One of the revenue generating departments in many organisations, the sales force is often headed by a sales manager supported by his sales executives. Each of their functions differs, but is not less significant.

The current sales process employed by the salesperson now is relatively simple and could be reinforced to increase the possibility of achieving higher sales. The difference in perceptions between the sales manager and the salesperson could be seen through their description of the qualities that make up a successful salesperson and sales manager, and their perception of the other’s job functions. This could be due to a lack of communication between the two of them. A better understanding should be forged between them to improve the effectiveness of their working relationship.

The various management practices were also looked at. In the area of recruitment, the company’s current recruitment sources and selection method of applicants were limited. They should consider increasing them to enable the company to reach out to the large pool of eligible salespeople and to employ the most effective salespeople.

For training, the company is currently applying the same training programmes to all its newly recruited salespeople. They should consider understanding the needs of the different recruits first and then apply a customised programme for them. The components of the training programme could also be widened and include more areas.

The compensation and motivation schemes in the company are also standardised and applied to all its salespeople. The company should re-look at the current schemes and make adjustments. In this process, one important factor to note would be the needs and considerations of the salespeople to understand the type of compensation and motivation schemes that would work for them.