By Nadia Bulcourt – October 31, 2022
The importance of a good sales organization
Setting up a good sales organization within your company is essential if you want to stand out from the ever-tougher competition. And for this, the role of the sales representatives is not only a sales process. It is above all about the relationship they have with your customers, about the strength of their proposals and about the image of your business.
By opting for an efficient sales organization, you will help your salespeople to be more competent and proactive. They will be able to manage their time and priorities. They will also become customer relationship specialists. And finally, your sales team will contribute to the company’s success.
It is therefore up to you, as a manager or sales director, to clearly define the role of each person and to give them an action plan according to the sales maturity of your company.
What is a company's sales organization?
A sales organization involves the sale of a product, but also the sale of services. It determines the objectives of a company according to the competition, the needs, and the expectations of its customers. It is therefore closely linked to the company’s commercial strategy.
Before being able to define an efficient sales organization, it is preferable to know the market in which you operate. This will make it easier to organize yourself and to have a clear vision of the needs of your customers and competitors. The commercial organization concerns the preparation, organization, and execution of commercial actions in order to reach the objectives set by the company.
Depending on the maturity of your company, this organization can be very simple or extremely complex. It must also be adapted according to the needs and expectations of the market. To optimize your sales organization, you will have to think about the strategy and the sales policy, but also about all the actions involved in the sales process.
What is a good sales organization?
A perfectible sales organization has an immediate impact on profitability. Indeed, even if you have the best staff, products, or services, without a good organization of your sales teams, you risk having disappointing results!
The sales function requires a continuous improvement approach. It must be able to anticipate market changes to offer solutions adapted to customer needs. To do this, the sales manager or director will set up an organization in line with the market and the company’s sales policy.
How to organize your sales team?
The setting up of a sales team is generally the responsibility of the sales manager. It is the latter who will determine the priorities for the sales force. Sometimes, depending on the size of the company, he/she will surround himself/herself with a sales manager who will support him/her in making strategic decisions and setting up processes.
Aligning sales and marketing teams
Today, we are convinced that sales should not be the sole responsibility of the sales function. This is why we believe that it is essential to share this mission with your marketing department.
Indeed, both teams must now work together efficiently to ensure the success of your sales strategy. They can no longer be satisfied with carrying out missions on their own. Indeed, with the evolution of the digital world, the customer journey has changed a lot. It is therefore important to communicate well upstream before having any exchange with a salesperson. It is therefore in the best interest of sales and marketing teams to collaborate hand in hand to select and distribute the information their prospects are looking for, at the right time and with the right hook.
Specialize sales teams
Specialization can be beneficial depending on the size of your company. Often, the classic trend is to organize your sales teams by market and industry.
But you can also specialize them by activity if your teams include a large number of salespeople. In this case, it is interesting to divide your team members into 3 groups:
- The people in charge of qualifying prospects who have entered your channels through marketing actions.
- Salespeople who are in charge of prospecting new customers.
- A team that ensures customer follow-up, i.e. an after-sales service that shows the customer that your company is still interested in him.
The division of labor is essential in a sales organization. Thanks to this specialization, the sales team will gain in time and efficiency.
The 3 levels of maturity in the sales organization
To help you organize your sales teams, it is interesting to define the level of maturity of your company. We will therefore identify which phase of the sales cycle your company is in. We will also see what resources, material and human means you currently have in place. By establishing a diagnosis of commercial maturity, we will be able to make you a “fair”, realistic, and feasible proposal that will be of high added value. We have identified 3 levels of classification.
- The company in preparation
This is the company that is carrying out its first sales cycle. It has a sales negotiation plan. It has also thought about the training of the sales representatives, but it has not yet set up the tools and material elements essential to the good progress of a commercial mission. We therefore help them build their sales organization and provide them with 360° sales support.
- The company ready to go
At this stage, the company has set up structures that allow it to develop its commercial offer. It has succeeded in creating a sales team and has chosen a sales methodology. We help it to stabilize and improve its sales process. We accompany it in its growth.
- The company already in the race
This company has already acquired a certain maturity in the management of its commercial activity. It can structure its production plan and build its sales teams with well-defined profiles. We support them to optimize their sales and increase their performance.
This classification was established based on the level of maturity of the sales companies we support. It allows us to adapt the nature of our services, the tools, and the modes of intervention to act on the sales cycle of your company.
How to develop your sales organization?
Changing your sales organization is essential to accelerate your company’s development.
There are different possible keys to modernize your sales organization.
Discover how Finelis Coaching can help you in the evolution of your sales organization by adapting to your stakes and sales objectives.
Contact us to learn more and to know our different services that will allow you to implement the corresponding strategies.