306 CHAPTER16 MANAGING THESALESFORCE
(2) travel (which can be more than 50 percent of total time); (3) food and breaks
(some portion of every workday); (4) waiting (to see buyers); (5) selling (time spent
with the buyer); and (6) administration (writing reports, billing, attending sales meet-
ings, and so on).
With so many duties, it is no wonder that actual face-to-face selling time can
amount to as little as 25 percent of total working time!^18 To improve sales force pro-
ductivity, many companies train their reps in the use of “phone power,” simplify
record-keeping, and use computerized methods to develop call and routing plans and
to supply reps with customer and competitive information.
Seeking to reduce the time demands on their outside sales force, many firms
have increased the size and responsibilities of their inside sales force. Inside salespeo-
ple are of three types. Technical support peopleprovide technical information and
answers to customers’ questions. Sales assistantsprovide clerical backup for the outside
reps by confirming appointments, carrying out credit checks, following up on deliver-
ies, and answering customers’ questions. Telemarketersuse the phone to find new leads,
qualify and sell to them, reactivate former accounts, and give more attention to
neglected accounts.
The best sales reps spend time getting to know their customers’ preferences,
needs, and buying patterns so they can plan their calls accordingly. Technology speeds
up this process. For example, before telecommunications reps at TimePlex go on a sales
call, they use their laptops to dial into the firm’s data network and retrieve status reports
on that account’s previous orders and other background information. When deals are
struck, the reps use their laptops to record each order, double-check for errors, and then
transmit everything electronically to the firm’s New Jersey headquarters.^19
In addition, Internet technology is helping to make prospecting more efficient.
Company Web sites provide an introduction to self-identified potential customers and,
for some businesses, may lead to on-line orders. For more complex transactions, the
site provides a way for the buyer to contact the seller—for example, through a link to
an e-mail address. The Pall Corporation, which makes fluid filtration and purification
technologies, has all e-mail directed to company headquarters, with leads going
directly to the appropriate sales rep. The quality and quantity of leads generated by its
Web site (www.pall.com) has prompted the firm to promote its home page more
aggressively.^20
As another example, Lucent Technologies (www.lucent.com) combines e-mail
with Web marketing to generate more qualified sales leads. A typical campaign starts
with an e-mail inviting prospects to learn more about a particular offer (and qualify for
a free gift) by visiting a customized Web page. Once there, prospects answer a few
qualifying questions and can then request information to be sent by mail. Lucent’s
automated system separates these leads based on product needs, and contacts the best
prospects 2 weeks later, offering free, downloadable software for analyzing total prod-
uct costs. Prospects who choose the download are considered hot leads, so the system
sends Lucent’s sales force complete contact data on these prospects for immediate fol-
low-up. “We never had to pick up the phone, and we’ve already established a relation-
ship with them,” notes Lucent’s senior manager of marketing services.^21Motivating Sales Representatives
Some ambitious sales representatives are self-starters who will put forth their best
effort without any special coaching. The majority of reps, however, require more
encouragement and special incentives. This is especially true of field selling, which
can be frustrating because reps usually work alone, keep irregular hours, are often