Sales Planning and Operations: Strategies and Analysis for John Lewis

This report delves into the critical aspects of sales planning and operations, emphasizing their significance in marketing strategies. It evaluates the principles of selling, focusing on personal selling's role within the promotional mix, particularly in the context of John Lewis, a leading fashion retailer. The report examines the impact of sales personnel on buyer behavior in both B2C and B2B environments, highlighting the influence of sales teams on marketing strategies, recruitment, and sales plan development. It covers topics such as sales strategy, the importance of recruitment and selection, the roles of motivation, remuneration, and training, and how to control sales output. The report also discusses the use of databases in effective sales management, the benefits of trade fairs, and the development of a comprehensive sales plan, with a focus on launching a new brand for John Lewis, and using exhibitions and trade fairs to increase sales and expand market reach.

Sales Planning and
Operations

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Significance of personal selling in supporting the promotional mix in context to John Lewis.3
1.2 Impact of sales people on buyer behaviour in both business to customers (B2C) and in
business to business (B2B) with reference to John Lewis..........................................................4
1.3 Role of sales team in marketing strategy in John Lewis.......................................................4
TASK 2.................................................................................................................................................5
Covered in PPT...........................................................................................................................5
TASK-3.................................................................................................................................................5
3.1 Sale strategy for develop the objective.................................................................................5
3.2 Importance of Recruitment and selection.............................................................................5
3.3 Role of motivation,remuneration,Training............................................................................6
3.4 Activity for the controlling the output...................................................................................6
3.5 Use of database in effective sales management....................................................................6
TASK 4.................................................................................................................................................8
4.1 Development of a sales plan.................................................................................................8
4.2 Benefit in trade fairs by launching new brand of John Lewis...............................................8
4.3 Using exhibitions and trade fairs to increase sales................................................................9
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Sales planning and operations are the vital key solution to the lock of success. The report is
aimed to provide understanding of the significance of sales in marketing strategies and evaluate the
principles of selling procedure of a product or service. Role and goals of management of sales
department is also evaluated in this report. Planning of sales activity for a service or product is done
in order to further analyse the importance and duties of sales persons. The report is drawn in context
to John Lewis a leading fashion hub in UK and other countries. The company has increased market
share and growth and is better known for its partnership policies. It gives equal opportunity of
speaking to all its partners and have a say about their perspectives and suggestions (Ivert, and et. al.,
2015). The report uses John lewis for deeper understanding of the role and duties of sales and
marketing.
TASK 1
1.1 Significance of personal selling in supporting the promotional mix in context to John Lewis
Selling is an essential part of promotional mix. It is the art of persuading people to purchase
their product or service. It involves personal interaction of a team member with the people to
convey the message of their product or service. It is an organised, calculated and regular procedure.
It plays a key role in marketing tool especially when the business involves interaction with other
high valued business. The following are the major aspects of personal selling which supports
promotional mix activities :
 Persuasive Proposals–Sales members make use of their interpersonal skills in order to
convince consumer by delivering the correct and systematic message of the company to the
consumers. They understand the needs and demands of individual customers and
accordingly persuade them for their purpose.
 Sale of complex products–Complex products bring many queries of customers. Sales person
deals with those queries and clears them.
 Management of sales cycles–Sales cycles are important for the company which are managed
by them.
 Development of customer relationship- Relationship with customer helps to retain the belief
and trust of customers in the company. Personal selling aids in this development.

1.2 Impact of sales people on buyer behaviour in both business to customers (B2C) and in business
to business (B2B) with reference to John Lewis
The buying procedure in both kind of business involves three steps:Awareness, Evaluation
and final decision (MT Thomé, Soucasaux Sousa and FRRS do Carmo, 2014). The sales people of
John Lewis are responsible to make the whole procedure smoother. The sales people have different
impacts on both these which could be understood by the following factors :
 Buyer behaviour- In B2B decisions made are more task oriented and specific about
attributes rather than emotional and in B2C decisions are more emotional. Sales person in
the cited company focuses on these points to persuade both buyers.
 Buyer consumer relation -B2B involves more personal meeting and negotiations with the
sales persons and in B2C they may go for mass media interactions and negotiations in large
groups.
 Communication procedure – This process in B2B is often time consuming and the
complexity is more high than B2C. The communication with normal customers is easy and
short spanned and sales person of the cited company easily apply their powers of persuasion
to convince them.
1.3 Role of sales team in marketing strategy in John Lewis
The sales team of the quoted company is responsible for performing many tasks such as :
 Advice marketing team- Sales team people takes feedback from the customers and analyse
their needs. They suggest the marketing team to focus on the required aspects. Accordingly,
the marketing strategy is made.
 Perform marketing duties- The sales people interact with the consumers and do the
marketing of the offered service or product.
 Market segmentation – In some services or products it is essential to do the segmenting of
the customers. It is the responsibility of the sales people to do the market segmenting.
 Pricing and distribution – As sales persons interacts directly to the customers they have
better knowledge of pricing and distribution of the products and services. They provide the
necessary modi factions in pricing and deciding where sell of the company would be
beneficial and where it will not.
 Customer service – They take the responsibility of assuring the quality of service to the
buyers (Renz, 2016).

TASK 2
Covered in PPT
TASK-3
3.1 Sale strategy for develop the objective
Corporate objective refer to the mission of the organization and the strategy are prepare by
the company relating to the strategy of the goal of the business.
Sales Strategy -it refer to the policy which made by the any company for generating the profit in the
business. This is the benefits to identified the client loyalty in the business for making the product
and goodwill in the organization.
The corporate objective are include the profit of firm,return on investment ,growth of the
market,cash inflows and outflows in the business,shareholders it may be debtors ,creditor and
suppliers etc. When the company select the objective in the case the company are new expanding
business and developing the product in the market they have also plan the making the goal related
to the task. The company can generate highly profit with the making the right decision and
understand the market demand for the product. The sales plan generate the competitive plan for the
skills of business for skill required to compete the competitor strategy in the business. The
organization did not want to client lack o0f the knowledge. The enter in the market they doing the
research according to the product and success of the market
3.2 Importance of Recruitment and selection
This process is the part of the Human resources Management but it also beneficial for the
sales person because of that the person who are appointed they have a good communication skill
and leading the people and influencing the person in the business for purchasing the product. This
type of activity also make the positive result in the business and making the profit with reducing
cost. the sale man have also responsibility to take decision for making the brand image in the
market. Recruitment process is not a wide but it divided the person in a group.
The selection process play a negative impact of the person because they do not understand he is
selected or not. The selection of the person also differ for the background and work also. They
require the some specific skill it include the interaction,understand the sales profile,dynamic of the
market and sales alternatives. They make the strategy for right person at right job at right place with
complete skills in the organization. It important for the sale department person and experience .

3.3 Role of motivation,remuneration,Training
These are the three essential company growth is increasing all are related and linked with
each other. The company reduced their turnover with the help of motivating employees in the
business. Manager take the action when the turnover is increased it may be monitory term and non
monitory. The high cost of the company is also reduce the target of the salesman.
Remuneration is also part of the motivation it also reduce the turnover and satisfying the employees.
When the employees are satisfied their services so the level of satisfaction is going increase. It is the
part of firm making the highly output with reducing the cost of the product.
Training is also part of the business it also make the improve quality of work in the workplace of
the employees. The training program mes may be held on the short term period of time. This is the
function of Human resources Management it take place when the new techniques and tool are used
in the business. It also increased the experiences of the employees and satisfaction and self
confidence etc.
3.4 Activity for the controlling the output
The sales manager have a responsibility to take decision for analysis the result and making
the optimal solution for the problems. The sales manager organized the event related to the
determining the target and demand of the consumers in the market that prepare the techniques in the
business. They can used the personal selling with making the strategy of the organization.
Marketing cost of the product is analyzed by the help of determined the revenues and incomes they
generating on the behalf of the product. The first task of the sales manager is to determined the
demand and need of the consumers for different market segment and income also depend on the
pricing of the product. The sales manager can take the decision according to the situation created by
the manager in the business. They plan the customers for making the profit of the acceptances by
the sales person. they can motivate the person to pay the more incentives,bonus according to the
sale of product. They used the online techniques and tools for selling the product.
3.5 Use of database in effective sales management
Data refer to the numbering of the mathematical functions it relate to the performance of the
organization. It help to take decision with the help of data and planning for the future demand of the
product. It play a effectively manage the company coordination and linked with the company. The
sales manager can take the decision according to the contact and interaction between the
consumer .Customer relationship is the most element of the business every sales manager take the
contact between the market and implementing the new strategy in the market generating the

revenues. Using the data we also evaluate the result for the product. They also help to the company
decision take decision according to new and creativity and innovative idea for branding of the
product. It is the making policy according to estimation of the future.

TASK 4
4.1 Development of a sales plan
Sales plan provides help in defining a set of sales targets in accordance with a business. It
assists in choosing a sales strategy that are suitable for target market (Kurata and Nam, 2010).
Creation of a good sales plan is a crucial task. According to current scenario, launching of a
new brand for John Lewis has to be done. The main point of focus are the customers in London
area. Henceforth, a sales plan needs to be developed. So it is stated below:
1. What is the goal of John Lewis?
Open a new brand in London.
2. Why the customers should buy product of John Lewis?
John Lewis is a highly recognized brand and offers quality products at exciting rates.
3. What will change from this plan?
Growth rate will and market share will be affected. Customers in London will feel privileged
after using their products (Nikbakhsh, Eskandarpour and Zegordi, 2013).
4.What are the challenges?
Other brands already present in Local level and international as well.
These are the major points in sales plan that have to focussed by John Lewis to expand the
market at an international level.
4.2 Benefit in trade fairs by launching new brand of John Lewis
In UK, trade fairs are quite beneficial, whenever a company wants to launch its new product.
Launching of new product whenever a business is set up, important task is to create brand
awareness about it. And that can be achieved with the help of trade fairs. So organization advertises
their goods and created their own brand awareness. These trade fairs provide a platform for
promotion of a product or service to a wide range of people. Depending upon the type of business
testing of market and product can be done (Pierce and et.al, 2012). Through them, organization gets
to know about a general opinion about the product.
As per the scenario, company wants to launch their new brand in London to offer their
quality services and al;so expand their market internationally. And in London, many trade fairs are
regularly conducted, so this would serve as the best option for launching their new brand in market

(Vandaele and Nieuwenhuyse, 2012). Through trade fairs they could launch their sample products
and thus get opinions from the public. Based on those opinions, further changes could be made.
This will help the organization to enhance their market value and also satisfy the customers
demand.
4.3 Using exhibitions and trade fairs to increase sales
Exhibitions are open to a wide range and diversified people. Exhibition and trade fairs are a
medium to advertise the product of a company. They serve as a medium for attracting customers at
a public level. In London many people like to go in exhibition for buying products. They are
attracted towards them (Sohoni and et.al., 2011). Also the organization that uses this medium is
benefited because through it they get a general review on their product by the people.
So John Lewis for launching their brand in London could use it as their best option for
creating public awareness about their brand. They could organise exhibitions for their new products.
This way public will get to know the product in an effective manner (Thoméa, and Sousa and
Carmo, 2014.). John Lewis will get to know the general opinions and changes could be
implemented by them accordingly. This way they will be able to expand their business successfully
at an international level and increase their market share.
CONCLUSION
The report mainly focusses on the various aspects of planning of sales and various
operations associated with it. Personal selling supports the promotional advertising of product. As
per the scenario John Lewis wants to launch new brand in London so it has to develop a sales plan
first and also apply a marketing strategy accordingly to achieve their goal of enhancing their
marketing at an international level. Managing the sales is a must task to be achieved by John Lewis,
if they want to achieve their goal. So it is the duty of their sales manager to effectively manage the
sales of product. A proper sales plan should be developed by John Lewis based on the various
parameters associated with their launching in London and enhance their positining in market.

REFERENCES
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