Branding through the sales force

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Sales force motivations

Sales people want to:

• maximise their commission
• build in future opportunities to sell more products/services to customers
• avoid any more hassle than is necessary
• enhance their image in the hope of getting a promotion, or another job outside the company

Sales people often have to sell a wide range of products/services. Gaining your "share of bag" is a critical issue, & best achieved by:

• building a good relationship with the sales representative
• ensuring that the product/service is easy to sell
• offering the sales representative an attractive rate of commission
• providing the sales representative with strong communications support
• minimising any problems associated with the product/service

Getting buy-in

Your sales force, like any other part of your organisation, needs to buy into branding in general, and your brand proposition in particular.

They have to be convinced that the branding will help them meet their objectives.

The way to convince them is to take them through a branding workshop designed to achieve 3 things:

1. To educate them in branding principles and practices (something for the soul)
2. To get them to tell you how it is in their market and what they would like you to do about it (something from the heart)
3. To persuade them that they will sell more products/services more easily,and therefore earn more commission over time, by building the brand (something for the head)

You should also recruit your sales force according to the brand definition. Which of these applicants would best represent the brand?

What they need to know

Your sales people need to know your whole brand strategy:

1. which customer segments the brand is focused on, and which it is not
2. the brand definition
3. how they should behave in order to represent the brand
4. how the brand is performing, and what feedback you want from the market place

One of the best ways to do this, apart from extensive training, is to produce a brand tool kit, preferably electronically. This will have all the key education and support materials for the sales force to use themselves, and in front of the customer:

• how to recognise a target customer
• key brand messages
• the brand definition
• the brand trade dress and rules/standards
• examples of advertising, promotions etc.
• a short presentation on the performance of the brand

Luckily, you are just seconds away from some very smart brand marketing solutions. Click here!

For further information, please contact enquiries@mudvalley.co.uk

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