2021-23

SF&CM
Individual Assignment
ANIKET DOGRA
ROLL NO.: 44131
PRN: 21020141031
 Verpack Inc.
A German inbox-packaging market leader dealing in NCR, West and South of India. They are
looking to streamline their sales operations in India. The product portfolio of the company is as
follows –

Inbox Packaging

Paper Plus Foam Based Plastic Bubble Wrap

Plastic Packaging is to be phased out because of country wide ban on plastic in India. So now we
are left with Foam Based Packaging and Paper Plus. Paper Plus is paper based packaging unit.

Considering the rise in E-Commerce and D2C business during the pandemic, it’s a perfect time
for the company to tap the market and grow. Below is the Analysis of the buyers,
recommendations and a sales structure Verpack Inc. should follow to level up their game.

Secondary Research and Insights

Selling to B2B clients is hard. Of course, selling was rarely simple. Yet, the days when a salesman
was responsible for the purchasing system are a distant memory. The present buyers like to self-
research and select what to purchase all alone, with next to no interaction or input from a seller.

In the recent research by McKinsey on decision makers’ behaviour globally across industries
reveals that the big digital shift is here to stay.

B2B buyers now prefer the new digital reality. More than three quarters of buyers said that now
they prefer online self-research and purchasing that engaging with humans – a practice
intensifying even after the pandemic is towards the end.

The forced remote work has made everyone realise how convenient it is to get information,
place orders, and arrange services. B2B buyers are also moving towards omnichannel. If we give
them the choice of in-person, remote, and e-commerce channels; they want them all.

Below is an infographic that displays what the buyers in today’s world prefer.
As indicated by Hanne Tuomisto Inch, the B2B Industry Head at Google, numerous more
youthful experts, between ages 18 and 35, now occupy positions that give them the authority
and power in the buying process.

These young experts are inclined to utilizing digital technology in the buying process, thus
upsetting how they buy.

For one's purposes, they like to lead research themselves, and utilize the abundance of content
accessible to help them on their excursion. Indeed, as per Accenture study, 94% of B2B
purchasers confess to leading internet-based exploration prior to settling on a purchasing choice.

To tap these new gen buyers, one need to change the B2B strategy being followed from a long
time. Content now plays a very important role in this process of B2B sales.
 Marketing Plan and Content Strategy

The Target Groups to be broadly defined for Verpack Inc. would be 2 major segments –

1. Corporates 2. Amazon/Flipkart Sellers 3. Small Businesses on the rise

The above-mentioned target groups, however, are different but they follow the same human
psychology from behind. Content is the currency by which brands are procuring buyer
consideration. Content is additionally what enables brands to construct a relationship with
possible clients regardless of the shift toward a more independent purchaser venture. This
relationship building is a higher priority than at any other time as B2B purchasers become less
subject to brands to assist them with building a comprehension of an item or industry and
consequently less stressed over brand reliability later on. All things being equal, B2B buyers, for
their organizations, need an encounter more like the one they look for in their individual B2C
shopper lives — one that associates inwardly (indeed, even in B2B sales) with their requirements
and feels customized to their organization.

Verpack Inc. Should focus on 3 Key Areas to build a solid B2B marketing plan –

Omni-Channel SEO
Presence
Perfect B2B Market
Strategy for Verpack

Sales Team Strategy

1. Omni-Channel Approach = Targeting the consumers where they are is the aim to
move ahead. Having offline channels in place along with online presence helps in giving
all the available options to the potential buyers. This also means that offline and online
channels should be well integrated that one leads to other’s engagement and vice versa.

2. SEO and Content Marketing = As we saw in the analysis that the new gen buyers are
more into self-research on the internet, it makes it very important to be on the TOM of
the customer way before he takes a decision to buy. Best in class SEO strategies makes it
 evident that Verpack’s packaging products will be displayed every time someone searches
for them on the internet.

Content Marketing is the way where Verpack Inc. should focus on generating content on
the owned media (Website, Blog, Social Media Channels) and improve their SEO and
brand awareness.

Sustainability is also a major concern for the buyers these days (especially millennials
and Gen Zs). Targeting this segment buy inculcating recycled paper packaging,
sustainable foam packaging and encouraging end users to reuse and recycle will help in
building the brand image of Verpack Inc. and occupy a unique place in the minds of the
customer.

3. Sales Team Strategy –

- Create a content library, and get marketing teams to regularly contribute assets
salespeople can then use to generate better quality leads.
- Let marketers educate sales teams on when and how to use the content
- Allow salespeople to guide new content development by contributing their ideas.
- Host regular meetings between two teams to coordinate their efforts

Content also plays an important role for the sales team too. Often marketers think that
their marketing pitch is enough for the sales team but Sales pitch is different and requires
more personal approach depending on the client. For examples, Verpack Inc. has
corporate clients as well as small business clients. Both of them require a different sales
pitch, different connections at a personal level and different kinds of follow ups.

Thus, sales team should be consulted while designing of the content and proper
iterations will prepare a perfect pitch after trial and errors.

Sales Structure

Sales and Marketing Director

Field Sales Manager Marketing Manager Distribution Manager Logistics Supervisor

Area Sales Managers Product Research

Distribution Executive Logistics Staff
(NCR/WEST/SOUTH) Manager Manager

Territory Sales Territory Sales Key Account Staff

Officer (Paper) Officer (Foam) Managers

Sales Representatives
Following a Hybrid model of Geographic and Product based sales structure will help
Verpack Inc. Incorporate the benefits of the both.

Geographic Structures divides teams and limits to certain geographic area and helps them to
master there. The regions are divided as NCR, West and South.

1. Once the best sales formula is achieved, the geographic location increases and so the
clients.
2. It also makes sure that the clients interact with the same sales reps and they become
familiar and build trust.
3. It also saves times and efforts of the sales team as they have defined boundaries and
know whom to target.

Product Specific Structures helps the sales representatives to build and master a sales pitch and
better deliver results. However, one might have clients with multiple product requirements but
one product will always dominate the volumes and that could be the entry level product to get a
client onboard.

References

• https://blog.thecenterforsalesstrategy.com/a-guide-to-effective-sales-organizational-
structures
• https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-
insights/these-eight-charts-show-how-covid-19-has-changed-b2b-sales-forever
• https://blog.close.com/sales-management-3-models-of-sales-team-organization/
• https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-
insights/omnichannel-in-b2b-sales-the-new-normal-in-a-year-that-has-been-anything-but