Research during sales training has shown that sales are being conducted in the same way as they were 50 years ago within the majority of medium-sized companies. This sobering fact illustrates which business reserves could be freed.

Weaknesses in sales

No other area of business allow so many weaknesses and frictional losses:

Unacceptable quality of sales performance.

Wasted ability.

Extravagant and unsuitable communication and acquisition methods.


Outdated management methods.

out-of-date and unsuitable area distribution and sales routes.

The effects these weaknesses have on business

The above weaknesses have a substantial influence:

Internal effects: sales people who have been left to their own devices for years form their own unapproachable ‘kingdoms’ and their own rules. The popular call to eradicate the “expensive” field sales department undermines their readiness to put in a good performance. A substantial amount of money is misdirected or squandered.

The external effects of these weaknesses are even worse:

The image of the supplier is damaged.

There is escalating client instability.

Client potential is not exhausted.

The number of weak clients increases.

Analytical aids

The following analytical aids have proved constructive in making it possible to employ rationalisation ideas:

An in-house breakdown of weaknesses and the creation of a catalogue of measures drawn up jointly by all those affected.

The creation of time sheets for salespeople in the office and field sales departments. Time sheets demonstrate where potential is being utilised in an unproductive manner and how sales people can put their time to better use

The different rationalisation ideas

The important points to help you tackle business rationalisation are:

Conceptual ideas

Sales and marketing are integrated and put under joint management.

A target group analysis helps you to determine your core target groups and sales responsibilities.

The range of products you offer must be geared towards your main target group and, if necessary, eradicate certain items and expand your range of other products.

Check well-worn sales methods: you could perhaps set up a direct dispatch service for your smaller clients.

Clear objectives, more team work and an efficient communications system.

Fix your business parameters

You have to make decisions now, which can only be slightly ‘shaken’ later, regarding things like: market-oriented price-performance ratio, competitive range, quality standards, and functioning logistics.

Ideas about management

The job description and function of managerial positions need to change. You need to train managerial skills, as well as business know-how and marketing.

Setting out clear objections and installing monitoring bodies must remove all dubious management instruments.

The division of labour and co-operation

The unclear job description of a “sales person” should be clarified for sales people both in the field and office sales departments: specialist consultant in the field sales department, key account manager, order processor, training manager, telesales person, etc.

The quality of internal communication should be improved (by introducing an Electronic Mail System, for example).

The whole of the company hierarchy should be flattened out and extended through team building and network communication.

Qualify your employees

Building on personality descriptions, further develop specialist knowledge and behaviour. Sales people also need modern equipment (laptop computers and fax machines) and constant support to help them in their work.

New methods of acquisition

All of your salespeople should be trained in consistent thinking in the sense of client orientation.

Salespeople must pay more attention to the decision-making processes and learn to develop their client base on a long-term basis. Sales training can provide a useful insight into this area.

You should set up an integrated communications system, which covers advertising, sales promotion measures, personal contact, corporate events, etc.

Business administration

Generally accessible financial databases make it possible to get more information than was previously possible about markets, clients and competitors and to rely more on personal conjecture.

Work-intensive administrative tasks are accomplished more efficiently through personal computers and a centralised data processing system. Databases, graphics programmes and table calculations transform information quickly into convincing presentation documents.

The effect of rationalisation measures

Rationalisation measures can have effects in many different areas:

Improved communication quality,

Faster flow of information, both internally and to your clients,

Improved access to your salespeople,

Elimination of routine tasks,

Improved management and supervision of on-going activities,

Improved order processing,

Cost reduction,

Increase in sales peoples’ satisfaction.

Unsystematic attempts at rationalisation, further complicated by “pressure from above”, can do more harm than good. Realistic expectations, thorough analyses and a sufficient amount of time are the basic pre-requisites for activating the performance reserves in sales for the durable benefit of the whole company. In the majority of medium-sized companies, sales are being conducted in the same way as they were 50 years ago. This sobering fact illustrates which business reserves could be freed.

A useful method for aiding an improvement in skills is sales training.

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