Posts

Avoid working in Toxic Companies.

Of all the companies that I worked with One leading detergent power-making company was the worst. I got attracted because of the Brand name. But within 7 days of joining, I sensed the "Pressure Cooker" working environment. The VP of sales used expletive-laden language and was clearly one of the most insecure persons I ever worked with. The company had "Achieve sales targets at all costs". The pressure to achieve the target started from early morning calls from VP sales or calls at the late evening. It was toxic. The pitfalls of the "pressure cooker" working environment were: - Unhappy😣 employees and thus.. - Unhappy 😣customers. - Bad sales behaviors - Poor sales hygiene with parties dumping stocks in the territory of other distributors. - High employee turnover. The company hired and fired💥 people by droves every month. - It remains the only company to my knowledge that hired sales folks in droves every month. I knew I was in a company full of landmines...

Are you buyer focused or seller focused ?

  Right Sales Approach vs Incorrect Sales Approach We are living in very interesting times. Never in the history of sales, have buyers been so powerful and so well-informed about the products or services they need as they are now. In the wake of this increased buyer power, salespeople need to rework their sales tactics to win sales in a hyper-competitive market. But it is a pity that even in such competitive times, many salespeople still are selling from their point of view. I call this an ineffective sales approach. It is a seller-centric approach that focuses mostly on sellers. This approach to sales is characterized by statements that are more seller focused than it is buyer-focused. 💥 "My product is best." 💥 "Our company offers the best products." #Sales 💥 "We offer better rates than the competition". The above #selling technique smells of selfishness. It does not treat the prospect/customer as equal. It treats the buyer as a TOOL to earn money🤑....

Does Your Company has a Sales Prevention Dept?

Sanjay, a Distributor in a mid level FMCG company is fed up of calling company office again and again for his pending claims with the company A.  Claims involve money. Investment in claims is investment too and it affects his working capital requirement.  Reduction in working capital = less money to buy company goods as per market demand= less sales = less profit. He is fed up of this delayed claim settlement by company. He has made up his mind to leave distributorship of the company as soon as his claims are settled.  Sunil, distributor of another OTC company B, is frustrated for not receiving stocks even 10 days after making advance payment. He has experienced this delay in his orders every time he placed sales order to the company. Company is based just 300km away from his town. At maximum he should receive stocks against his order within two days of advance payment being credited to company account. But it does not happen. Sunil is in talks with other company C market...

A tip to Avoid Sales Stress.

Sales is a challenging profession. Every sales call, every day matters in Sales.  No one can fake around productivity in sales. Here performance,most often,is mostly objective and is in numbers. Sales targets and achievements are in numbers. This objective nature of sales job "can make it stressful" for most sales people. Another factor adding to the stress quotient is that it is THE only function in company which "brings money" to company. Rest all depts in a company consume money. Because it generates revenue for the company, so sales folks are always being followed up on their sales numbers. "How much productive calks you made?" "How much sales have happened till date?" "Why you are so low on sales targets till date?" "When will payment of X will come?" "When the new customer will get operational in town B?" One or more of such questions follow sales people almost every working day. No wonder Most sellers are stre...

Sales Function Deserves Respect

  Marketing consumes money. Branding devours money. Operations guzzle money. HR consumes😋 money. $a£es Brings money. Then why #sales function doesn't gets its due respect always? #b2b #bdr #sdr Sales Wheel 

Sales Activities

Scene No, 1 Rajesh is busy working in the market making sales calls to his customers. He is upbeat as most of his sales calls are productive. He is in the middle of a sales call when he receives a telephone call from his boss. Boss: "Rajesh, what are you doing now?" Rajesh: "Sir, I am working in the market." Boss: "Leave the market now, and send us your sales plan for the coming week." Rajesh;"Ok sir, but can I send the same in today evening". Boss; "No, send it within the next 20 minutes, as I have to present my sales plan for the coming week to my boss within the next 45 minutes, so do it fast." Rajesh (swearing under his breath); "Ok boss". Scene 2: Preetam is sitting with his distributor and discussing the sales plan with him for the current month. He has checked the stocks and sales of the distributor.  He is about to make the primary sales order of the distributor when he receives a telephone call from the office. Sales ...

Five Signs of a good salesperson

Image
 Following are some of the factors which decide a good salesman: Good salesman is one who sells not products but solutions to the customer keeping in mind the needs of customers. A good salesman is one who solves the problems of his customers concerning products/services provided to the customers by him. He achieves his/her targets by meeting needs of both his customers and his/her company.                                                   Image:stock unlimited He also provides timely information about competitor activities to the top management. He keeps on adding more customers to his list of customers to ensure regular and stable sales from different customers during different phases of year. He ensures timely resolution of the problems being faced by his customers. For him the customers come first as satisfaction of his customers will ensure steady busine...