Sales Management

2. You are the Sales Manager of an electrical goods distributor. One day you receive a telephone call from a very good long term customer regarding the changed behaviour of one of your senior sales representatives. Your customer advises that the sales representative is rude and uncooperative, misses scheduled appointments and is extremely aggressive. What would you do in such a situation?

As a manager, I need to consider about my company’s standpoint, my customer’s standpoint and the sales representative’s standpoint.

On my company’s standpoint, I clear know that my company doesn’t want to lose a very good long term customer and a senior sales representative as well. If the company loses the customer, it will be a losing of the company’s sales and reputation. If the company loses the senior sales representative, it will be a losing of the company’s human resource. Therefore, I should have a good solution to deal with the relationship between the company, the customer and the sales representative.

On the customer’s standpoint, he gave me a call about the changed behaviour of my sales representative must be causal. Usually, a very good long term customer will not compliant a senior sales representative abruptly without any reasons. There must be something changes on the sales representative.

On the senior sales representative’s standpoint, because he is a outstanding sales representative in the company, therefore, there must be some reasons that cause his behaviour changes. Maybe there is something happen on himself, his family or his friends.

As a result, I should take some action to the hold my customer and my sales representative.

First of all, I will comfort my customer during the complain call, and I also promised that I will have a talk with the sales representative to find out a best solution for him.

After that, I will make an appointment with the sales representative and ask him to have a meeting with me on the second after the complain call.

On the second day, I will have a meeting with that sales representative. On the meeting, I will have a trivial talk, no business talk with him first to show that I care about him. For example, ask about his recent life. After that, I will tell him the complaint of the customer. However, I will respect the sales representative. I will say like this: “You are one of the best sales representatives in our company. Our company is always happy by your outstanding performance. Our company doesn’t want to lose such a staff like you. However, yesterday, one of your clients told me that your behaviour is different recently. I think that it must be some reasons for you in this event. Are there any problem with you or your family?” After he tells me the problem, I will try to find out the solution for him, if he needs a short vacation, I will give him a vacation for him to solve his problem and relax himself. And I will also change a better sales representative for the customer. If he doesn’t need a vacation, I will try to motivate him to have a better performance like before, and I will also promise to the customer that he will change his behaviour better.

In conclusion, I think that my solution will be benefit for the company, the customer and the sales representative.

5. Why is building a relationship important for a salesperson? What can an organisation and its sales people do to build relationships with customers?

A) Building relationship is important for a salesperson. For a salesperson, very simple, the objective is that sells more goods and earns more sales commission. Therefore, the people who can help he or her to achieve this objective, is the people who he or she need to build the relationship with them. As a result, usually, a salesperson should build the relationship with customers, colleagues, company and community to achieve his or her objective.

Assume that you are a salesperson.

First of all, the most important thing for you is that has a good relationship with the customers. Once you have a good relationship with the customers, customers will buy your products again and again, or they will introduce new customers for you.

Secondly, if you have good relationship with your colleagues, you can do you work easier. For example, when a new product comes out, you need to know the product information from the marketing department and distribution department. If you don't have a good relationship with your colleagues, maybe you will very hard to get this information, such as the price of the product, the stock, the function of the product and so on. As a result, you don't know how to sales the new product, your sales commission from the new product will low.
Other than that, if you abide the rules of the company, you will gain more support from the company. When you gain support form your company, you will more active to sell the products and earn more commission.

Finally, you should gain the good relationship from the community. For example, if you have lots of friends and you have a good relationship with them, you will have your potential customers or new customers from them. Maybe your good friend is your new customer or potential customer, or maybe your good friend will introduce some potential customers for you.

B) For the organization, it can give some benefits for the loyal customers to maintain the relationship between the organization and the customers. For example, company can create membership for the loyal customers. Through the membership, customers will gain the benefits from the company if they reach the purchase premium requirement of the company. The company can give them some gifts, vouchers, or discounts. Most of the customer will choose the product which has benefits return to them among two similar products.

For the sales people, they should behave that they care about their customers. Not only the customers are purchasing the products, but also before they purchase products and after purchase products. If you care about your customers, give them enough information about the products and their situation, they will feel that this product is the one they need.