Bob BrownPresident, Sales Systems Development, Inc. Beverage Industry Sales Organization Development Consulting

Building the Sales EffortWhether One Person or a Team

Building the Sales Effort

1. When to Add a Sales Person and How2. Structuring the Sales Function3. Managing the Sales Person or Team

Focus areas…

1. Poor hiring2. Not providing structure3. Lack of direction4. Weak expense control5. Too much coverage area6. Inadequate training

When to Hire – Considerations…First, Build People into the Business Plan

On-site to On and Off-premise Sales Self–distribution to Wholesaler Network Volume Levels Limits Reached Expansion – New Markets, StatesCash Flow

Who to Hire?

Who to Hire?

Have a Process

Keys to Good Hires – start with

#1

Job DescriptionFive Major Job Functions

1. Planning

2. Selling

3. Merchandising

4. Customer Service

5. Communication-Administration

Keys to Good Hires1. Job Description2. Sales Rep Job Spec’s…

Knowledge & Skills Experience Personal Traits

Selection Process

Keys to Good Hires1. Job Description2. Specifications – K&S, Experience,

Personal Traits3. Use Range of Recruiting Resources4. Multiple Interview Process5. Background Checks

Building the Sales Effort

1. When to Add a Sales Person and How

2. Structuring the Sales FunctionConsiderations…

Focus areas…

Structuring the Sales EffortConsiderations…

1. Geography2. Distributors & Accounts3. Sales Tools4. Sales Support

Geography Take Full Advantage of “LOCAL” First – “narrow & deep” Flow Outward from Strength “Brands are Built On-premise” ID & Target Events for Visibility

Distributors and Accounts1. Prioritize Distributors

Target logical channels Identify “Value Added” distributor sales people

Distributors and Accounts1. Prioritize Distributors2. Classify Off-premise by Volume Potential

Off-premise ‘A,B,C’ or ‘HT, MT, LT, LTM Classify On-premise by Volume and/or Image

3. Establish Coverage & Frequency Guidelines4. “Quality” Coverage vs. “Quantity”

Support – 4 Key Areas

1. Information2. Pricing3. Sales Tools4. Production and Shipping

Support – 4 Key Areas1. Information

Sales person performance Team performance Account performance

Sales vs. Goal and YTD by

Brand and SKU

Support2. Price Structures – consider…

Know “competitive set” Quantity Discount (QD) levels Margin requirement

WholesaleRetailEveryday Feature

Back out to target retail

Support 1. Information2. Price Structures

3. Sales Tools Incentives Sell sheets P.O.S.

Support1. Information – sales person, team and account performance2. Price Structures3. Sales Tools

4. Customer Service – order processing, etc.5. Production and Shipping

Building the Sales Effort

1. When to Add a Sales Person and How2. Structuring the Sales Function

3. Managing the Sales Person or Team

Focus areas…

Managing the Sales Person or Team1. Distributor Management Processes2. Account Management Guidelines3. People Management Processes

1. Distributor Management Processes

Collaborative Annual Business Plan Be Prepared, Relevant, Realistic Annual Plan Sales/Marketing Plan, not a Production Plan Have a defined format & process

Annual Plans — the Process

4. Opportunities

3. Investment/Changes

2. Trends

1. Base Volume by Brand

Know Where the Business is

Coming From

1. Distributor Management Processes Collaborative Annual Business Plan Monthly or Quarterly Distributor Business Reviews

Agenda sent in advanceResults vs. Plan goals YTDProgress on programs in progressMarket ConditionsPlan future programs/focus periods “Housekeeping” – inventories, AR’s, P.O.S., Events, etc.

1. Distributor Management Processes Collaborative Annual Business Plan Monthly or Quarterly Distributor Business Reviews Target # of Distributor Programs/Focus Periods Periodic Market/Account Surveys Sales Meeting Participation Frequency Distributor Sales Rep and Manager Work-with’s Event Participation

2. Account Management Processes Account Profiles Identify “Core” Accounts – maintain list # of New and Target Accounts Identified Distribution Display Standards Shelf/Cooler Merchandising Guidelines

3. People Management Processes Weekly Phone Call, or Meeting, with Set Agenda

Sales Results for Week – # calls, volume, distribution, displays, etc.

Key Successes Distributor or Account Issues Goals for upcoming week “Housekeeping” – pricing, shipping, P.O.S., etc.

3. People Management Processes

Monthly Meeting – team & one-on-one New Hire “On-boarding” Periodically working with each sales person Providing coaching and performance feedback On-going training and development Performance evaluation

Weekly Phone Call, or Meeting, with Set Agenda

Building the Sales Effort – One Person or a Team

1. When to Add a Sales Person and How2. Structuring the Sales Function3. Managing a Sales Person or Team

Summary

Bob Brown