Sales Management

Sales Management : Meaning, Importance & Functions.

Meaning - Sales Management means the designing, planning, directing and controlling the sales force to achieve the organisational objectives. - Now the term includes all marketing activities such as advertising, sales promotion, marketing research, physical distribution, pricing, product planning and sales force management. Definition AMA: Sales management is the planning, direction and control of the personal selling activities of a business unit including recruiting, selecting, training, equipping, assigning, routing, supervising, paying & motivating, as these tasks apply to the personal selling activities. selling activities.

Characteristics:

1) It is one of the basic functions of a business enterprise.

2) It is an important function of marketing 3) Responsible for effective functioning of personal selling activities 4) Contribute to profit and continuous growth. Importance of Sales Management

1) Contribution towards achieving organisational objectives.

2) Direction & Control of Sales force 3) Sound Business Planning

4) Integration of business & Social objects.

5) Acts as a Coordinator 6) Setting up of Sales Organisation

7) Win over the Competition

8) Consumer Satisfaction 9) Creation of goodwill

10) Energy and dynamism to economy

11) Increase in Foreign trade earnings Functions of Sales Department / Manager

I.
II.

Designing and Managing Sales force

Managerial and Administrative functions

III. Other functions. I. Designing and Managing Sales force

A - Service Selling

1) Inside order taker

2) Delivery sales person 3) Route or Merchandising sales person 4) Missionary 5) Technical sales person B Developmental Selling 6) Creative Sales person of Tangible 7) Creative Sales person of Intangible

C Developmental but, require Creativity

8) Political / Back door 9) Multiple Sales

I. Managing the Sales Force 1. Recruitment of Salesmen

2. Selection and Appointment

3. Training 4. Assigning of Duties 5. Equipping 6. Routing

7. Fixing up the Sales quota

8. Supervising 9. Remuneration

10. Directing
11. Evaluation of performance

12. Communicating II) Managerial and Administrative Function 1. Sales objectives 2. Formulation of Sales plan 3. Setting of Selling terms

4. Sales Budget
5. Sales Forecasting 6. Sales Organization

III) Other Functions

1) Gaining Knowledge about economic condition of customer 2) Recoveries of amounts on credit sales

3) Administration of office work

4) Collection and maintenance of data bank so as to enable him for sales forecasting 5) Sales research (Customer characteristics keeping in view of change in the marketing condition, technology etc.) Tracking Competition