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Implementing changes in the sales department. Part 2/12. Premises for managerial decisions.

When making managerial decisions, it should be noted that sales teams usually have large but unstructured market knowledge. Additionally, individual employees present a different attitude (openness) to proposed changes. Therefore, you should take the following approach related to the personnel functions in the sales department:

  • First, catalog the tasks performed by employees,
  • Then diagnose the intensity of these tasks and distribution to individual team members,
  • Perform a full mapping of the customer service process to be able to identify step by step its positive elements building a stream of value for the customer, and those points that for the final recipient did not constitute any added value,
  • Present and discuss with the whole team the conclusions of this analysis and ask for an opinion on the proposed directions of change,
  • Start implementing changes and monitor implementation progress,
  • Engage directly in processes.

In this process, the manager should assume the position of an active participant in changes, involving all interested employees in order to obtain the widest possible perspective and dynamics of reorganization.

In the context of the process of implementing changes, the manager should be guided by his own concept, which will be based on a checklist that allows analyzing the organization in terms of the value stream for clients. This may be due to the following premises:

  • The team has not previously dealt with modern management systems,
  • Employees are apprehensive, mainly afraid of job losses,
  • The pay scale is below market standards,
  • Recruitment of new team members is time consuming and requires significant expenditure (team verification will be unavoidable anyway),
  • It is necessary to motivate employees to learn new things and perform more demanding tasks.

It should be remembered that a manager cannot suddenly or drastically make a slowdown or even stop the sales and customer service processes. Therefore, the manager should adopt the concept of implementing changes based on intense motivation factors that will lead to increased involvement in work and building employee openness to new challenges. The basis for all decisions made will be team cooperation as a basic element of work culture in the entire sales department and the company.

Implementing changes in the sales department. Part 1/12. Characteristics of the problem.

This article begins a series of 12 parts about implementing organizational changes in the sales department. Today, we all have a little more time for conceptual and analytical work. May we come to practice as soon as possible. Let’s prepare for a great dynamic of work after the crisis.

The main task of the sales manager who reorganizes the sales department is to increase work efficiency. Therefore, the goal is to increase the sales volumes of products offered by the company, and increase revenues while maintaining adequate profitability. Realization of the goal requires multi-faceted action covering all areas of the company’s operations. However, focusing on direct contact with current and potential customers, the foundation is to build an effective sales team – motivated to the effort of broad expansion on the domestic and international market.

Initial managerial analysis can reveal many problem areas that negatively affect work results, and cause numerous dysfunctions in collaboration within the team. Here is an example list of problems:

  • Lack of clear division of competences between employees,
  • Overloading tasks of some employees and wasting time by others,
  • Significant discrepancies in remuneration for the same positions in no way justified by skills or the scope of tasks,
  • No delegation of responsibility for carrying out tasks,
  • Lack of reporting system and feedback from managers,
  • Taking over tasks from other organizational units that should not be located in sales department tasks,
  • Lack of preparation for direct work with clients resulting from lack of practice and concerns about their skills,
  • No use of appropriate IT tools for sales support.

As a result, the sales department is characterized by many administrative functions, performing in fact a passive “Back Office” function in relation to customers. The sales model of such an organized sales department is based on old habits, and the poor organization of work and the lack of a system of incentives for employees do not allow for more ambitious sales results. Activities targeted at clients are characterized by stagnation and a lack of willingness, but also a lack of competence and beliefs to change the work model.

I will publish the next part next week. Subscribe to this blog to receive a notification.

Sprzedaż na rynkach międzynarodowych

Kilka dni temu zrealizowałem dla firmy produkcyjnej planującej ekspansję na zagraniczne rynki szkolenie pt. Strategie promocji i dystrybucji na rynkach międzynarodowych.

Startegia promocji

Były to solidne warsztaty odnoszące się do bieżących problemów rozwojowych firmy i potrzeby rozbudowy zasobów. Jak to w przedsiębiorstwie produkcyjnym bywa, nie można było pominąć współpracy działu handlowego z wydziałami produkcyjnymi. Rozumienie wizji rozwoju przedsiębiorstwa i wspólna odpowiedzialność za wynik wśród wszystkich pracowników jest warunkiem sukcesu. Rozwój sprzedaży, to nie tylko rozbudowa działu handlowego. To zmiana modelu działania całej firmy, a często też filozofii zarządzania.