Sales Management and Personal Selling: Balancing Sales Goals (BMA609)

This essay delves into the crucial aspect of balancing short-term and long-term sales goals in the context of Business-to-Business (B2B) sales, a fundamental topic in sales management and personal selling. The analysis begins by highlighting the importance of proper sales process management in B2B environments, emphasizing the significance of long-term planning and relationship management. It explores the tension between immediate results and lasting impact, discussing how B2B marketers often prioritize short-term gains while acknowledging the value of long-term investments. The essay examines the influence of individual and organizational goals on motivation, the role of emotions in B2B sales decisions, and the necessity of agility and data-driven approaches. It further investigates the shift towards long-term strategic plans, the increasing length of B2B sales cycles, and the importance of consistent communication and measurement of success based on long-term objectives. The essay concludes by reiterating the significance of balancing short-term and long-term goals for the overall success of B2B sales efforts, emphasizing the need for marketers to adapt to the evolving external environment and make informed decisions to support organizational objectives.

Running head: SALES MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL SELLING
SALES MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL SELLING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Business to business or B2B sales is considered to be a method of selling
products or services to the other business organizations rather than the consumers.
This is based on more consultative and relational promotion of the sales process
along with the sales cycle that is longer in comparison to transactional process of
sales. Transactional process of sales is considered to be quite common in the B2C
sales process (Alasadi and Al Sabbagh 2015).
Proper management of the sales process is considered to be an important
part of the B2B sales based activities that are performed by the organizations. The
proper management of relationships with other organizations is considered to be an
important aspect that is able to influence the B2B sales process (Aydin, Koc and
Kaya 2017). The essay will be based on the analysis of long term and short term
process that is related to the sales goals that have been developed by an
organization. The effectiveness of long term planning will be a major part of the
analysis that will be made in essay.
Analysis of the topic
As discussed by Kaski et al. (2017), the business organizations in modern
environment require immediate results in order to face competition in the market.
However, the organizations take time to create a lasting impact on the business
environment. The gap that exists between the objectives set by an organization and
the actions that are implemented have an impact on the operations. The majority of
B2B marketers are a part of the classicists based group. The major drivers that are
related to the effectiveness of developing a target market include the value
proposition of the firm (Nunan et al. 2018). The B2B marketers however aim at

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setting the short term goals in order to gain their position in the industry and increase
the sales as well. The long term investments are however considered to be more
important for the development of an easy selling environment. Sales in B2B is
considered to be a long term game and the organizations need to develop the image
of the brand in an effective manner (LaPlaca and da Silva 2016). Marketing is
considered to be most effective when a long term based strategy is implemented by
the organization. The individuals who are a part of the B2B sales process are
motivated in a huge manner by the objectives that have been set by the business as
a whole. However, the personal and political goals of employees are able to
influence their motivation levels within the organization (Madhani 2016). The
researches that have been made by Google previously have suggested that
emotions have a greater impact on the decisions made as a part of B2B sales rather
than B2C sales based decisions. The two major uses of marketing within the
organization include making the sales easier in the future and unearthing the sales
opportunities as well. Long term planning is thereby required not only in the sales
decisions based on B2B operations, the communication processes also need to be
planned on a long term basis (Nunan et al. 2018).
According to Ortiz‐de‐Mandojana and Bansal (2016), the long term based
goals and investments are considered to be more important for the organizations
that are a part of the B2B industry. However, the development of a proper balance is
highly important for the purpose of proper development of a campaign that can
influence the operations. The failure of many campaigns are related to the lack of
proper balance that is developed between the long term goals and the short term
goals as well. The marketers thereby need to combine the preferences for the longer
programmes along with the short term goals (LaPlaca and da Silva 2016). The agility

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of marketers is considered to be an important part of the ways by which
organizations are able to maintain the B2B sales in an effective manner. The data
driven marketers have high levels of agility in their mentality and have the ability to
adapt to different situations in order to increase the levels of B2B sales (Pearson
2016). The marketing leaders in B2B market aims at the implementation of a three-
year plan in order to maintain the balance between long term and short term goals
that have been by them. Major changes have been experienced in the needs of
sales marketers with respect to the campaigns that are performed on a long term
basis instead of short term activities (Rose 2018).
According to Terho et al. (2017), the development of B2B sales are mainly
based on the long term strategic plans rather than short term goals. However, still
the organizations are more interested in achieving the short term objectives rather
than developing the long term plans. The researchers have stated that only about
24% of the B2B marketers are interested in the development of campaigns that are
based on long term plans. The B2B sales cycles have become longer in the last few
years and this has an impact on the activities that are performed by the marketers
(Wang, Gupta and Grewal 2017). The sales cycles in B2B industry have increased
from the length of six months to 12 months or 18 months. The organizations are also
aiming at devoting more than 60 percent of their budgets to the development of long
term initiatives. The marketers have to develop the “always on” approach that leads
to the generation of leads and proper sales marketing as well. The transition needs
changes in the process that is implemented to measure levels of success and proper
adoption of the tools as well (Viio and Grönroos 2016). Sales marketing process is
mainly related to different activities that are performed by the B2B sellers in order to
develop opportunities and qualified leads. Sales marketing is related to the ways by

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which business is developed in various quarters and measured with respect to the
ROI that is gained by the organization. The pressure that is created on the sales
organizations are based on the recognitions and relationships that are developed as
well (Wang, Gupta and Grewal 2017). The power based on well execution of the
sales marketing process is embraced by the B2B sellers for the purpose of
developing the brand. Consistency in the flow of information is an important factor
that has an impact on the organizations and their sales as well. The measurement of
success of the business has to be based mainly on the long term goals rather than
the short term objectives. Cost per lead cannot be used as a trusted method for the
purpose measuring the success that has been gained by the organizations (Pearson
2016). Long term goals are able to play a major role in the ways by which operations
of business firms can be managed. The proper mix of KPIs developed by the
organization have an impact on the quality of brand marketing. The strategic
planning process of organizations is able to affect the ways by which decisions are
made by the marketers based on sales process. The marketing campaign is affected
by the goals that are set by the organization and operations of the firms as well
(Ortiz‐de‐Mandojana and Bansal 2016). As discussed by Terho et al. (2017), the
proper development of relationships and building the brand is based on the well
execution of sales marketing. Sales marketers have to maintain the consistent flow
of the communication with the prospects like the brand marketers do. The short term
based crisis that is faced by the organization is influenced by the long term plans that
are developed by them. Marketers have to focus on the strategic goals in order to
solve the issues that are faced by the firm on a short term basis. The customers are
provided with encouragement in order to develop engagements with organizational
operations. According to Viio and Grönroos (2016), the formation of long term

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relationships is considered to be an important aspect that is related to the sales
cycles that are formed by the organizations. The value related to demand generation
based programs have to be measured with respect to the sales cycle. Although the
B2B marketers are more attracted towards the short term goals or objectives, the
development of long term based strategic plans are able to play a major role in the
success that is gained by them. Long term objectives and plans are able to play a
major role in ensuring success of the B2B sales that are gained in the industry
(Nunan et al. 2018).
Conclusion
The analysis in the essay has been able to state that the B2B sales have
been influenced in a huge manner by the decisions that are made by the marketers.
The study has been able to depict that the marketers are more interested in the
achievement of short term goals and objectives. The changes that are however
taking place in the external environment have a major impact on the ways by which
decisions based on sales are made by the marketers. The development of a proper
balance between the short term objectives and long term plans are able to support
the selling efforts that are performed by the organizations.

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