Sales Planning and Operations

This document provides an overview of sales planning and operations, including topics such as personal selling, buyer behavior, sales teams, sales strategies, recruitment and selection, motivation, remuneration, training, and sales management.

Sales Planning and
Operations

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 How personal selling supports the promotion mix................................................................3
1.2 Compare buyer behaviour with decision process in different situation.................................3
1.3 The role of sales teams within marketing strategy.................................................................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
3.1 How sales strategies are developed in line with objectives...................................................5
3.2 Importance of recruitment and selection................................................................................5
3.3 Role of motivation, remuneration and training in sales management...................................6
3.4 Sales management organise sales activity and control their output.......................................7
3.5 The use of database in effective sales management...............................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Sales planning and operation is considered as a significant aspect in an organisation that
mainly focuses on the enhancing and promoting the sales practices among the competitive
market (Yannopoulos, 2011). Along with this report would also focus on gaining insight
knowledge regarding the role of personal selling that overall supports the company in enhancing
the sales of their services in the marketplace.
TASK 1
1.1 How personal selling supports the promotion mix
One of the major element within the marketing includes personal selling that supports the
company in promoting their services to the large mass of audiences in the targeted region and
area. The personal selling approach focuses on the different elements that mainly include
advertising, sales promotion as well as publicity that supports in enhancing the overall image of
the organisation in the industry. The key role of personal selling is that it supports in sales
promoting the services that are introduced by the organisation that further assists them in
influencing the customer to purchase their services (Thomé and et.al., 2012). Along with this,
personal selling through engaging in public relation activities also support the promotion mix as
with the help of this sales personnel favourably promote and market the services in the media
that enhances their brand image.
The key advantage of personal selling is that it support the company in engaging in direct contact
with the customers as sales persons personal engage in selling the services to customers. On the
other hand, disadvantage of personal selling is that it have limited reach and very expensive form
of marketing the services.
Personal selling is very effective to create awareness about the products and services for
purchasing. It facilitates in explaining all features of the products to prospective buyers. This also
helps banks to collect information regarding marketplace. If personal selling is adopted in an
organisation then it will be easy for the customers to get the product. There will be no need to
reach the location to purchase the products. The person who is selling makes decision regarding

the elements of marketing-mix. The methods of sales promotion and advertisements help to
attract attention of customers.
1.2 Compare buyer behaviour with decision process in different situation
There are different factors as well as an element that mainly influences the buyer's
decision related to the services provided by the company. The key factors that influences buyers
include quality of services, price of the services etc. that directly impact the decision making
process in the situation. For instance, the behaviour of buyer is to purchase the low cost services
that meet their budget. Therefore, buying process of buyer include certain steps i.e. determining
the need that is recognizing the actual requirement of customers. Another step is determining the
general need description of individual related with the services. After that individual would
analysing the market that is searching the supplier that provide the required product and services.
After that, they would make a selection of the services that they want to take. The last step in the
buying process include reviewing the performance of the selected products and services.
Major influence on business buyer
 Environmental: In environmental it includes economic development, supply,
technological changes and customers.
 Organizational: In organizational it includes policy, procedure system and structure.
 Interpersonal: In this it includes status, persuasiveness and authority,
 individual: It includes education, income and risk attitudes
The business buyer may influences at the time of making decision of buying. Hence,
above discuss all factor influences the buying behaviour.
Stages in business buying process
 Awareness: In this company identify the needs of purchase. In this it can buy or replace
the existing item. Further need can be stimulated which organization is not aware of its.
 Specifications: In this when buying teams has agreed the requirement, it prepares a
detailed specification which sets out quantities, performance and technical requirement
for the product. They can use internet for searching product or companies which provide
match to their specification.

 Proposal: After finding the potential supplier it need detailed proposal from the supplier.
Further if product is as per the requirement then buying team only asked for price
quotation.
 Evaluation : The buying team evaluated the proposal of supplier against the criteria that
is prices, value for money and performance.
 Order: at the time of placing the order they negotiate the price, discount with chosen
supplier then final place the order.
State major types of buying situations and Comparing Buyer behavior in different
siutation
The major type of buying situation is that problem solving situation In this situation
buyer has not any experience of buying product and making purchase of product first time. In
this situation it take longer time for making a decisions. First it take review of product from its
friends and family person who are using product and services. Then make any decision on
Illustration 1: Influence on business buyer

negative and positive review given on product by others. Further customer not spend time on
choosing alternative of the product and the substitute of the product. If brand loyalty is higher
than it is a buying situation where a customer see lower risk for the buying the product of
particular brand. Buyer behaviour has an important role in decision making procedure. It is
essential to recognise needs of customers. It is also necessary for collecting information of
potential customers and their wants and needs. Also evaluating alternatives is important in
identifying customers buying behaviour. They compare different brands on the grounds of their
features or reviews. There are different factors which influence the buying behaviour of customer
at different situation such as cultural, social and personal factor.
1.3 The role of sales teams within marketing strategy State major types of buying situations
In the marketing strategy of any organisation, sales teams play a significant role within
the company. The role of sales team includes-
Illustration 2: Consumer buying process

 Effective communication regarding the services that are introduced by the organisation so
that they may easily assists the customer in persuading and influencing them towards
purchasing their services (Tolstoy, Jonsson and Sharma, 2016).
 Another role of sales teams within the establishment includes gathering information and
keeping records related to the sales so that they can easily meet the expected demand
within the market.
 It has been analysed that another key role of sales team includes engaging in the activities
that support in building relationship among the customers as well as the company. So,
that customer prefers to purchase their service from the rival companies (Paswan and et.
al., 2011).
 Another role of sales team is to represent the company towards the customers through
offering the services. On the other hand, sales team also plays the role of representative
of customers towards the organisation as customers directly provide feedback to the sales
personnel.
 Another role of sales team is to sell their services to large mass of audiences and deal
with their issues and problem.
 Another role include using persuading skills for increasing the ratio of sales of their
services in the targeted market.
TASK 3
3.1 How sales strategies are developed in line with objectives
Corporate objectives:
Increasing sales and profitability of organization and sales strategy are developed in line with the
corporate objectives.
Following are the sales strategy which help in improving the loyalty which the client has toward
the organization:

 Effective sale strategy will help in improving the loyalty of organization which client
have toward it.
 For making sales strategy in order to attain corporate objectives company need to first
identify the target market.
 Then firm need to advertise its product by using promotional strategy.
 Further it need to give some discount offer to its customer for grabbing their attention.
In order to successfully accomplish the corporate objective of organisation, it is essential
for the management to engage in devising the sales strategies (Germano and Stretch-Stephenson,
2012). The sales strategies mainly include advertising strategies, personal selling strategies etc.
that must be online within the corporate objective. The foremost corporate objective of company
is to increase the sales of their products in the UK region and another region outside the UK. For
accomplishing this objective, the management focuses on devising sales strategies that is
promoting their services through personal selling in which the sales teams engage in the direct
selling of their services through door to door services, therefore, it results in increasing the sales
of their services. Another corporate objective of company to enhance their image in the
international market (Ross, 2015). For this, management must focus on devising the advertising
strategy via online platform or social media websites.
Along with this, there is step by step process of developing the sales strategy that is used
by establishment it mainly focuses on setting the objectives. With the help of devising the sales
objectives company would easily engage in generating and enhancing their sales ratio. Another
step in the process include determining the needed actions that accomplishes the goals and
objectives of the company. After that it would focuses on organizing the actions so that sales
personnel can easily attain the objectives. After organizing the actions it results in
implementation of the actions.
The sales strategies are integrated with the overall objectives of the firm so that they
work together for the success and progress of firm. The sales strategies are aligned with market
segmentation, targeting and positioning of the company so that overall organisational objectives
can be met.

3.2 Importance of recruitment and selection
Recruitment and selection process plays a significant role within the organisation as it
ensures hiring of the competent and qualified personnel within the organisation. The recruitment
is defined as the process that support the company in attracting the different applicants towards
the vacant job post in the organisation. On the other hand, selection is defined as another process
through which management support in selecting the competent and qualified candidate through
using different steps for the vacant job post. The different stages in the recruitment and process
that are used within the establishment mainly includes proper selection of sources through which
candidate within the company may be easily recruited (Elbanna, 2010). On the other hand, for
selecting the competent candidate management must focus on preliminary screening of the
applicants, conducting interview, reference check and provide them employment letter. In the
preliminary screening of the candidate the management focuses on screening the qualification of
the applicants with the designed job description. Another step ensure conducting the interview so
that they may have personal communication among them that support in gaining information
related with their personal and professional life. Third step include checking reference and
background of the selected candidate. Last step in the recruitment and selection process is
providing employment letter to the selected candidate for joining the vacant job post. The
importance of recruitment and selection process within the company is that it support the
company in hiring the competent personnel for the company that renders effective services
within the organisation.
3.3 Role of motivation, remuneration and training in sales management
The role of motivation, remuneration and training play significant aspect in the sales
management within the company (Roberts, 2016). The motivation is defined as the process that
focuses on meeting their requirement and desire. Along with this Kreitner define motivation as
the psychological process that amend the behaviour and direction of the candidate towards

attaining the stated goals (Employee motivation Theories and Types, 2009). The role of
motivation in the sales management is that all the individual member is motivated within the
organisation to render proper services in increasing the sales volume of their services. On the
other hand, remuneration also plays crucial role it defined as the compensation that is payable to
the staff by their superior or top level authority in the exchange of their services within the
business. as it assists the staff to get retain in the company and deliver services to the customers
(Al-turki, 2011). Along with this training also plays a significant role as it ensures enhancing and
developing the skills of the sales team members that render proper service within the
organisation. Training is defined as an effective action that support the staff and individual in
enhancing their actions and abilities so that they may effective outcome in delivering the quality
service in the job. There are different role of training within the organization it mainly include-
 The foremost role of training and development is to develop the employees and staff.
 Another role of training and development is improving the different skills and
opportunities of the staff.
 Another role is to stimulate the growth and development of staff.
 The role of training and development within the organisation support in encouraging the
team activities that lead to the team synergy.
 Another role of training and development is that it improve the employee performance
within the company.
 Another role of training and development include that it results in attaining the
satisfaction among the employees that results in creating supportive workplace.
The top management of the firm has to take active participation and interest in sales team
so that they are highly motivated. Doing sales job is not an easy task and therefore it needs high
level of motivation and inspiration. Training is also very important so that salesperson are able to
attract customers and increase sales of the products.
3.4 Sales management organise sales activity and control their output
The sales management within the company must engage in organising their sales
activities so that they can easily manage their business activities in the competitive market. The
sales activities organise through hiring the capable and competent sales candidate that easily

persuade and influences the customer to purchase their services (Nahmias and Olsen, 2015).
Along with this, sales management within the cited company must also organise and control their
output through using different approaches and technique that is related to preparing the sales
budget as well as evaluating the current sales of the organisation so that they may easily plan for
the future to meet the demand of customers.
Along with this, sales management of the organization also organizes the sales activity
accordant with the geographical structure that is in the geographical location if customers are
engaging in preferring the services through visiting the stores then in such situation company
may focuses on the organizing their sales activities in the proper manner.
Firms organises sales activities so that it can attain marketing objectives within the set
time frame. By anticipating the wants and preferences of customers in which it is going to sell
the products. Sales management team also needs to do advertisements of the products via
internet, newspapers, social media etc.
Sales team can be organized in systematic way in order to increase sale of the
organizations. Firstly it need to forecast the needs of product which they are selling in market
then focus on selling in those geographical area where demand is high. Forecasting help in
finding out the target customer. Then Sales team can promotes the product at newspaper and
internet.
The sale control measures is as follows:
 Performance standard and performance against the target: it help to know that
performance of sale team is meeting to standard or not. On the other hand sale team
performance it judge by seeing its meeting the standard or or below it through
monitoring.
 Sales budget: For organizing the sale force company need to prepare sales budget as per
according to the activity. Sales budget help in avoiding unnecessary activity which
increases expenses.
 Compensation plan: Company also set compensation plan for sales team in order to
increase the sale and profit of organization

3.5 The use of database in effective sales management
It has been explained that in order to manage the effective sales within the company
management must focus on using effective database system within their organisation. There are
different use of database in the effective sales management include-
 The key use of database within the company is that it supports in the proper management
of sales ratio or sales unit of their services so that in the future they can actually meet the
aggregate demand (Negahban and Smith, 2016).
 Another use of database within the sales management includes that it ensures proper
storage of the information regarding their existing customers and their preferences so that
in the future they may amend their service to keep attract them towards their
organisation. Accordant with the Kotler company must engage in implementing the
marketing information system within the management information system so that team
can effectively manage the marketing data related files and database that support in
enhancing their promotional activities.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that Sales planning supports the firm in
accomplishing the objective of the firm and to reduce complex situations. Effective recruitment
is very important by this way enterprise will be able to attain its goal.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Al-turki, U., 2011. A framework for strategic planning in maintenance. Journal of Quality in
Maintenance Engineering. 17(2). pp.150–162.
Elbanna, S., 2010. Strategic planning in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of
Commerce and Management. 20(1). pp.26–40.
Germano, A. M. and Stretch-Stephenson, M. S., 2012. Strategic value planning for libraries.
Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances. 25(2). pp.71–88.
Nahmias, S. and Olsen, T. L., 2015. Production and operations analysis. Waveland Press.
Negahban, A. and Smith, J. S., 2016. The effect of supply and demand uncertainties on the
optimal production and sales plans for new products. International Journal of Production
Research. 54(13). pp.3852-3869.
Paswan, K. A., and et. al., 2011. Relationalism in marketing channels and marketing strategy.
European Journal of Marketing. 45(3). pp.311–333.
Roberts, K., 2016. Relationships between Business Planning and Reaching Forecasted Sales
Objectives for New England Farmers.
Ross, D. F., 2015. Distribution Planning and control: managing in the era of supply chain
management. Springer.
Thomé, A. and et.al., 2012. Sales and operations planning and the firm performance.
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. 61(4). pp.359-381.
Tolstoy, D., Jonsson, A. and Sharma, D. D., 2016. The Influence of a Retail Firm’s Geographic
Scope of Operations on Its International Online Sales. International Journal of Electronic
Commerce. 20(3). pp.293-318.
Yannopoulos, P. D., 2011. Impact of marketing strategy formulation. International Journal of
Business and Social Science. 2 (18).
Employee motivation Theories and Types. 2009. [Online]. Available through:
<http://motivationtypes.blogspot.in/>. [Accessed on 21st January 2017].