The goal of this research is aimed to explore the development needs of sales managers.
For reaching the goal, the researcher adopts the qualitative approach and conducted in-depth interviews with three interviewees in a case firm. After carefully collecting and analyzing data, the results are sorted into four main research topics, namely, recruitments, sales skills, training, and other related issues in success and development needs of sales manager. With the purpose of this research was to explore the main roles, skills and competencies of the sales managers, identifying the approaches of training and development of the sales managers and last but not the least the development needs of the sales managers in MNCs.
In this chapter, conclusions, suggestions, and managerial implications will be illustrated orderly.
Conclusions
In the beginning of this study provide some reasons for why to understand better the roles and skills of a sales manager, relationships between sales and sales managers, especially the development needs of sales manager. Based on the findings, this research sum up several conclusions as followings:
The Roles of a Sales Manager
The sales managers’ roles as mentioned from the data given as the result. with the purpose one, although different managers have their own points of view, but then they also come in common ideas of roles of sales managers. Sales managers are the coordinator inside the organization. They are the communication conduits within the organization. As the teams
have become more important, middle manager or sales managers, on the other hand, hold the teams together internally and play ambassadorial roles across the team. They will have few self-limiting beliefs and will have good coaching and mentoring skills, most of all they should know the process of sales management. Sales managers are the mentor; they have the role in giving training, through the learning process within organizations and have a lot of roles in developing the employee. Not only being as the manager but they also have to be a supporter, when their sales facing difficulties, manager should stand out and give them words of wisdom. Sharing experiences and not blaming them with their failures. Managers should establish an open environment where all can be comfortable and fed respected.
The Competencies of the Sales Managers in MNCs
To conclude the roles and competency of sales managers would lead them to be successful in the future. The best managers show solid leadership and management skills and can thrive in high-pressure environment. They must understand the value of having a sales activity plan and holding sales accountable for the activity. Sales managers in multinational corporations as mentioned they need to have good communication skills, not only good communication but they also need to have the ability to make decision. Most importantly, sales managers are the person to lead the team, manage people is really difficult. They have to face different kinds of people, from the basic level to upper level of management as inner customer. Whereas, outer customer, sales manager should think of the profit of the company at the same time not to give hard time of the customer.
The Approach of Training of the Sales Managers in MNCs
As for training approach, different organizations have their own style of training. Some organization focuses more in giving training for new personnel but some just focus on the performances of the personnel and or vise-versa some organization focus more on giving
trainings for the higher level management. To wrap up the approach of training of sales managers, they usually attend outside seminars and outside training for them to develop and to gain other knowledge from other organizations that could help the managers to improve and to increase their own standard. Recruiting and selection techniques that should ensure that they can recruit the right person performing high sales force. The interview and selection techniques should also be a part of training for sales managers. Sales training will take longer and each sales will have a unique set of developmental needs. Sales managers will need to develop plans to assess sales’ current skills and outline steps to improve his capabilities.
Through training and sharing experiences, the approach leads the manager to share their sales to improve in terms of facing difficulties. At the same time, sales managers also learn things from their failures. From the failures, they accept the process or the things that they decide was wrong and will reflect which part of the process was wrong. Learn from failures and stand once again, this is a great lesson for sales managers.
The Approach of Development of Sales Manager in MNCs
With the second purpose of this research the development of sales mangers having a leadership map in place involves knowing which employees possess the competencies to ensure that a department or organization will survive in the future. A development program is being developed to train managers to identify competencies that must be imported or bring in to the organization through external industry. Some of development approaches that had mentioned are like being divided to promotion, job rotation, expatriate, outsourcing and training. For them,
The Development Need of the Sales Managers of MNCs
In order to have further improvement to improve and explore the development needs of sales manager, organization should take into considerations about the need of business is the
management personnel. Performance appraisal is one way to know the level and performance of sales managers, in order to evaluate what are the things that a manager should improve.
They have to plan to ensure the future capability. While meeting business expectation, try to discover who are the talented persons and those who can help the organization. The position of middle and or top managers, career planning requires people to consider how their positions fit within a greater scheme.
Suggestions
Suggestions for Sales Manager
From the beginning of this study, this study aim to explore the roles and competencies of the sales manger to the development needs of sales managers. Working environment is very important for every employee, manager should establish an open environment wherein all can be comfortable and feel respected. Managers should continually assess team members’
attitudes and behaviors with respect to diversity and work with team members who are not as tolerant of or comfortable with. For sales and managers to improve initiative must start at the top. The top management and middle management level should move and change for the organization to grow. The company leaders and sales managers who practice the same degree of commitment to change as they require of their sales representatives will achieve the ultimate goal of a growth-oriented environment that thrives on constant improvement and the economic conditions.
Suggestions for Business Organization
For business organizations, try to know the need of employee inside the organization.
Not only for higher and middle level management but also from new employee, every employee inside the organization needs training and development. They have to plan to ensure the future capability. While meeting business expectation, try to discover who are the talented person, who can help the organization. Companies should take into consider that all employees are the same; they all have to be trained. It is also for the benefit of the organization at the same time they learn things. Marketing, sales and strategy should work with HR to post and upgrade organizational capacities, to produce goods and services in a timely manner.
Suggestions for Future Research
Actually, base from the study for a suggestion for further study, can compare the employee and sales manager in the case company. Next, this study bases on sales manager’s perspective to discuss their sales and sales managers’ roles and training and development. For further study, the perspective from an organization could be adopted in the future. To explore and test the quality perceptions of the sales mangers. Additionally, examine the succession plan for sales manager, general competencies of the sales managers into more tangible classification. The performance of sales managers, it would be interesting to study and compare the sales managers from different industry. Further, the study mainly considers the behavior and phenomenon in an organization.
Managerial Implications
In the business world, trading is very important even how small the business is there is selling. In selling, salespersons will also facing difficulties in transaction. The regulations is given by the management, salesperson’s themselves will only follow the rules and regulations.
They have to predict some cases that will happen during the meeting, about the price, quantity, package and terms of payment. Salesperson meeting with buyers is one of the most important parts in selling, while closing the sale is another stage of selling. For new salesperson, they’re facing lack of confidence in dealing with closing because of lack of the knowledge of the product and company. Salesperson should communicate with their supervisor or sales manager about the issues that they are facing.
The process and activities in sales and marketing should be known by heart, every salesperson need to be very clear about this process. The sales activities’ step by step process
is always keep in the flow, if one of the steps were lost then you should turn back and settled the last step then continue. Training and sharing of experience is a good process for salesperson to learn from. The role of the Sales managers plays an important role and they act as the key player inside the organization. Not only the planning, leading, organizing and controlling, however, they should have good knowledge skills of marketing and sales process and activities. Sales managers need to share their experiences and coach their sales; it is also a way for them to grow, to learn from. Of course, the product and service of the company they work for. In order to increase the sales managers’ value inside the organization, they have to perform well aside from attending seminars and trainings; they also have to be the mentor, to teach their sales personnel.
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