Challenges and Success Factors in Sales for 47 of Sweden’s Leading Companies.
What are the success factors for an effective sales channel? What are the most prioritized measures in order to achieve the overall objective? Internal success factors for a launch? Challenges in the customer interaction? Challenges within the sales organization?
We have the answers of these questions from sales and marketing managers at 47 leading Swedish companies.
The gap between high and low performing employees is growing in many of Sweden’s sales organizations. The goal of selling more total solutions is complicated by sales organizations still having many so-called product peddlers. Cultivation of prospective customers is too low for most companies. Many sales forces have problems showing the customer values that their products and services provide. Customers have trouble seeing the differences between various vendors’ products and services. Sales and marketing managers have different perceptions of reality in a number of essential matters.
This is the reality for sales and marketing managers at 47 leading Swedish companies, of which 30 are among Sweden’s 100 largest. The description is based on a survey - Sales Managament Indicator - conducted by the Swedish Institute of Public Opinion Research (SIFO) during the spring of 2008 on behalf of Outsmart AB.
The result at large
- The most important overall objective for the sales forces 2008 is growth (45%)
- The 3 most prioritized measures at the market in order to achieve the overall objective are Sell complete solutions (55%), Gain new customers (45%) and Focus on key accounts (37%)
- Field sales is the sales channel that will have the highest increase 2008, in comparison with 2007 (38%)
- The sales forces do not conduct enough visits to prospective customers (74%)
- 68% of the companies in this survey say We are offering solutions but part of the sales force is still product-orientated
- The sales force has difficulties to prove the real value of their offers (70%)
- Customers can not see difference between offers from various suppliers (70%)
- Customers are focusing more and more on price (55%)
- The gap is growing between high and low performers in the sales force (49%)
- Decisions are taken higher up in the organization (58%)
- The sales is not enough well-organized and structured (45%)
This White paper with comments and analysis of the study is written by Fredrik Leander, Head of Sales Development at Outsmart AB, the leading Sales Channel eTraining company in Scandinavia.
Would you like to have a complete version of this White Paper?
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For more information
Please contact Mr Fredrik Leander:
Mobile: 0706 599 865
E-mail: fredrik.leander@outsmart.se