The Sales Plan for Ontela PicDeck - Essay Example

The Sales Plan for Ontela PicDeck Overview of Market Opportunity Key market opportunities tend to exist for the service offered by Ontela PicDeck in the mobile market in United States. It is observed that during 2007 the mobile industry in United States gained the potential of earning of around $150 billion through addressing the consumer needs of the people relating to the category of picture and text messaging and transfer of multimedia contents from one mobile set to another. Service demands of the consumers relating to the above segments are observed to grow at an exponential level contributing to growth of market revenues. Further the market opportunities relating to the seamless transfer service offered by Ontela PicDeck can be observed pertaining to the interest of the consumers in procuring camera phones for taking more photos if the mode of transfer was easy. Similarly consumers also reflected interest of replacing digital cameras with mobile phones to get the facility of easy transfer of pictures taken. Consumers also reflected increased affinity of sending photos through the use of electronic mails and also storing photos on desktop which are enabled through the use of the PicDeck service. Outline Competitor Analysis The major competitors for Ontela PicDeck can be evaluated to be like Eye-Fi and Transcend that offer technology solutions relating to data transfer in a wireless medium and also in the storage of the same in memory cards. It is observed that wireless technology companies like Eye-Fi and Transcend enable the collection of a large number of photos and thereby contribute in transferring the same to other devices based on the wireless medium and also through the use of the cloud interface. Eye-Fi and Transcend are viewed as the significant players in the wireless market contributing in effective transfers of a large number of photos from cameras to Smartphones and also from mobile devices to computers. It is observed that where Transcend tends to generate a 32 GB Wi-Fi card for around $72.45; Eye-Fi tends to generate a 16 GB Wi-Fi card for around $89.74. In terms of price and storage features, Transcend tends to be the most appealing product let alone the performance and technology competence of Eye-Fi. Technology offered by such companies contributes in effectively sharing the contents between the mobile phones and laptops and personal computers such that the same can be further shared through the use of electronic mails and social platforms like Facebook (Perlman 2013). Similarly technological devices generated by SanDisk also contribute in effectively sharing photos from Smartphones to computers and laptops (SanDisk Corporation 2014). Thus the main competitors of Ontela PicDeck are observed to be Eye-Fi, Transcend and SanDisk. Profitability Analysis The profitability analysis for Ontela can be based on the calculation of selling price and profit margin of the company. The selling price of PicDeck can be fixed at GBP 40 related to the other competitor products such that the same would amount to generate needed revenues and sales volume for the company. It is assumed that working based on the above selling price would contribute in the generation of an effective profit margin of around 39 percent for Ontela. Approach to Segmentation The market research activity carried out by Ontela PicDeck mainly reflects three types of customer segments relating to the parent, the young professional and the people relating to the teenager segment. A representative of the parent community, Sarah reflects that such consumer segments though not computer savvy in nature focuses on the understanding of the use of email, Google accounts and also of other social networking sites. Sarah is also observed to have an avid interest in the taking of photographs and tends to take the help of her children in transferring the same to desktops and laptops. Steve reflects a personality relating to the professional customer segment who does not act as an innovator. As a real estate agent, Steve aims to gain access to a mobile device that would enable in the capturing of photos and thereby transferring the same to mobile and other devices owned by his clients. Finally, Regina as a young teenager belongs to the student communities that reflect to be a consumer segment having no disposable incomes and also such that operates in the internet age. Regina thriving in the internet age has effective knowledge of working based on the use of e-mails and social networking mediums. The young teenager also reflects an increased interest for taking of photographs and thereby sharing the same with his friends through the use of personalised desktops and tabs. Targeting Rationale From the above customer segmentation conducted relating to the market of Ontela PicDeck the target consumer groups relate to people belonging to professional and student communities. Targeting the above category of consumers would contribute in helping the company to design and enhance the product features such that the same helps in storing and sharing a large number of photos at a time. Generating product attributes in the above accord would help in enticing the customers to use their mobile phones as an effective medium for taking, storing and sharing of snaps with other stakeholder and community members. Positioning Statement The positioning statement of Ontela PicDeck can be generated as follows. Ontela PicDeck aims to provide a sophisticated photographic experience based on the use of mobile phones. Further the company aims to help its user base to transfer images from Smartphones and other camera enabled phones directly to computers, electronic mails and social networking platforms. The use of Ontela PicDeck for transferring of images to other destinations contributes in the reduction of needed complexities such that it tends to lack the need for pressing of extra buttons. Silent Seller-Part A-Analysis The silent seller activity relating to the conducting of sales of Ontela PicDeck would constitute different types of activities carried out through the generation of advertisements in print, broadcasting and internet mediums like company websites and also through the use of different shopping sites like Amazon.com and eBay. The advertisements featured along the different mediums would focus on the reflection of the benefits that would be gained by the different consumer communities. Similarly the use of the Silent Seller strategies can also be undertaken by the company to help in the promotion of offers like discounts and promo codes pertaining to the technology products. Advertisements carried out the social networking sphere contribute in associating the same with a larger number of consumers based along the different communities (Hahn 2003). Silent Seller-Part B-Narrative The narrative relating to the advertisements that would be produced in the television, print and internet mediums can be produced as follows. Ontela aims in providing a wireless service that would contribute in the reduction of inconveniences for helping in enhancing the potential of the consumers to exchange the picture contents between different devices. Creative Ideas for Demonstration, Sampling and Trial Ontela PicDeck can focus on generating an audio-visual tool kit that can be used as an effective demonstration tool for the target consumer groups. The consumers through the use of such kit can rightly understand the manner the Wi-Fi system can be installed in their mobiles for the collection and sharing of photographs along the internet. Similarly the company needs to visualise on the generation of a sample of the product containing the needed features that can generate utility for a limited period. Generation of such trial edition can be made free at cost to help in effectively associating the product with the target consumer groups (Bartz 2012). Draft Sales Plan Sales Objectives Ontela PicDeck focuses on enhancing the sales revenue by around 9 percent in a three months time period while along a six and twelve month period the sales revenue relating to the Wi-Fi product is taken to rise by around 12 and 20 percent respectively. Further based on the conducting of the marketing and promotional programs the company also focuses on enhancing the market share for the product to raise by around 3 percent for a three months time period that is taken to increase to around 7 and 10 percent by the end of 6 and 12 months period. B2B and B2C Sell Relating to the B2B segment the company can focus on meeting the needs of real estate companies and also of other companies pertaining to the tourism market that aim to attract and enhance their customer share through the posting of pictures relating to housing structures for both domestic and commercial purposes and also for the people aiming to gain a view of different tourism hotspots for planning a visit in a respective fashion. Thus companies relating to the real estate and tourism sector can be potentially attracted by Ontela through generation of effective discounts such that the Wi-Fi product can be availed by the business category consumers in large volumes. Relating to the B2B front the company in addition to training sales executives to visit corporate for giving demos can also focus on taking active participation in trade shows and exhibitions for promoting the product (Jones 2008). On the B2C front the company can focus on selling the product as an add-on to the digital products the customers buy pertaining to Smartphone devices. Sales of PicDeck can be increased along the consumer sphere such that the products are allowed to share the shelf space with camera and Smartphone devices that are increasingly procured by internet and digital product savvy customers. Similarly the generation of promotional letters to the consumers in their personal mails would also contribute in rightly selling the products to the consumers (Barschel 2007). Target Customers in each Segment Relating to the different customer segments for the product, it is evaluated that the number of customers relating to the parent communities would be to a limited extent. Larger number of customers would be based along the professional people relating to the real estate and the tourism companies that would focus on procurement and installation of the product in their mobile phones such that the same would help in meeting their professional needs. Similarly a greater number of customers is also observed relating to the student communities that aim to gain access to such product for enhancing their potential in the storing and sharing of photos through the use of internet enabled computers and laptops. Geographical Concentration or Spread The sales of the Wi-Fi product, PicDeck would be mainly concentrated along towns and cities such that the regions reflect greater share of internet activity. The target customer groups need to be identified relating to towns and cities in a uniform fashion such that they can avail the benefits of the product in an enhanced fashion. People residing in towns and cities tend to reflect increased knowledge and usage of the internet mediums which in turn act as effective tool for governing the application of PicDeck generated by Ontela. Number of Sales Visits required A total number of three to four sales visits can be organised by the sales person for driving the needed commitment to conduct sales of the Wi-Fi product. The first call that is generated by the sales person is identified as the introductory call that helps in introducing the customer to the product. The sales person endeavours to relate the benefits that would accrue from purchasing the product and would also attempt to compare the same both in terms of price and features to its competitors. The subsequent visits would be conducted through firstly generating a phone call to the customers to gain an appointment and then visiting the customers to help generate needed leads. The sales person can also focus on the generation of samples to be used by the customers in gaining a firsthand experience. Finally in the fourth sales visit the sales person can generate the needed offer to finally close the sales activity (Kotler 2012). Time Interval between Visits The visits of the sales persons can be scheduled to occur between one to two weeks time to help in enhancing the impact of the sales and promotional program and thereby in meeting the objectives of the sales program. Number of Representatives needed to cover the regions The number of representatives that are required to cover relating to the different regions is required to evaluate based on the size and the geographical parameters of the areas. Relating to the different towns the number of sales representatives can be effectively limited rather than pertaining to the different cities. The cities having a larger geographical expansion would require larger number of sales persons to cover compared to the towns (Brabec 2006). Cost of Sales Representatives The cost incurred by the company relating to the salary paid to the sales representatives so hired for selling the Wi-Fi product to both corporate and domestic consumers is taken to amount to GBP 50 Thousand on an annual basis. Apart from the generation of salary the sales representatives can also be awarded based on the issuance of incentives and other car and home allowances made. Amount constituting the incentives and allowances is estimated to be around 50 percent of the annual salary figure of GBP 50 Thousand. Channels of Communication and Promotion Use of the social networking sites and the electronic mails can be taken as an effective means of communicating with the target customers. Through use of the above mediums the promotional message related to the product can be effectively communicated to a larger section of consumers belonging to different communities. Further the use of television and radio based advertising and also the use of print mediums like technological magazines can be effectively made to help in communicating the enhanced features and attributes of the product to the target customers. Similarly in-store promotions can also be decided by the company to help market the product to the customers visiting the mobile stores to purchase camera phones. Promotional Budget Communication using the internet medium is taken to cost around GBP 5 while that conducted through the use of broadcasting and print mediums is taken to amount to around GBP 15 and 10 respectively depending on the slots and size of the advertisements made. The promotional budget would be the lowest relating to the use of the web based medium compared to other mediums to enhance the market shares and revenue of the company. Selling Price and Margins The selling price of the PicDeck is taken to amount to GBP 40 such that it would help in generating an effective sales margin of around 39 percent. The above selling price is fixed depending on the market rates of other competitors. References Barschel, H., 2007. B2B Versus B2C Marketing - Major Differences Along the Supply Chain of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). GRIN Verlag, Netherlands. Bartz, R.J., 2012. CWTS: Certified Wireless Technology Specialist Official Study Guide: (PW0-071). John Wiley and Sons, United Kingdom. Brabec, B., 2006. The Crafts Business Answer Book: Starting, Managing, and Marketing a Homebased Arts, Crafts, Or Design Business. Rowman & Littlefield, United States. Hahn, F.E., 2003. Do-It-Yourself Advertising and Promotion: How to Produce Great Ads, Brochures, Catalogs, Direct Mail, Web Sites, and More! John Wiley and Sons, United Kingdom. Jones, S.K., 2008. Business-to-business Internet Marketing: Seven Proven Strategies for Increasing Profits Through Internet Direct Marketing. Maximum Press, United States. Kotler, P., 2012. Kotler On Marketing. Simon and Schuster, United States. Perlman, M., 2013. Battle of the Wi-Fi Cards: Eye-Fi vs. Transcend. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 9th August 2014]. Read More