Refocusing Sales Efforts - Essay Example

Memorandum December 3, 2006 [Owner's Refocusing Sales Efforts To follow up on our recent conversation about where we should focus our sales efforts, I have come up with some ideas that I think are worth considering for your approval. As you will see, we have the resources available and it is just a matter of utilizing these resources where they will be of the greatest benefit.We are currently too diverse.Currently, our efforts are spread too thin in too many areas to allow us to focus on what we do best.

As we discussed, the sales staff is sometimes put in the position of project manager. This diverts their time away from sales. All our business originates with the time that the sales staff spends getting business. The more time that they can dedicate to that end, the more business we will generate. It would benefit the company if the sales staff limited their efforts to sales only.We are a small company by design. This allows us to be more flexible and responsive to our customers and the economy.

But just because we are small in numbers does not mean we need to be small in revenue. The individual accounts that we have make up a large percentage of the total number, but they are only a small fraction of the sales volume. Though our business accounts usually require discounting to get their business, our greatest source of revenue is the few large corporate accounts that we serve. Suggest focusing on business accounts.I suggest we make a move away from actively seeking new individual accounts and concentrate on acquiring new corporate accounts.

With business accounts, we can service more revenue with fewer people and with the sales staff dedicated to pursuing new customers, we would have the time to cultivate these more lucrative accounts.Use the poor economy to our benefit.The poor economic conditions in the area make it difficult to make a profit. However, these conditions will be temporary and the downturn will end in time. We should use this slow period to go out and meet potential customers and be ready to pick them up as clients when the economy turns around.

This may work in our favor as we can also offer them an economic incentive for their business during this recessed time.Meeting potential business customers.By concentrating on larger business accounts, we can maximize our exposure at conventions and trade shows. It wouldn't be possible to reach this number of individual accounts. I also suggest we operate a web site geared toward our corporate clients to give us a more solid corporate image and brand recognition. It would also simplify contact and requests for information.

We will need to continue to service our individual accounts and new accounts that we happen upon. I just feel that our limited resources would be better directed towards the business customer. With your approval, I would like to begin scheduling and planning new client contacts. We need to start arranging for the attendance at some appropriate trade shows and discuss what financial incentives we are able to offer new business clients. Works ConsultedCespedes, F. (1995). Concurrent marketing: Integrating product, sales, and service .

Boston: Harvard Business School Press.Comparison of B2B and B2C E-commerce Issues (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2006, from http://cob.isu.edu/kreggaytes/mba627/notes/b2bvsb2c.htmLancaster, G., & Reynolds, P. (1999). Introduction to marketing : A step-by-step guide to all the tools of marketing. London ; Dover, N.H: Kogan Page.