CHAPTER 13

SALES, DIGITAL AND DIRECT

MARKETING STRATEGIES

Sales Force Strategy

Internet Strategy
Direct Marketing Strategies

SALES FORCE STRATEGY

A

companys

sales

force

strategy

determines how the organization will use

the personal selling function to maintain
contact with customers and develop the
relationships that management wants in
order to achieve marketing and promotion
objectives.

RELATIONSHIP The Vital Role of

FEATURE
Selling at the
Boeing
Co.
During the 2000s Boeing experienced
an intense
competitive battle

against Airbus for control of the commercial jetliner market. Airbus

was winning the battle until 2005 when Boeings Asia-Pacific jet sales
were $26 billion compared to Airbus $9 billion.
Under a new CEO management gave salespeople much more control
over selling strategy compared to previous tight and rigid control by
top management. Boeing lost many sales to Airbus because of top
managements unwillingness to give competent professionals
flexibility in negotiating sales. Salespeople like Larry Dickenson,
Boeings top salesman who covers the Asia-Pacific market, builds on
over 18 years of relationships with airlines like Cathay Pacific, Quantas
Airways Ltd., and Singapore Airlines, Ltd., to negotiate winning
contracts.
Importantly, Dickenson carefully plans and executes each sales
campaign, overseeing every detail in the process that may span
several years. The strategy is a combination of attractive pricing,
financing, and leasing arrangements in combinations with training and

Sales Force Strategy

Determine the role of
the sales force in
promotion strategy
Define the selling process
(how selling will be
accomplished)
Decide if and how alternative sales
channels will be utilized
Design the sales organization
Recruit, train, and manage
salespeople
Evaluate performance and make
adjustments where necessary

Challenges in Selling and Sales

Management
Two sets of ethical dilemmas are of particular concern to sales
managers. The first set is embedded in the managers dealings with the
salespeople. Ethical issues involved in relationships between a sales
manager and the sales force include such things as fairness and equal
treatment of all social groups in hiring and promotion, respect for the
individual in supervisory practices and training programs, and fairness
and integrity in the design of sales territories, assignment of quotas,
and determination of compensation and incentive rewards. Ethical
issues pervade nearly all aspects of sales force management.
The second set of ethical issues arises from the interactions between
salespeople and their customers. These issues only indirectly involve
the sales manager because the manager cannot always directly observe
or control the actions of every member of the sales force.
But
managers have a responsibility to establish standards of ethical
behavior for their subordinates, communicate them clearly, and enforce
them vigorously.

Business and Marketing

Strategy Influences on Sales
Strategy
Business Strategy
Market
Target(s)
Strategy

Promotion
Strategy

SALES
STRATEGY
Pricing
Strategy

Product
Strategy
Distribution Strategy

Marketing
productivity crisis

Escalating customer
expectations
Intense global
competition

SALES FORCE
CHALLENGES
Blurring of industry
boundaries

Mergers and
acquisitions
Technology
Advances

Range of Selling Roles

Transactional
Selling

Consulting-Type
Relationships

Types of Sales Jobs

New Business Selling

Trade Selling

Missionary Selling

Consultative/Technical Selling

Defining the Selling Process

Finding Prospects
Opening the Relationship
Qualifying the Prospect
Presenting the Sales Message

Closing the Sale

Servicing the Account

Thank you!