Sales process

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The term sales process describes all decisions and activities from (1) the selection and acquisition ( acquisition ) of new customers , (2) the decision for certain sales channels , through (3) the retention of regular customers to (4) the recovery of former customers. To design the sales process, you need sales skills .

Meaning and conceptual delimitation

In marketing, the sales process is part of sales or distribution policy as part of the marketing mix . It concerns all activities and decisions on the way of a product or service from the provider (manufacturer) to the end consumer (customer). According to Henner Schierenbeck, a distinction is made between acquisition-based and physical (logistical) sales. Acquisition sales include the above-mentioned activities to acquire new customers, retain customers and win back customers, including the selection of sales channels. Physical or logistical sales include all activities and decisions about the efficient use of means of transport (rail, truck or plane), various storage systems and the choice of location for transshipment and delivery points.

In consumer goods marketing , according to Waldemar Pelz, contact with customers and the establishment of customer relationships are primarily carried out via mass media such as the press or radio, i.e. indirectly with the help of communication policy instruments . Here, the plays Personal selling a subordinate role. In contrast, in capital goods marketing and in the case of knowledge and technology-intensive products and services that require explanation, the direct structuring of relationships and direct contact with customers is of fundamental importance. For example, it is practically impossible to market a gas turbine, a power plant, a helicopter, an IPO (service) or a computer tomograph via the mass media. As a result, personal sales, including advice and support for customers, as well as building a long-term, trusting business relationship are the most important success factors in the marketing of capital and industrial goods as well as knowledge-intensive services. In capital goods marketing, the sales process begins much earlier than in consumer goods marketing, namely with the identification and selection of “attractive” customers (see following section). All of these activities must be organized in an efficient process, the sales process. So sales have a strong acquisition function. However, this can also be observed in consumer goods marketing due to the decreasing importance of classic distributors. That is why Christian Homburg, for example, speaks of sales policy instead of distribution policy as the fourth component of the marketing mix in a contemporary understanding of marketing.

Elements of the sales process

How the sales process is to be designed in concrete terms differs from industry to industry. Nevertheless, especially when marketing knowledge-intensive products and services with high added value, there are some similarities that can be summarized as follows, analogous to the graphic on the right (The sales process) based on the specialist literature: An efficient sales process requires that the company management is involved in the marketing planning Defined the long-term strategy of the company and made decisions about the relevant target groups ( segmentation ), the positioning of the company and the economic goals. In addition, there are assumptions about the development of important trends and economic, political or social framework conditions. The strategic decisions also include the selection and design of the sales system as part of the distribution policy .

Figure: The sales process as an element of the distribution process

Without clarifying these prerequisites, for example, it is hardly possible to define criteria for the selection and qualification of sales personnel (see sales competence ). After clarifying these strategic requirements, those responsible can begin to design the sales process:

  1. The sales process begins with the identification and selection of 'attractive' customers. The attractiveness can be the sales potential, the creditworthiness or the expected profitability of the customer. The first step also includes clarifying the question of what the potential customer expects from his business partners and which criteria he uses to decide for or against the purchase - so-called purchase-deciding factors.
  2. The design of the sales process also depends on the type of decision-making situation involved. For example, the customer will have completely different expectations when making a routine purchase than when developing an innovative problem solution.
  3. As a rule, not a single person with the customer decides on the conclusion of a purchase contract. Usually different decision-makers from several departments with different interests and influence are involved in the purchase decision (see Buying Center ). This includes, for example, production, research and development, purchasing, marketing and management.
  4. Based on the knowledge of the decision-makers, it is possible for the seller (or the team) to work out and present an offer that meets the customer's expectations. It is often necessary to support the customer in formulating and clarifying his expectations if the provider has appropriate experience.
  5. Once the requirements and specifications have been clarified, negotiations on prices, delivery and payment conditions and specific services on which the calculated prices are based begin . In addition, there is the drafting of contracts as a legal basis for the efficient settlement of possible disputes.
  6. Depending on the technological level and knowledge intensity of the offer, it is usually necessary to advise the customer during the implementation of the problem solution or the commissioning of the product, so that the integration of the problem solution or the product into the business process functions smoothly.
  7. The sales process ends with the success control in such a way that both contractual partners are convinced of the benefits of this business relationship.

This mutual benefit is the most important prerequisite for the development of trusting business relationships and thus for the loyalty of regular customers. Such experiences have a positive effect on the image and the positioning of the provider, which in turn facilitates the acquisition of new and former customers. Negative experiences lead to corresponding losses in customers, image and sales. Numerous empirical studies show that an above-average quality of customer relationships can lead to two to three times higher returns.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ H. Schierenbeck: Fundamentals of business administration . 17th edition. Munich 2008.
  2. ^ W. Pelz: Strategic and Operative Marketing . Norderstedt 2004, p. 111 ff .
  3. ^ C. Homburg, H. Krohmer: Marketingmanagement . 3. Edition. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 829 .
  4. ↑ for example: MD Hutt, TW Speh: Business Marketing Management B2B . Cengage Learning, 2010 .; JC Anderson et al .: Business Marketing Management: Understanding, Creating, and Delivering Value . Pearson, 2009 .; C. Homburg et al. a .: Sales Excellence . 4th edition. Wiesbaden 2006.
  5. ↑ RW Palmatier: Inter Firm Relational Drivers of Customer Value . In: Journal of Marketing . Vol. 72, 2008.

literature

  • JC Anderson et al .: Business Marketing Management: Understanding, Creating, and Delivering Value . Pearson, 2009.
  • C. Homburg, H. Krohmer: Marketing Management . 3. Edition. Wiesbaden 2009.
  • C. Homburg et al. a .: Sales Excellence . 4th edition. Wiesbaden 2006.
  • MD Hutt, TW Speh: Business Marketing Management B2B . Cengage Learning, 2010.
  • RW Palmatier: Interfirm Relational Drivers of Customer Value . In: Journal of Marketing . Vol. 72, 2008.
  • W. Pelz: Strategic and Operative Marketing . Norderstedt 2004.
  • H. Schierenbeck: Fundamentals of business administration . 17th edition. Munich 2008.