Sales training seminars help fix sales quotas and targets. Sales quotas or targets should reflect the firm's personal selling objectives, its overall sales plan, and the size of the sales force and the nature of the sales territories. Sales quotas or targets are quantified objectives for salespeople. The quotas should neither be too high nor too low. They should match what a good salesperson can accomplish by putting forth a sincere effort. Quotas must be fixed, taking into account not only the potential of the territory and past sales, but also other factors such as the importance of the territory to the firm, the market share sought from the territory and the profitability of sales in that territory. The quotas must be fixed using reliable techniques. Sales executives should not set sales quotas arbitrarily. A participative approach is preferred. The salesperson must be encouraged and trained to forecast the demand in a territory and the sales quotas, which can be accomplished. Quotas must be fixed for each product line and item and be separated each month to facilitate effective monitoring and control of the sales effort and budget. Customer types and channel types should separate quotas. In addition to sales quotas, various activity quotas should be fixed for salespeople. The number of sales calls, the number of dealer contacts, the number of displays and demonstrations, the number of new accounts to be brought in and the number of new dealers to be added on, could form part of the activity quotas. Some firms set cost targets and profit targets in addition to sales and activity targets for their sales force. Sales training seminars also help create the sales force. The first step in developing an effective sales force is recruiting f first class salespeople. Training, motivation, development and other aspects of sales management will no doubt help the process. However, the people recruited must be good with a keen sense of selling. |
