Page 103 - DMGT205_SALES_MANAGEMENT

Unit 7: Selection and Placement of Sales Personnel

Two further considerations that the manager must take into account in arriving at his decision Notes
are the compatibility of the man with his future colleagues and superiors and the future
management needs of the company.
How well a man fits into a team can often determine his success. It is usually fatal to put a
dynamic, aggressive, ambitious twenty six year old into a sales force consisting of security
minded senior citizens hanging on for their pensions. It is likewise dangerous to have a man
who is over-compatible with his superior. This often comes about by "mirror-image" selection,
a common fault of many inexperienced managers. Because a candidate happens to have a similar
background to the manager, that is, comes from the same part of the country, went to the same
school, shares an interest in water-polo and the like, it may be tempting to assume that he
possesses similar business abilities but if a manager is prone to such temptations, it is better for
him to ask a colleague to take over the interviewing.

7.1.7 Employment Offer

An employment offer is extended to the candidate who successfully passes through all the
preceding steps.

Placement of Sales Personnel
Once, an offer of employment has been extended and accepted the final stage in procurement
function is concluded, and the process of placement of the individual on the new job and orienting
him to the organisation.
Placement may be defined as "the determination of the job to which an accepted candidate is to
be assigned and his assignment to the job. It is a matching of what the supervisor has reason to
think he can do with the job demands (job requirements), it is a matching of what he imposes (in
strained working conditions) and what he offers in the form of payroll, companionship with
others, promotional possibilities, etc."

Probation

After selection, the employee is generally put on a probation period, ranging from one to two
years, after which his employment may be regularised, provided that during this period, his
work has been found to be satisfactory. Only in very rare cases is the employee, once placed,
asked to quit and even then, it is only when there is something very serious against him or he is
found guilty of continued negligence in the performance of his duties. The new employee is
placed as a probationer until the trial period is over.

7.2 Future

Every company must look at its future management requirements as well as its need for career
salesman. Usually, these two demands will have to be met by different types of staff. Therefore,
two different man profiles may be necessary when looking to fill similar sales positions. Those
men with management potential should certainly score higher in leadership, self-reliance and
ability to accept responsibility categories than the career sales staff. Unless different standards
are adopted, too many men of high potential may be employed who will quickly become
frustrated and leave. If men who can be only career salesman are taken on, there will be no
potential management pool for the future. The relationship between the two categories will
depend upon the spans of control, the number of management levels and the life span of
management in each job.

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