Sales Planning and Operation

1. Developing the sale strategies in line with corporate objectives

Direct selling the products or services to the clients without proper planning a sale strategy is likely to yield poorer results for the company. Managing and planning an appropriate sales strategy will help the business to convince its bank managers and prospective investors to invest in a particular product or service. It is very important that the sales managers lays a significant concern over developing a proper sales strategy by considering all the major factors which helps the company to attain its corporate objectives. Sales strategy lays a significant concern over market segmentation, targeting and positioning in order to achieve the heights of corporate growth.

With regard to the present case scenario, the report emphasizes on implementing appropriate sales strategies for 'British Gas' to achieve its overall corporate objectives. The company is advised to implement such strategy through which it captures the eyes of its audience and increase its sales that results in generating more revenue. It should start by setting primary objective for each of its services and products.

To do so, the company should lay its attention over the following key aspects-

• What does it want to sell? (Major services include- Energy, central heating and home services)
• Who is its target market? (UK homes)
• Its prior attention over specific services and products? (energy and thermal services.)

After analysing its core objectives of sales strategy, British Gas undertakes the following sales strategies to attain its corporate objective-

Territorial sales strategy

With the help of such strategy, the company is able to sell its product line to its various customers situated in different locations. Here the sale managers focuses on selling the entire product line involving different products to its customers in that particular location.

Product focused sales strategy

Using such a strategy helps the said company to focus on its major product or service in order to gain customer satisfaction. This strategy is usually used when the company possess a wide range of complex products.

Customer focused sales strategy

This strategy focuses on providing specific products and services to its target and core customers. With the use of such strategy, British Gas is able to gain huge customer loyalty and trust which helps the company to build strong brand image in the corporate business world and achieve its organisational goal.

By analysing the above sales strategies, it can be seen that the concerned company lays its prior concern over implementing such strategy which helps it to attain the overall corporate growth. Moreover, the company comes to know about its successful implementation of strategies by gaining worldwide market share and increasing customer thereby generating higher revenue for the firm.

2. The importance of recruitment and selection (R&S) procedures for British Gas

Recruitment reflects the criteria of employing the right candidate for the right job. Once the recruitment applications are received, the said company moves on to the selection process, where it conducts important tests based on their skills and knowledge and monitors their overall performance. The procedure of recruiting and selecting the candidate is effective as it helps the company to reduce its employee turnover and retain the best staff within the workplace. It helps the stated company to gain a dominant power in the field of energy and electricity by generating the best outcome through an effective selection of right candidate. With an impressive and flawless recruiting criteria, the concerned company will be able to achieve higher productivity by implementing and using the right skills and knowledge of its selected candidates. This will serve the company to attain the heights of success and enhance the economies of scale through sustainable and efficient use of resources. Apart from this, British Gas will enhance its overall business operations by hiring appropriate workers which will help it to achieve a global exposure in the hyper competitive environment. Moreover, with the help of an effective R&S process, the said organisation will be able to generate efficient and profitable results on a long term perspective. The concerned process not only reflects the selection of right candidate for the company but it also represents to hire and recruit such applicant who endorses and shares the core value of British Gas in an effective manner.

3. The role of motivation, remuneration and training in sales promotion of British Gas

Motivation, remuneration and training plays a significant role in implementing appropriate strategies thereby leading the organisation towards the direction of achieving corporate growth in the global market. It acts as an immune system in accomplishing the organisational goal. In context with the present case scenario, British Gas lays its prime concern over providing its staff with appropriate training and motivation programmes. Doing this helps the company to gain a strong sense of commitment and loyalty from its employees towards achieving the goal of the organisation with a positive attitude. Proper training sessions can motivate the salespeople of the mention company to attain the expectations and satisfaction level of its core customers in an impressive way. British Gas view sales training as an important measure to promote its services in an effective way in the entire market segment and expand its business operations by attracting new and potential customers towards its exotic services. Apart from this, the company emphasizes on providing fascinating remuneration to its employees which helps the said organisation to improve and enhance its overall level of productivity. It helps to boost the morale of employees and also fills them with a strong sense of commitment and confidence in order to bring the best outcome for the concerned company. Furthermore, it acts as a basic source of employee motivation and provides a strong base to the employees of the British Gas to perform their job in an efficient and effective manner.

The cited organisation provides its staff with the following motivational techniques to achieve success-

• Proving remuneration, both praise and recognition
• Providing challenging opportunities
• Offering the sales people with total job security, and
• Satisfying the employers and managers expectations.

4. The role of sales management in organising sales activity and controlling sales output

Sales management plays a crucial role in planning, organising and controlling the sales output in an effective way. It starts its activity by preparing a proper and appropriate plan which matches the objective of the company, then implement it in the workplace and finally monitors its execution in the organisation. The key role of sale management in organising and controlling the sales activity is discussed below

Defining goals and objectives

The sales management is responsible for defining the overall goals of the organisation in an appropriate way which helps the managers and the employees to work accordingly to meet the set targets effectively.

Deciding the operations and techniques

After explaining the goals of the company, sales management then decides the type of operations and techniques which needs to be implemented and adopted in order to closely accomplish the objectives.

Allocate and divide the work among its employees

The sales management thereafter segment the work load and allocate it to the employees which matches their skills and knowledge. This helps the company to gain work specification along with work specialisation.

Implements effective communication

After allocating the work to it staff, the sales management motivate and instructs its employees to perform their duties in an impressive way. They possess a strong communication channel with their workers in order to get the work done in a flawless manner.

Establishes standards

Finally, the concerned management group focuses on establishing the standards which helps them to analyse and access the performance of their employees in order to control and organise sales activity.

5. The use of databases in effective sales management

In the 21st century of globalisation and strong competition, many companies are heavily investing in database marketing to gain a global exposure in the corporate world. In order to achieve an effective customer relationship, every organisation tries to maintain an impressive database management system or Customer relationship management system. This system helps the company to manage its sales systematically and effectively. It serves as a significant tool for the sales force to handle and manage their accounts. Moreover, it gives a brief understanding about various kinds of opportunities available in the sales outlet at a particular point of time. An effective database caters significantly in achieving organisation's success. The use of database in effective sales management is listed below

Improved marketing and sales information

CRM software or sales database provides the company to enhance their marketing and sales strategy by closely analysing the major needs and demands of its target customers and then taking measures to fulfil such requirements. In this way the company is able to improve its overall sales information and gain worldwide vulnerability in the global market.

Improved productivity

When the sales force of the organisation is efficient enough to put calls using a centralized and effective database instantaneously, it results in enhancing the overall efficiency and productivity of the sales department. Sales management database or a CRM software assists the sales team to lay their major concern over special verticals like restaurants or real estate firms in order to make the marketing and sales campaigns more effective. Sending relevant information using emails, writing quotes and other necessary and important administrative activities can be achieved with much more comfort and ease using such a database system.

Build strong relationships

The CRM database considerably focuses on building strong and positive customer relationships. Some CRM software provides the exotic facility of allowing its agents to draw and send anniversary and birthday cards on specific dates in order to create a positive feeling in the minds of its target customers that the company thinks of them in a crucial way.

6. Developing a sales plan for a product or service

British Gas focuses on developing a strategic sales plan for its products and services. In order to achieve efficient vulnerability in the global market, the company has decided to perform its business operations in Poland. The said organisation here forms a strategic alliance with IKEA to render quality services and gain a huge market share. IKEA is the leading multinational furniture retail companies in Sweden which is famous for its fascinating and exotic architectural designs for different kinds of furniture and appliances. Moreover, the company possess classic interior design work which attracts huge crowd of audience towards it. With regard to such a big success of company in Sweden, British Gas builds a strong strategic alliance with Ikea to construct a brand image in the country and gain wide range of market. British Gas, thus, decided to deliver customized kitchen appliances to its customers in prime association with IKEA.

It therefore prepares the sales plan in the following manner-

Sales objective

The said company lays its significant concern over rendering high quality and customised kitchen appliances to its customers.

Sales channels

British Gas undertakes distributive sales channels to attract customers from different location and territories. Moreover, it also adopts the use of telemarketing sales channel to reach to wide range of customers. The said company also focuses on providing online sales to its audience.

Target customers

The organisation classifies its target customers on two major segments which broadly includes premium class customers and the middle class customers. It provides customised and high standard kitchen appliances to the selected group of customers in order to maintain its brand image. The company does not seek to render its services to all of its customers. It provides and delivers the quality product to the target customers to create and maintain the brand image in the country.

Sales forecast

British Gas is estimating to increase its sales by 30% at the end of 2016. It is implementing measures to double its profit margin which will result in generating more revenue for the company.

By analysing the above sales plan, it can be seen that British Gas is on the way to create a strong brand image in Poland. The strategic alliance with IKEA has tremendously helped the company to attain exposure and gain huge market share with customised products in the said country.

7. Analysing the opportunities of British Gas for selling internationally

British Gas gains a widespread vulnerability in terms of selling high quality customised products in Poland. In order to investigate and analyse the opportunities of selling its products in a new international market, the concerned company focuses on the following points

Uses local sales personnel

The company makes a significant use of local salespeople to deliver quality products in an effective and efficient way. It focuses on providing personal selling to its premium customers in a much impressive way. This helps the stated organisation to maintain a strong brand image in the eyes of its audience.

Undertakes the use of sales distributors

The mention organisation lays its prior concern over using different sales distributors in order to generate efficient sales and increase the revenue.

Evaluating the local demand

British Gas critically examines and evaluates the core demand and needs of its customers in the said country. This assists the company to generate such products which helps it to attain the highest level of customer satisfaction.

8. Investigating the opportunities for British Gas for using exhibitions or trade fairs in Poland

Participating in the trade fairs held in Poland, helps the company in a great deal to attract a diversified basket of audience towards its high quality products. It helps the company to closely analyse the demands of its customers and implement measures to meet them. Apart from this, it gives the company a strong and fascinating platform to meet its core customers and reach out to its existing clients. Furthermore, using exhibitions or trade fairs, aids the company in establishing a reliable and powerful brand image in the said country. As a result, such trade shows brings profitable results for the concerned company thereby increasing its overall sales.

CONCLUSION

From the above report, it can be concluded that British Gas undertakes appropriate sales strategies to achieve its corporate objectives. Also, the report lays its prime concern over establishing an exotic strategic alliance with IKEA in order to attain the company's exposure in Poland. It gives an in-depth knowledge of various opportunities which British Gas experiences in selling its brand in a new international market.

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