in a B2B market

Introduction

When a company faces uncertain or recessive market conditions, a motivated and well-structured sales force is a fundamental element for its competitiveness and, probably, its survival.
Designing the structure, recruiting staff, and managing a sales force able to contribute to the company’s competitive advantage requires knowledge and experience which are not easy to find and put it at work.

Aims

The course aims to provide participants with a broad view of the issues that influence the structuring and management of a sales force in a B2B market, enabling them to play an active role in related processes.

Who should take this course?

The course is intended for sales and marketing directors, sales managers, people about to take on sales management responsibility, human resources specialists.

Contents

The sales function in the strategic and organisational context of the company

• Sales as a corporate function
• The marketing function: definition and areas of interaction with sales
• Sales and intellectual capital: how sales contribute to creating value for the company

Business analysis as a tool for designing a sales structure

• The structure of the market
• Product, service, solution: how the market transaction influences the structure of the sales force
• The customer portfolio
• Issues related to territorial coverage

Defining sales targets

• General features of the sales targets
• From budget objective to sales objective
• Structure of sales targets

Sales controlling

• The sales budget
• The sales forecast
• Monitoring the sales results and review of the targets

Management roles in the sales force

• The sales and marketing manager
• The sales manager
• The area sales manager
• The influence of sales in strategic decisions

Sales professionals

• The seller
• The hunter
• The farmer
• The business developer
• The business partner
• The networker
• The agent
• Other profiles

The profile of sales professionals

• The features that distinguish the job profile of sales managers and sales professionals
• Main responsibilities
• Required experiences
• Skills
• The technical knowledge
• Communication techniques

Motivation and compensation

• Motivation drivers for a sales force
• Compensation: fixed, variable, benefits, other
• The incentive scheme
• The sales competitions

Sales and Internet

• The website
• E-marketing tools
• E-management tools
• Integrated communication to the market
• Physical and online sales integration

Structuring the sales force

• Territorial base
• By product, service, solution
• Direct and indirect sales
• Structuring the sales force by Key Account

The KAMP (Key Account Management and Planning) method

• The organisation recovers its client portfolio
• From salesman to sales team management: when the sales become organisational
• The importance of Social Business Collaboration in the management of the sales team
• The sales plan for the Key Account: an organisational process

What about the learning material?

• Course slides
• Exercises
• Articles about sales topics
• Cartoon strips
• Recommended movies and books

Teaching method

This course has been designed and structured to promote complete immersion in the topic and the individual experience.
The participants will face situations through exercises and video clips that reproduce moments similar to the ones they face daily.
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Final test and certificate

At the end of the course, participants take a test; after passing it, they can download their certificate of attendance.

Duration

24 hours or more.