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Unit 10: Managing Sales Personnel

3. Motivating the sales force. Notes
4. Controlling the sales force.
These are depicted in Figure 10.1. These will now be dealt in details.

Figure 10.1: The Sales Management Functions

Selection

Sales
Controlling ining
Tra
Manager

Motivating

Task Examine the various dimensions of salesman training in your organization. Just in
case your organization does not have selling activities, you may visit another organization
and study how they train the newly recruited salesman. Are there any deficiencies in the
training approaches that you have examined? Can you suggest some modifications?

10.2 Recruitment and Selection of Salesmen

The sales manager's job is basically to provide leadership to the salesforce. However, if he does
not have the right persons, it will be difficult for him to get desired results. Therefore, the first
step, or the first function of the sales manager, is to be concerned about recruiting and selecting
the right type of salesmen.
A good salesman creates a good image of the company, as the customer evaluates even the
company from the way in which the salesman has behaved. It can thus be said that the salesman
who is working under you, represents your face and that of your organisation. To the people he
meets casually as well as your customers he handles, he is YOU and YOUR COMPANY. Therefore,
how he conducts himself and how he speaks reflects on you and your company. In addition,
proper selection would result in better employer-employee relations as the salesman would be
happy in his job. There will be a smaller turnover, meaning that the salesmen will not leave out
of disgust or inefficiency. The organisation will have a more effective salesforce, and will enjoy
good customer relations.

The Selection Procedure

Adequate selection requires a proper step by step approach. You must first know the type of
persons you want. Then it becomes necessary to find out from where you can get them. Then
alone can arise the question of actually going about getting the man, testing him and making
your final decision. The steps in the selection procedure are given in Figure 10.2.

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