Sales Manager Interview Report

This assignment is submitted as partial requirement for study course in Business Marketing Diploma course No.BSBSLS502A Lead a sales team and BSBWOR502A Ensure Team Effectiveness at Black town TAFE institute, NSW.

Submitted to: Phil Watts Submitted by: Nasir Ali

Sales Manager interview report

Table of Contents

Introduction Methodology Company Introduction Interview Question/Answer

y y y y y y

What is your role and job function in this organization? How you distinguish between sales and marketing department? In your view what is the relationship between Sales and Marketing department? How you perform sales planning? Can you please elaborate the steps you use for preparing your sales plan? What you achieve from your sales plan? Or befits for the organization out of sales planning?

y y y y y y

How the sales force is organized? What methods you use for train your sales team? What leadership techniques you use in terms of managing your sales teams? What motivations techniques/methods you use? How you view success in terms of sales? What are the compensation Techniques Company offers and how this effects on sales team?

y y

What future changes you are planning for in your role? How you are planning to adopt these changes?

Findings and Suggestions

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Introduction Methodology
This report is part of the partial completion for course of study in Business marketing Diploma at Blacktown TAFE institute. An overview of topics was provided by the subject teacher to keep focus on central point and cover the interview discussion around those topics. Initially pre-interview questions were prepared to set a boundary for discussion and shared with the Sales manager to understand the purpose. Interview was conducted in one session on face to face mode and questions were asked one by one followed by cross questioningto clear the point of view. During questioning hour main points from the discussion were noted down and formulate into bullet points or abridged paragraph form. However preliminary question and answers were only shared with the Sales manager for in case any conflict of interest. In the last findings and suggestions were prepared on the basis of notes, handouts from class lectures and personal observations. You can find these qu estions and answers and findings in the following pages.

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Drivetrain Power and Propulsion Company Introduction Drivetrain Power and Propulsion (DRIVETRAIN) is one of the major subsidiaries of Engenco Company. A short introduction is mentioned below about core activities and major products for Drivetrain Powers Business. Drivetrain Power and Propulsion is a flexi ble, execution-focused business with strong capabilities across the engineering product life cycle in: Heavy Powertrain and propulsion systems Heavy diesel and gas engine systems and cogeneration Large frame turbochargers Cryogenic transfer/storage, high vacuum, heat transfer and liquefaction solutions Industrial and automotive thermal and fluid products These capabilities are underpinned by unique intellectual property, deep knowledge and strong partnerships. Drivetrain delivers technical products and services for the Defense Materiel Organization, Sandvik, Wartsila, NASA, Bucyrus, Ford, ASC, BHP Billiton, and MAN, GE Healthcare, Ball Aerospace, BASF, Thales, Rolls Royce and many other impo rtant customers. We operate from 14 locations in 6 countries with more than 260 full time equivalent team members. To give effect to our objective of EXCELLENCE in EXECUTION, unique outputs are delivered according to Project Methodology and our operations are underpinned by strong business platforms including accredited Integrated Management Systems (Quality, Environment and OHS). Whilst much of Drivetrain's business activity is at a high technical level, our team understands and is focused on the fundament als that underpin customer service: Effective working knowledge of our business, products, services and applications at the customer interface

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Getting things done. Once, properly, on time Keeping customers and stakeholders well informed Unity of purpose
(Reference www.drivetrainpower.com.au)

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Interview Questions and Answers 1. What is your role and job function in this organization?
y y y y y y y y y

Maintain and increase the market share Supervise the Australia Sales team leader Increase and manage productivity Accomplish employee satisfaction Achieve 100% customer satisfaction Interact with corporate and travel agents Strict adherence and compliance to company laid core business values Organize and motivate the sales and marketing staff Responsible for strategic business planning and development

2. How you distinguish between sales and marketing department?

y

In my view the marketing department people are serious and analytical, always busy with statistics and campaigns and meetings. The sales people on other hand a re breathless, always on the go, always on the phone or going to meet customers, always on the edge of some enormous deal, some magic sale that would propelthe companys turnover way over the annual target.

3. In your view what is the relationship between Sa les and Marketing department?
y

Marketing can be described as the set of activities that are undertaken in order to generate leads, while selling is the act of turning a prospect a hot lead into a buyer and later a repeat customer. If there are no leads, the two will fall foul of one another. But lead works both ways. The marketing department has to deliver them the sales department must act upon them to maximum advantage. But leads must be generated first and that is why marketing tends to overwhelm the sale s function when the two are discussed.

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4. How you perform sales planning?

y

I use both the company business plan and marketing plan and integrate them with my yearly sales plan. On the basis of that I prepare sales objectives which I get approved from the higher management after I take feedback from the territory sales leaders and dissolve them into my sales objectives.

5. Can you please elaborate the steps you use for preparing your sales plan?
y

There aresome basic points in preparing my sales plan: i. I prepare a summary of my sales objectives ii. After discussing with territory sales team leaders we prepare strategic goals iii. Assess prior sales statistics iv. Segment our customers v. Prepare current year objectives vi. Develop regional/territory action plans vii. Write the executive summary and present it for approval from higher management. viii. And lastly measure and monitor the performance on the basis of annual sales plan ix.

6. What you achieve from your sales plan? Or befits for the organization out of sales planning?
y

Before achievement yo u must understand your sales plan; i. What are your sales objectives ii. Develop your action plan iii. Measure and develop your report and results

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One important reason is to have a documented sales performance and sales revenue, the unit sales number, market share, an d percentage by quarter.

You should clearly define any specific companys business plan that relate directly to your sales performance or sales strategies and your sales representatives this year.

y y

You can also use your sales plan as communicating tool. To assist you in successfully achieving companys business

7. How the sales force is organized?

y

Below is the organizational sales structure

8. What methods you use for train your sales team?

y y

Evaluate individual sales performance and personal skills Product familiarization i. Onsite Sales workshops ii. OEM Product training both overseas & through local providers

y y

Building soft skills Inter departmental trainings (in -house trainings)

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9. What leadership techniques you use in terms of managing your sales teams?
y y y y y

Instead of humiliating I try to use humor Try to avoid criticism Try to avoid issuing direct orders Speak to sales peoples about their interests Struggle to give more credit for your salesperson

10. What motivations techniques/methods you use?

y y

I involve sales team in preparing setting goals. I provide more information regarding company achievements, financial statistics, and any new development.

I regularly inform the salesperson about their performance so they can realize and encourage themselves.

y y y

Appreciate their efforts sincerely Promote two way communication and like listen to their views also You must set the example and demonstrate enthusiasm, energy, team cooperation, honesty and commitment.

11. How you view success in terms of sales?

y

In short I observe ho w the sales force understand: i. Who are my Accounts and Prospects? ii. Which of these Accounts and Prospects have the most potential? iii. Where are they located and how they distributed geographically? iv. How will I prioritize and categorize my accounts and prospects? v. My visitation and call schedule for each account, prospect? vi. Are there creative ways to manage and develop to get to accounts and prospects?

These questions and more on a big screen I want to see how and who manages there time and territory successfully.

12. What are the compensation Techniques Company offers and how this effects on sales team?
y

Compensations i. Salary ii. Commission.

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iii. Leaves structure iv. Full use of Company maintained car

y

Benefits i. Keep them motivated. ii. Optimizing the sales performance iii. Productivity based commission

13. What future changes you are planning for in your role?
y

By using technology to improve efficacy of and cut down cost and manpower required for sales force training

Utilizing available resources for maximum output with other departments to get more output.

Skills building among teams to more results oriented, customer focus, building team leadership.

y y

Performing market benchmark with other companies. Hunt for younger up and-coming talents who show potential.

14. How you are planning to adopt these changes? By encouraging the sales team to build more interdepartmental relationship within company.
y y y

A review of the market and identify upcoming challenges. More grasp on product knowledge. Reducing sales responsibilities from 100 to 50 percent and introducing technical trainings so they can perform 50 percent hands in grease.

Hiring new people to train and prepare for the ongoing requirement definition.

Suggestions/Recommendations: Sales and Marketing department relationship I think the interview response is more idealistic picture it is not that simple because not all leads are equal. An extremely tiny percentage leads are customers who are ready to buy. Most of them are merely interested in possible buying at fu ture stages and some are just

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mildly interested, just browsing. Thats why it is important to have some sort of lead management system so that potential customers can be turned into buyers and buyers into repeat customers. Personnel in both sales and marke ting departments should expected to have a good working relationships and because the areas of interaction are clearly defined for both departmental managers and managed know what is expected of them, which assists them and the people they manage in their sections. Sales Plans Some weaknesses which I observe in sales plans which drives fail to achieve the set goals are: i. Identifies your weaknesses in your business skills ii. Leads to faulty marketing decisions or statistics which are not properly analyzed iii. Sometimes the figures are not realistic and projections are interpreted incorrectly iv. Improper budget allocation and nonrealistic time frames. Trainings There are already some weaknesses in appraisal systems in companies and also within personal evaluation methods. Generally, trainings are proposed when someone have very poor sales performance or below average. But frustration remains there inside the salesperson to meet up to the level of expectations. Also it is my personal view that sales trainings are needed, but few are willing to face their own bad habits and weaknesses. The best way is to give the person time to analyze what he/she can do and look for areas where he/she can improve and make changes. This can be done by looki ng at each sales process from prospecting to post sales follow up. Look into the weaknesses as an opportunity to learn so can learn to overcome those challenges that are costing money.

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Leadership skills In my view it is difficult and challenging for a sa les manager to adopt such a behavior. At least this may come from a natural born instinct in oneself. The pushing sales targets and day to day work chores make the sales managers more stressful and under pressure to behave unnatural. Points highlighted by in the answer are again idealistic or otherwise sometimes misleading to judge your team members. This also needs lot of time investment to know your team mates and their background or even families. Sometimes if you let your sales staff to learn him from his/her mistakes and avoid criticizing. This will be incorrectly judged and taken as a weakness of the manager. Therefore I suggest that somewhere it is good to be leadership style as sales people are social animals (like bars, friends, talking, part ies etc.etc.) but sales is also a part of the business and needs to be managed otherwise there will be no targets achieved in the end. Motivation The global economic situation is rapidly changing and new automated sales techniques have decreased the demand for traditional sales techniques. Sales managers need to focus on particular methods to lead manage and motivate employees. Traditionally sales managers use money as a big tool to motivate sales team members and apply as one size fit for all. But it is observed that money is not only the motivational force for everyone. Properly screened, selected and trained, and the product is right, then the motivation becomes critical for success. Sales persons spend lot of time on roads selling companys products. A good leave offering may sometimes work well to live with your loved ones and re-energies yourself.

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Beyond standard compensation packages short term incentive programs may also be used as another tool.

Success in terms of Sales Above highlighted poin ts again more idealistic and still having some loop holes. For example it is not necessary that the scale of success set by the manager will also fit for rest of the team until or unless it is communicated properly what is going to be expected from them and how there outcomes will be measured. Even after communicating your set scales of success there uneven bumps and challenges which can cause the performance slower for the sales force to move ahead. Therefore I believe before setting a ruler to scale it must be assured that both the picture and frame will really match with each other. Compensation & Benefits One general observation with compensations is sales force concentrate more on earning there bonus and commissions and forget to feed their customers with proper service. End result is losing future business. Also technology is propelling us into a new way of thinking about business strategy and the way we define success. So the sales people will do what they are paid for doing. Thats why compensation plans have to keep up with the changing selling methods. It is the responsibility of sales executives to motivate their reps to build real relationships between customers and company, that way they can increase the share of each customers business and to increase the value of each customer to the back. Future challenges As said by Michele Marchetti in sales and marketing management, they want to make lots of money. Despite all new people in sales will seek jobs with only companies where they can

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make their dreams come true. Where their performance and strengths can be realized and recognized and rewarded very well. Of course there will space for knowledge based sales but E -channels and technologies will transform the new market. Therefore in my view these points may not be neglected while training and planning for any future changes.

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