Selling is one of the pillars of the business and for this reason it is fundamental to understand how to organize a commercial network. Find out how to optimize your sales network for branding and to generate profit.
The sales network is the workforce appointed, in the company organization, to sell the products / services. The method - direct or indirect - can vary depending on the type of business, while effectiveness is measured by the number of contacts generated and contracts closed. But how do you organize a commercial network that can be defined as a winner?
How to create a commercial network: initial advice
The commercial network must be treated in detail to make it according to expectations. This is why the initial strategy is fundamental to obtain the predetermined results, regardless of the application of specific techniques such as those inspired by local or emotional marketing. These are some concepts to work on before putting your sales people on the field:
Set tasks and objectives: set the seller's tasks, his logistic and sectoral range of action, establish times and objectives.
Build the sales force: to sell well and promote the brand, your salesperson will need to know the strengths and weaknesses of the product. Only in this way will he be able to communicate it better and will be able to respond to any objections.
Simplify the process: provide the right tools and the correct information to allow the seller to achieve his sales goal.
Effective sales network: why and how to measure it?
The sales network is together your market surveillance sentinel and also the first line of customer contact. A well-trained seller will be perfectly aware not only of his sales catalog, but also that of his competitors. It will therefore be able to anticipate possible changes in the reference market. In addition, the sales network is an essential tool in the follow-up with customers: after sales and customer care, including relational care, and customer loyalty is an essential aspect for obtaining references and expanding the future customer base.
As for the numbers, they will have to be constantly monitored without becoming slaves to them. Learning to read the performance of the sales network - with the tools provided by specialized apps and software - can help you increase your turnover and together can allow you to satisfy your workforce. In this regard, remember to set realistic goals for both the individual seller and the various teams. Gratification is an essential spring to strengthen the motivational drive and to create a commercial network without weak points.
How to manage a commercial network: threats and opportunities
In managing the commercial network, it is important to learn to face the threats that come not only from the market and therefore from the competition, but which are inherent in the sales process. We said that motivation and training are two primary aspects for the efficiency of the sales force. For this reason, the signals arriving from the field must never be underestimated. Receiving continuous feedback from your sellers is the first step in keeping your performance high.
But how is it possible to have an always up-to-date and highly motivated sales network? The technology offers targeted tools to increase productivity and at the same time facilitate the sales process, which becomes increasingly automated. An example in this sense are the CRM ( Customer Relationship Management ) software : a unified database that automates some sales and customer care processes . Customer data - collected from various marketing channels such as telephone, online chat, contact form, mailing list and social networks - are integrated and analyzed to increase productivity and profit.
And speaking of social media , have you already tried to exploit their potential both from the point of view of communication and sales? You can do this, using social media to allow members of the sales team to stay in touch, but above all to give them the opportunity to see the public's response to promotions and new offers thanks to social commerce marketing strategies.
Facilitating the sale of the commercial network, opening the way with online marketing campaigns is an example of good business practice. Marketing and sales therefore must necessarily go hand in hand, to increase the chances of hitting sometimes common targets , achieved with different strategies. Statistical data confirms that this path gives good results: sales teams increase their performance in terms of objectives by 67%, when they collaborate closely with the marketing sector.
