Typical mistakes when building a sales department

In distribution and manufacturing companies, the sales department is the force that drives the entire work process. At the same time, from managers and top managers, as a rule, during the negotiation process, we hear a lot of complaints about the sales department and, above all, about the dishonesty and unprofessionalism of employees. But a deeper study of the situation usually shows that the ineffectiveness of their work is primarily due to the mistakes of the company's management.

Lack of quality training of personnel in the characteristics and technological features of the product

In most cases, a new sales representative hired is given a price list, presentation materials and is introduced in detail to the territory, focusing maximum attention on this, since there is an opinion that the main thing is regular visits to retail outlets and communication in retail. But what will be the quality of communication during these visits if an employee who does not have the necessary knowledge cannot properly present the product, describing its consumer characteristics and benefits? The most resourceful people sometimes simply start to fantasize, and this can result in losses for the company’s image.

Lack of information from sales staff about competitors and the market in which they have to work

The sales agent is forced to conduct market research himself, analyze competing companies and products and draw conclusions. It is not a fact that these conclusions will be correct and sufficiently substantiated, but in any case the seller will spend working time on this, which he should use for the development of the company in the territory entrusted to him.

Ignoring the need to train employees in sales techniques

Managers of many companies believe that paying for training is ineffective, since there is a risk that a person will quit before they recoup the costs of their training. However, experience shows that if a company cares about the professional growth of its employees, then their return is several times greater, and their loyalty is much higher. Therefore, conducting trainings and role-playing games once a week should be regarded as a good investment in the sales team and, accordingly, in the growth of sales volumes.

The common misconception that sales volumes depend only on the sales department and the desire to replace its manager if the results do not meet the requirements becomes obvious

Many directors are confident that they can solve all problems simply by selecting a more experienced employee. They don’t even try to understand the true reasons that lead a business to disappointing final figures, considering the existing system of promotion and sales, as well as the structure of business processes in the company, to be the only correct ones. But with the arrival of a new head of the commercial department, little changes if the priorities and operating rules of transport, warehouse and accounting remain the same, if a clear system of interaction between all departments is not built in the process of performing assigned tasks, from receiving an order to delivering the goods to the client.

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