Sales Management - heartbeat of your business!
- Stephen Porter
- Nov 16
- 2 min read
Sales is the heartbeat of any business, transforming customer interest into action and fostering long-term relationships. Here’s a quick dive into why sales are crucial and how to excel in sales management:
Why Customers Buy & Why Businesses Sell
Customers: Satisfy needs or desires.
Businesses: Generate revenue, achieve profit, sustain operations.
The Sales Dynamic
Funnel Stages: Awareness → Interest → Desire → Action.
Process: Engage prospects, convert to customers, retain for future business.
Role of Salespeople
Salespeople build trust and guide customers through their buying journey by:
Generating new business
Servicing existing customers
Managing communication and distribution
Making decisions and maintaining relationships
The Sales Process
Preliminary: Prepare, build rapport, identify needs.
Engagement: Present solutions, highlight benefits, close the deal.
Follow-Up: Deliver, gather feedback, maintain the relationship.
Customer Service Excellence
Exceptional service means meeting or exceeding expectations, measured by:
Responsiveness
Speed
Proactive follow-ups
The goal is to reduce customer effort and increase ease of doing business.
Sales Planning Framework
Align daily activities with business goals through:
Organizational objectives
Marketing goals
Market research
Sales targets
Sales strategies
Performance Improvement Drivers
Boost profit by improving:
Lead generation
Conversion rate
Purchase frequency
Average transaction value
Gross margin
Sales Force Structure & Management
Define team size and manage through effective:
Recruitment
Training
Motivation
KPIs
Balanced compensation models
Implementation & Review
Execute plans using action-tracking tools and regularly review performance for continuous improvement.
Budgeting & Forecasting
Forecast revenue with best-case and worst-case scenarios:
Estimate units
Apply pricing
Test changes in demand or marketing investment
Further practical education insights, detail and activities are available with the ASI Business Sales Management e-Book available here
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