The sales engineering model developed by Norris & Elliott strengthens sales performance and profitability. Consider the 4 p's of the interrelated sale: Potential, Processes, Positions and People, collaborating in the implementation process. The results are often dramatic, as the model uses operations research methods that are enhanced by the managerial and multidisciplinary experience of our senior consultants.
Potential
Few companies know how much more they can sell or earn from their current products and channels. Quantifying the potential can trigger surprising results in a very short time. For example, a drug distributor decides to sell only to clients A and B, leaving out the least profitable clients, and multiplies its results. At the other extreme, an auto parts company that targets the large assemblers and secondarily serves the replacement market, with significant losses over 5 years.
As a consequence of the potential study, the effort is redirected to the replacement market with excellent results. Identifying potential is an important productivity trigger. Our methodology consists of:
- Measure actual performance.
- Identify potential performance.
- Calculate the gap.
- Set change goals.
- Prepare the ground for changes.
- Implement the changes
Processes
In 6 out of 10 companies we have found significant monitoring failures and insufficient coordination between the sales, administrative and / or technical support and production areas. The management spends a large percentage of its time on administrative matters and little on management. Salespeople don't spend as much time as management would like to be in constant contact with customers. Organizing the sales force through aligned processes and procedures, as well as a scorecard, strengthens internal practices and balances workloads.
Positions
Sales managers often wonder if they have too few or too many people. To answer this question, Norris & Elliott analyzes the objectives of the company, the type of clients, the type of buyer, the technical knowledge required, the geographical location, and the time and frequency of visit, among other factors. As a result, we have identified 16 specific positions for the sales function. As for the initial question, there are often a lack of positions / people in certain areas and an excess in others. The positions define the required profile.
People
Profiles
Sales managers sometimes wonder why some capable and dedicated employees fail to meet reasonable quotas. One of the answers is that they do not have the right profile for the position they occupy, although they could be very good in another position. A detailed evaluation allows to identify five different sales profiles: the "integral", the "impetuous", "the publicityist", the "technical" and the "order taker". The important thing is to reconcile the profile with the position, and not to adjust the position to suit the profile. Another frequently asked question is: why is the person I promoted to director or sales manager is not delivering results, if he was the top seller? Our evaluation system detects the "coach" capabilities of the director or manager or even subordinates who could be promoted to that position in the future.
Training and Coaching
The design of the Training and Coaching programs is done by taking into account the needs of your company and the capacities of people who collaborate in the sales area. The programs are practical and the level of achievement of the participants is measured. One of the approaches we use in order to narrow the gap between the top performing 15% and 20% and the rest of the sales force is to "replicate" what the star salespeople do, through specific techniques.
Payment Method
In our practice we have found that there is not too much available market information to define how much the sales force, including managers and directors, should be paid. How should we pay you? Fixed salary, only commissions, salary plus commissions, salary and bonuses, salary plus commissions plus bonuses? It will depend on each case, for the design of a payment system that encourages the sales force, several factors are taken into consideration, such as type of product, market growth, knowledge and skills required to sell, which is so necessary technical knowledge to make the sale, profit margin for sales, etc.
