The sales department holds a pivotal role within a business organisation, as it bears direct responsibility for generating the revenue necessary to sustain and facilitate the company's growth. Leading the sales department is the sales manager, responsible for supervising the entire process of meeting specific sales goals.
With that being said, mentioned below are some of the many types of sales management types that are prevalent across various industries. Going through it, you’ll be strengthening your knowledge of how sales teams function effectively. By the end, we will also take you through one of the leading IIM marketing courses you can pursue to enhance your career in marketing!
Understanding Sales Management
Before we delve into the details of the multiple sales management styles, let’s first start with the basics.
Simply put, sales management can be defined as the process of planning, organising, and controlling an organisation’s sales activities and resources to achieve its sales objectives and goals. It includes creating effective strategies, setting goals, guiding team members, and ensuring the entire process is efficient and effective.
The journey of sales management begins with the inception of a realistic plan and goal. Following this, adequate resources such as sales professionals are hired, who are then trained in the necessary tools and techniques to ensure their success. In addition, sales management also includes a thorough analysis of sales data to identify the latest market trends and areas of improvement.
Overall, sales management plays quite a vital role in driving revenue growth, maintaining customer relationships, and ensuring the overall success and profitability of the entire sales department.
Different Types Of Sales Management
Sales management in marketing can be categorised into various types depending on the goals of the organisation, industry and target audience. Mentioned below are a few examples of the same.
B2B Sales Management
Also known as business-to-business sales management, it focuses on selling goods and services to other businesses. B2B sales management is heavily dependent on forming long-lasting relationships with potential clients, primarily because, in this type, the sales processes tend to be much longer, and the transactions are also much bigger compared to other sales management types, such as B2C. Therefore, sales managers in B2B settings often have to set strategic goals, work with tools and technologies to track performance and provide ongoing training to other individuals to enhance the sales team's overall performance.
B2C Sales Management
B2C, also known as Business-to-customer sales management, involves selling goods or services directly to individual customers with the help of varied marketing strategies such as digital marketing, social media, and more.
One of the biggest challenges faced by B2C sales management is the conversion of leads into buying customers. In addition, sales managers in the B2C context also leverage the power of CRM tools to streamline and automate the entire internal sales process, thereby increasing productivity among the sales team.
Enterprise Sales Management
Enterprise sales management is a specialised form of sales management wherein complex goods and services are sold directly to large enterprises. Some of the many characteristics of this sales field include longer sales cycles, complex decision-making processes, and price negotiations.
Companies that sell enterprise solutions often have to conduct a thorough competitive analysis to understand the competitive landscape and position their offerings accordingly. Furthermore, enterprise sales also typically involve cross-functional teams, including sales representatives, technical experts, solution architects, and account managers, who collaborate to meet all the requirements set by the client.
SaaS Sales Management
Last but definitely not least is SaaS sales management, wherein Software-as-a-Service companies sell cloud-based software solutions to other businesses and organisations. The purchase usually takes place in the form of a subscription, meaning contrary to the one-time purchase, customers pay on an ongoing basis, usually monthly or annually.
This type of sales management requires an in-depth understanding of the software product as well as the customer’s needs. SaaS sales managers are required to possess strong communication abilities alongside analytical skills to deliver maximum value to target customers and drive overall growth through new acquisitions and upselling.
Conclusion
Effective sales management is paramount for every business across varied industries, as it helps to achieve sales targets, manage customer relationships, and drive revenue growth. From strategic planning and team leadership to data-driven decision-making and customer-centric efforts, sales management encompasses a wide range of tasks that need to be handled efficiently.
As a sales manager, you will be entrusted with various roles and responsibilities, failure of which can lead to disastrous consequences not just for your team members but also for the organisation.
To prevent the same from happening and ensure your bright future in this dynamic field, check out the Sales and Marketing course in collaboration with Imarticus Learning!
Claimed to be one of the leading marketing leadership courses, this program will help you dive deep into the field of sales management and explore some of the biggest challenges this industry faces. In addition to being one of the highly proclaimed IIM Lucknow online courses, the program also offers numerous benefits, including a visionary course curriculum, masterclasses by CXOs, an engaging learning environment, and more.
