Distribution system

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A sales system is the implementation of the operational goals of sales in an action plan (sales plan) for those affected. The existence of a sales system should protect the company from unsystematic and uncoordinated activities, e.g. B. before addressing customers multiple times by different bodies. The term belongs more to traditional teaching: The approach is intended to ensure the coordinated and routine application of tried and tested elements in a safe environment.

The sales plan resulting from the sales system contains concrete guidelines and goals for the sales staff and specifies the instruments to be used. The sales staff must report regularly on the achievement of objectives.

Development of the distribution system

Division of customers into categories according to an A, B, C logic

A sales strategy is derived from the strategic management in the company . The sales process shapes the workflows in sales and supports the achievement of corporate goals. It differs from industry to industry, from company to company and is crucial for sales success. A system for working in sales is derived from this, which is used to set clear goals for employees in sales, such as measurable specifications for customer care through telephone support or personal customer visits. It often helps to subdivide customers according to an A, B and C categorization . A stands for customers with high sales significance and / or high contribution margin , high customer lifetime value , etc., B with medium and C with low sales significance and / or low profit margin, low customer lifetime value, etc. All of these specifications result in a sales plan.

The sales system distinguishes between the acquisition of new customers and the maintenance of existing customers ( cold and warm calls ). The sales system for a traveling salesman is also different from that for advisory acquisition . However, the sales process up to the conclusion of the purchase always includes a series of similar actions, which are controlled by an efficient and routine sales system, despite a variety of industry-specific and product-specific characteristics.

Steps to acquire new customers in sales

From target customer to order in nine steps

Nine steps for acquiring new customers are described below as an example. The CRM system ( Customer Relationship Management ) collects all data and is also suitable as a documentation and tracking system for the following sales activities. This process often follows the well-known funnel model, whereby 1000 addresses become 100 contacts with 10 customers:

  1. Acquisition of data about the target customers with addresses
  2. Address qualification : The addresses from address files are usually incomplete. In particular, it is important to identify the person who makes the decision.
  3. First contact with the right employee at the customer: A demanding step is the first contact with the right contact person at the customer. This can be done through broadcasts. However, it is also suitable for telephone sales and internet research on the homepage of the potential customer and in social networks such as XING or LinkedIn .
  4. Follow-up contact with the contact person: As a rule, a personal meeting does not take place immediately. The telephone acquisition, supported by the CRM system, has to follow up with the potential customer's contact person , to be remembered.
  5. Personal meeting with the customer: The course of the conversation is a decisive factor in success. After the needs analysis, the advantages of the products and systems to be offered are presented.
  6. Follow up: Regular maintenance of contacts until the customer has a need.
  7. Offer: An offer is created based on the customer request. It is useful to have standard offers or standard modules from which a customer-oriented offer is put together.
  8. Contract negotiation: In the contract negotiation, the technical and commercial modalities of a possible order are agreed between the client and the contractor.
  9. Order: In this step, the customer (client) places the order with the contractor.

Distribution plan of the distribution system

The sales system for proactive planning and processing of relevant target customers is laid down in a sales plan as a binding framework for action. That is a work order for the acquisition and support of the customers.

The funnel model shown above can be expanded into a double funnel by intensifying after-sales activities and recommendation marketing : 10 customers become 20 contracts, 30 recommendations and 50 addresses.

Examples

  • In the case of the traveling salesman, these are often routes to be traveled with predetermined customer visits and / or deals.
  • In the case of telephone acquisition, these are customer calls based on a specified address list and a telephone guide specified for the telephone conversation.
  • In the case of the commission seller, these are the sales targets to be achieved.
  • In the case of advisory acquisition, this is the number of customer visits.

The telephone acquisition and the salesperson or advisory acquirer must work well coordinated. The central means of coordination is the sales plan. Here, the actions of those involved in sales are structured in a table, always with the specific actions (description of the measure or action, definition of the person responsible, the cycle (when this action is repeated) as well as their frequency, quantity or number of items ). The following example shows the possible structure of a sales plan:

Actions / actions cycle number
Buy addresses 1 1,000
Address qualification: Finding the right contact person weekly 10
Direct mailing (sending) for initial contact weekly 10
Telephone acquisition: 10 customers per week weekly 10
New customer visits with presentation of the offer per month 4th
Customer care by telephone weekly 20th
Maintenance of existing customers through visits weekly 5

In well-managed sales, those responsible report regularly, e. B. weekly, preferably on fixed dates about the actions carried out.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ For the benefit of a systematic approach, cf. Homburg u. a. 2012
  2. ↑ Development of a sales system for consulting-intensive logistics services with central importance for the target company , diploma thesis, University of Lüneburg
  3. ↑ Edgar-Norbert Detroy, The Power Book of New Customer Acquisition, 3rd edition Frankfurt 2005, ISBN 978-3-636030276

literature

  • Christian Homburg, Heiko Schäfer, Janna Schneider, Sales Excellence: Sales Management with System , 7th edition Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden 2012

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