What is it and what are the methods of sales support?

The right sales support program enables a company not only to noticeably increase profits, but also facilitates the establishment of a long-term relationship with a customer. It is worth noting here that retaining a customer is easier and often significantly cheaper than acquiring a new customer. In this article we will explain to you what sales support is and discuss the basic methods of action aimed at optimizing the effectiveness of sales departments.

Sales support: what is it?

The primary goal of any company, no matter what type of products or services it offers, is one thing - to achieve the highest possible level of sales. That is why it is worth considering the use of professional support. The simplest way to explain the definition ofsales support: this term is used to describe a set of activities aimed at the aforementioned optimization of the effectiveness of sales teams. The right sales support strategy "relieves" salespeople, taking off their shoulders additional responsibilities often not directly part of the scope of sales representatives' tasks. In other words, well-planned support allows salespeople to focus on actual sales and sales-oriented activities. Most often sales support is provided on an outsourced basis, by external collaborators. Why should you consider such a solution?

• Saves time. The company does not need to launch recruitment processes and independently search for employees with the right qualifications and required experience. An additional benefit is that there is no need to organize training courses and implement employees into the organization's structure.
• Ease of implementation of planned activities. Third-party sales support services companies often have their own field teams, so they are able to quickly customize a strategy to meet individual client needs.

When choosing an external service provider, it is worth considering first of all the scope of services offered, which must correspond to the individual sales support strategy. We will tell you more about what to keep in mind when developing it later in this article.

Basic methods of sales support

We've already discussed the most important definition, so it's very possible that you're now wondering how to support sales to actually get satisfactory results. It is crucial to prepare the right strategy. Ways to support sales must be tailored to:

• The group of potential customers to whom the company offers its products or services,
• Nature of the offer,
• Expected results.

When planning a sales support strategy, first identify the key areas that need to be optimized and the desired results - this will make it easier to plan the right strategy, which can often include several different methods of operation. The industry in which the company operates is also important. Example? Supporting online sales will look different than for stationary stores.

What are the most important sales support methods used in today's market?

1. Merchandising means the way products are presented in the store in such a way as to encourage the customer to perform a specific action. In practice, the merchandiser's duties include how to position merchandise on store shelves, ensuring its availability, maintaining brand display standards and communicating current promotions and discounts. Professional merchandising is one of the primary ways how to increase in-store sales. Using third-party service providers and trained field teams, a company does not have to take care of proper product display on its own, which is important, especially in the case of a large number of outlets.
2. Outsourcing sales representatives. Outsourcing sales representatives means that a company does not have to recruit and train a team of salespeople on its own. This allows the company to focus on key tasks for its business profile, delegating areas that are not its specialty. Outsourcing sales reps makes it possible to create an effective sales team in a short period of time, without the company having to incur time expenses.
3. Inventory is that area of the company's operations that can be successfully carried out by external teams in the outsourcing of sales support services. It is important that the service provider is able to provide a detailed activity report and, if possible, use only its own human resources.
4. Retail audits. Retail audits can identify areas of point-of-sale operations that need to be optimized. Audits usually include an examination of the presence of products and storage equipment, how they are displayed, the distribution of marketing materials, etc. As part of a retail audit, it is also worth considering a "mystery shopper" type survey. The data collected will allow an assessment of the quality of service, e.g. in the context of the level of referrals or product awareness of the salespeople working at a given point. Interaction on the line between consumer and seller often determines whether a person actually decides to buy a product, so high quality customer service is one of the most important areas for any company, regardless of industry.
5. Distribution of POSM materials. POSM materials are advertising materials designed to attractively present a product. This group includes brochures, product stands or shelf stickers, among others. Distribution of POSM materials is a service that involves not only their efficient delivery, but also their skillful installation, so that the materials actually have a chance to influence customers' purchasing decisions.

Methods and sales support tools are best chosen in cooperation with the service provider who will implement the prepared strategy. It should be noted here that the activities designed to actively support sales also include broadly defined activities of a marketing nature. For the final picture of the sales support strategy, the financial capabilities of the company are also very important.

SUMMARY: Properly planned support has one primary purpose - to allow the sales team to focus on actual sales. This means that a large part of the responsibilities that often rest on the shoulders of salespeople can be taken over by external service providers, thus relieving the burden on sales professionals and allowing them to more effectively execute the company's plans. When preparing a sales support strategy, one should keep in mind first and foremost the nature of the offer and the audience it is ultimately intended to reach and, importantly, the results one wants to achieve by doing so.