Careers Marketing by Leslie Stair

Author:Leslie Stair [Leslie Stair]
Language: rus
Format: epub
Tags: AvE4EvA
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
Published: 2008-04-27T20:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

CAREERS IN INDUSTRIAL, WHOLESALE, AND DIRECT

SALES

A career in B2B and B2C sales can be both personally and fi nancially rewarding. In the past, many people were unaware of the number and variety of career opportunities in selling and sales management, and many held negative perceptions of sales careers.

In the twenty-first century, however, the blending of the goals of sales and consulting has provided a fresh impetus for bright, positive, and energetic people to choose this career. The stereotype of an aggressive, pushy, in-your-face sales rep has been replaced by the model of a knowledgeable sales consultant role, in which the sales rep routinely gives valuable advice. Consumers know that they can benefi t from the relationship with a reliable sales representative whose up-to-the-minute awareness of product and market needs is generously shared with clients.

Trustworthy sales reps have always provided this kind of service, and they have usually outshone their competition by this strategy in the long run, but for too long, “energy and aggression” were touted by some managers as the only sales skills needed.

It’s good news for the industry, the sales reps, and the consumers that the technique of “take the money and run” is out—and the strategy of “be the best possible adviser to every one of your consumers” is in.

This chapter spotlights careers in sales for manufacturers, wholesalers, and direct marketers. Sales careers in stores and other retail establishments are outlined in Chapter 7.

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CAREERS IN MARKETING

Some business schools offer undergraduate courses in personal selling, but it has been debated whether courses in personal selling concentrate enough on key skills needed in the industrial marketplace.

A recent survey of practitioners and educators indicated that course work should place a stronger emphasis on communications, critical thinking, and reasoning skills. Techniques such as individual student projects and presentations, discussions of selling issues and business events, guest speakers, role-playing, and team projects are fundamental to teaching these skills. Industrial marketers are working to establish better relationships with business schools and are offering more internships. Through sales-related internships and participation in professional sales organizations, students can gain valuable experience and determine whether sales is a profession they would like to pursue.

A metamorphosis from the in-your-face salesperson to the “relationship manager” philosophy began in the 1990s. Though successful sales personnel require many of the same attributes as in former years, they now also require a few more, as well as a new orientation. Solving problems and satisfying customers in addition to generating sales volume are measures of success. Some companies have tied salary to customer satisfaction and eliminated commissions in favor of bonuses based on corporate profi ts. This sales approach requires additional training, knowledge, and teamwork over what was usually provided in the previous system of individual bonuses based solely on amount of sales.

Sales professionals perform a primary function in moving products into the marketplace. After production, manufacturers may opt for any or all of the available channels of distribution, by selling products directly to customers, to retailers, or to wholesale intermediaries.

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