Working with corporate clients in the bank. Manager: main responsibilities. Account Manager. Small businesses

Corporate clients are organizations that purchase goods or services in large quantities.
Such cooperation is important for sustainable development; to attract and retain customers, an individual approach and awareness of the direction of their activities is needed.

In a broad sense, these include legal entities that purchase specific goods or services.

To find them and successful work special strategies are created with them.

Successful attraction of corporate clients is a guarantee of business stability in difficult market conditions.

Let's start in order - let's look at the differences between such cooperation.

Qualities required to work with corporate clients

Corporate clients are legal entities that purchase specific goods or services in bulk.

To find such customers and make them permanent, special loyalty programs are being developed.

To attract corporate clients in 2017, as before, special departments are being created.

Large-scale cooperation with the company becomes a source of income for years and even decades.

This is why so much attention is paid to finding corporate clients.

a responsibility;
composure;
punctuality;
professionalism.

Interestingly, punctuality is important when it comes to working with corporate clients.

The counterparty company seeks to use time to the maximum advantage, therefore it is important that goods and services are provided on time.

Important: if a problem arises, it should be resolved as soon as possible.

Subsequently, the company representative will not have to clarify the details, there will be no unnecessary loss of time or.

Working with legal entities and individuals: what are the differences

In fact, working with corporate clients and individuals are two completely different areas.

Therefore, the approach in each case requires a specific one. If, when working with a private person, you need to offer a product only to one person, then when working with a company, you need to present its beneficial aspects to the whole organization.

Let's take a look at the audience differences in comparison.

Search for clients. To find private clients, funds are used mass media- television, newspapers. To bring the offer of services or goods to company managers, they use mailing lists or cold calls. Letters allow you to tell in detail about your services. Telemarketing is designed to help you get to know the potential customers themselves and their preferences.
Registration of the transaction. When working with an organization, much more documents are required than when selling to an individual. The package may include a form, an act of intent, an agreement, and so on.
Participants in the transaction. If, when servicing a private person, a transaction is concluded with him or with his representative, then for a corporate transaction several people from each party are involved, including. In order to correctly execute the operation, it is important to clearly delineate the powers of the employees.
Transaction time. From the beginning of cooperation to the achievement of the final result in a situation with corporate clients, it can take a year or even more. There are cases when during this time the employees responsible for the paperwork are replaced, for example, in view of. It is important for the counterparty to save information about the customer base, including the contact details of all responsible persons.

In view of these global differences, attracting and working with corporate clients requires a completely different approach.

This affects all areas - from search to customer retention.

The main ways to find corporate clients

Finding clients in the form of legal entities means providing the company with stable profits.

However, finding them is different from finding individual buyers.

This issue is especially acute for companies that opened in 2017 and are just starting out.

Let's dig deeper and look at the basic techniques for finding clients.

Monitoring of Internet sites. This method is in the first place in the rating. Managers get acquainted with the content of various Internet resources in order to find potential buyers. The advantage of this technique is that the search for clients is not limited to a specific region.
Carrying out advertising company... Typically entrusted to the corporate client department. Outdoor advertising, mass media, Internet can be involved. Preference is given to periodicals in which large companies leave applications for cooperation and their contact information.
Visiting thematic exhibitions or browsing catalogs. At exhibitions, managers meet with potential clients. Directories can also contain contact details of a potential customer base, which should be handled in a timely manner.
Acquaintance with information in directories of enterprises and organizations. Such compilations are published both at the federal and regional levels. In them, enterprises are grouped by industry. Such a database will be a good assistant in finding corporate clients.

A controversial method, which sometimes still bears good results, is the use of word of mouth.

Reviews, recommendations, and opinions differ among employees and partners.

While this information should be handled with caution, it can be helpful.

Secrets of attracting large companies to cooperation

In order to continue developing the business in 2017, we need to continue to work on attracting corporate clients.

Important: two key factors that influence the development of methods: the level of interest in the commercial proposal and the availability of funds.

Sounds intricate? Let's move on to specific techniques for finding and retaining customers.

Competent proposal. When making decisions, the leadership of the organization is guided not by emotions, but by logic and rationality. The advertising proposal in 2017 must be drafted accordingly. The text should be short and informative at the same time.
Individual approach. This moment plays a critical role in retaining corporate clients. It is worth developing a separate cooperation plan for each company. Flexibility of pricing, selection of service packages, discounts and bonuses, notification of fresh offers will help to form a loyalty program. It is also worth paying attention to establishing personal contact, in which corporate events help.
Studying the activities of a corporate client. A clear understanding of the needs of the company and the direction of its activities (after all, their production requires completely different costs) will help to adapt the proposal to its needs and make it as profitable as possible. It is enough to know, which will make sure of the reliability of the counterparty.

Summarize. Corporate clients are legal entities that purchase large quantities of products.

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A good seller in the market does not sell snow to the Eskimos. He does not seek to receive one-time money, he seeks to receive constant profit from all transactions that the client will make for the next 100 years.

This is what one of the well-known Russian marketing publications writes. And this statement is most relevant when working with corporate clients.

Who are corporate clients?

On modern market corporate clients (definition) are legal entities, organizations or enterprises that purchase a product / service in several copies at once. Let's say such a client buys not just one computer, but 5 or 10. For most commercial companies, they are the main component of the business.

If there are not enough customers, the company may not survive in the harsh market conditions.

A truly competent manager understands well: if today he does not find a client, tomorrow competitors will find him, and all the profits will go to them.

In order to avoid such a prospect, whole programs are being developed on how to find corporate clients, how to attract them and how to keep them in your company.

This task is not easy, but quite feasible. First of all, it is necessary to specifically understand: a corporate client is a narrowly focused concept and being able to work with it is a whole art. First of all, a corporate client manager is obliged to understand the criteria for attracting such people: the degree of interest in a product or service and the availability of financial capabilities of a person or company.

How to find corporate clients for a company easily and efficiently?

As a rule, few people know about the new venture. And the main task is to solve such a question as how to attract corporate clients. There are several ways to do this, and the manager's task is to study each one.

Electronic trading platforms. Systematic analysis electronic resources allows you to significantly expand the search for corporate clients. There is a special program that helps managers track any changes in the data, carry out various monitoring on the necessary web resources and respond to them in time.
Thematic exhibitions. Particular attention in resolving the issue is paid to various thematic exhibitions, which bring together both clients and customers. Here, work with corporate clients should be promptly and competently organized in the form of processing business card data, which interested people leave for further communication. This type of work can be carried out without attending the event, only looking through the exhibition catalogs.
Competently organized advertising. Advertising is carried out in the company by the corporate clients department, which is looking for its clients for cooperation. All types of advertising are used here: television, radio, street advertising, Internet advertising. The most convenient forms of advertising are its electronic versions, since in this case it is easy to promptly make any changes and make a rating or monitoring of changes. These can be newspapers, magazines, catalogs (all electronic), where large corporate clients leave their announcements about the desire to cooperate or data for communication. You can also use help services. Most organizations involved in a particular type of activity fill in all the contact information the company needs.
A good base of corporate clients will play a significant role in the work. If you don't have your own, there is always an opportunity to outbid it from a competitive company. But, by and large, from the first days of the existence of a business, a competent leader organizes the compilation of his potential client base, which will help in further promotion in the market.
Attracting corporate clients is a serious business. You can rely on the responses of old acquaintances (if they are not competitors). Also, all kinds of social contacts are fine. Even the use of rumors and gossip can be put on the right track. The sales manager for corporate clients of the company's product is obliged to use any effective method.

What is the attraction of corporate clients?

Finding and attracting corporate clients is only half the battle. We also need to work with them correctly, because corporate clients are a large part of the company's profits. But the forms of working with them differ significantly from the methods of working with individuals... It requires a special approach and originality, the meaning of which is:

Correct service / product offer. Practically, all advertising is designed for the average layman, and company employees are already middle managers or top managers. How do you make your offer for corporate clients sound right? I need to call or write. In other words, it is wise to organize a system of corporate mailings and cold calls (telemarketing).
A transaction that is made not by one person, but by several at once, both on the part of the customer and on the part of the client. Therefore, servicing corporate clients in this case is not just a fact of sale, but a fact successful sale... And since a group of people cooperates at once, the powers must be correctly distributed between them. And only then the company will have a successful deal, and the manager will be able to track the work of his employees.

Very good to develop for your company original methods sales of goods to corporate clients. After all, the difficult thing is not in finding a company, but in making it your client. And in this matter it is important to make an impression, to achieve cooperation, to tell competently about the work of the company, to offer gifts to corporate clients. In general, do everything that a qualified manager can for the prosperity of his company.

The increased competition between car dealers and suppliers of spare parts for cars in the Smolensk region forces us to look for new ways of selling goods and services.

One of the most promising solutions in the competition is the creation of a corporate sales department.

Corporate department

Corporate sales are fundamentally different from retail sales. They are based on much more time-consuming methods of working with clients than in retail, and also imply all kinds of loyal conditions not only for the sale of goods and services, but also for subsequent maintenance. Corporate clients have a certain number of exclusive conditions and cooperation rights. Their profitability is usually lower than in retail, but low profitability in some cases is compensated by large volumes. A good return on each concluded contract is a prerequisite for the work of the corporate department, which otherwise becomes a burden for the entire company. It is impossible to achieve it without selectivity in the search for a potential partner. Therefore, the question of who is a corporate client turns out to be much more important than it might seem at first glance.

It is impossible to give a complete and unambiguous answer to the question: who is a corporate client, but there is one of the main features: a corporate client is entity... But if we equate all legal entities with corporate clients, the department will simply drown in the flow of buyers and will be forced to deal with retail sales... Accordingly, a second sign appears: a corporate client is a large client that is a legal entity.
It is also impossible to determine from what volume of sales clients can be considered large in order to obtain corporate status. Much depends on the circumstances: solvency (the client can make large volume sales, but remain a debtor), place of deployment (Smolensk or a distant region), etc.
But even large companies with large volumes of purchases of goods are not always advisable to equate with corporate partners and provide them with appropriate benefits.

In general, all clients of the corporate department can be divided into four large groups: small, medium, large businesses and government agencies.

Small businesses

Most often they are guided by commercial and economy class cars. These are small companies with no more than 10 vehicles in their fleet, and they are aimed at a small volume of sales. Therefore, these companies most often become only retail customers. Although there are exceptions when, due to the increase in the number of these companies, they provide quite acceptable sales volumes for the supplier of goods and services. So when you first contact such companies, you need to carefully study their potential and do not rush to deny them corporate rights. These clients differ in relative availability. Often they themselves get in touch without waiting for an offer from the company. Also, such companies and firms are less demanding on the quality of service. For such companies, the price of a product or service is important, therefore, in response to the provision of discounts, they are ready to turn a blind eye to some shortcomings.

Medium-sized enterprises

They are of interest to virtually any car dealer and company engaged in the provision of automotive goods and services in Smolensk. These are private transport companies, industrial plants, etc. They have 2-3 premium cars in their arsenal. Machines of lower classes, on the other hand, have the widest application; they are also bought to provide transport services, and as a means of transportation for managers and middle managers, and as household and traveling vehicles. Such companies are sometimes able to provide and provide a really large volume of purchases, if sales to these companies are put on stream. Usually in such companies there is already a vertical of power, there is a technical director, a mechanic or a head of a garage (car fleet). However, the power vertical is not yet as cumbersome and bureaucratic as in large companies. Each of these companies has a decision maker (DM) for supplying or concluding contracts for service maintenance... Usually, it does not take much time to agree on prices, assortment, delivery times and deferred payment, defining logistics, but if a company is already working with a competitor, it is not so easy to establish partnerships with it and transfer it to the status of “your” corporate client. Well-established partnerships are the main reason. It can be difficult to get in touch and find a person responsible for making a procurement decision. However, here there is already a danger that if the contact is not made through those employees who are interested in buying, it may not be effective. For such companies, not only the discount is important, but also the very attitude of the supplier's employees towards them.

Large private companies

These companies are very interesting to all suppliers in the region. As Pareto's Law says: 20% of our efforts bring 80% of the results. Here the law works directly: 20% of these companies in the total customer base usually account for 80% of the total gross sales. Often, supplies of goods for such companies go directly from manufacturing plants or Moscow companies - sharks in this business segment. The advantage of working with such companies is obvious - they are potentially able to provide regular high sales. However, large companies are very difficult and difficult to reach clients. Due to the complex administrative structure, the list of decision makers and signers sometimes swells from three to 10 people or more. Therefore, during the initial contact, the main and most difficult task of the supplier's representative is to determine the employee who can really influence the purchase of goods, the provision of repair services. This can be the general director, the personal driver of the chief accountant, or just a technical employee of the department. The exactingness of such clients to business partners is extremely high. Only a company that will thoroughly think over all the details of the upcoming cooperation and will be able to offer convenient terms of sales and services that will set it apart from the general background of all companies in the Smolensk region will be able to win the competition and start working with them. At the same time, there is no loyalty of a large company to a partner. Any failure or error can lead to the loss of the client. It is almost impossible to overcome all these difficulties without a dedicated corporate department and a well-defined policy towards such partners. Not all car dealers or networkers in the Smolensk region decide to work with this category of customers. But if it did work, the income and the increase in profits are obvious.

State structures

Even more difficult and even more profitable is cooperation with government agencies. As a rule, they are rendered services and carried out by the main players of the Smolensk region.

Working with these clients is not so simple, it is mainly work on electronic platforms (municipal, private, state, unified electronic platform), tracking the submission of notices to them, preparation of auction documentation, making a decision on the markup, terms of the contract, monitoring prices, submitting quotation bids, slow making of all decisions, the need to obey strict rules, an unusual system of settlements with delayed. All of the above will most likely require the formation of a specialized subdivision for work with government customers within the corporate department. This unit should employ trained professionals in their field, the financial and moral motivation of such employees on the part of the head of the department and the company's management should be at the appropriate level, but not every company will go for it. However, the game is worth the candle. By purchasing a government contract, a company can expect stable high sales over a period of time.

Attracting and retaining corporate clients

Searching for new clients is becoming a very large part of the work of the corporate department. To attract them, all methods of active marketing are used, information and personal mailings by e-mail, events to familiarize themselves with new services, during which there is an opportunity for direct contact with potential customers. Of all the methods, the most effective steps are those that ensure personal contact with the client. It is also necessary to constantly contact potential and existing clients, making visits to them, presenting new services, analyzing the needs of each client and trying to present proposals that take into account his wishes.

One of the ways of analyzing needs and analyzing the quality of service performance is a questionnaire conducted by phone, a paper questionnaire at the entrance. Tracking market sentiment and the turnover of decision-makers in companies that work with competitors brings a good result. If the negative starts to appear from any large companies in relation to a competitor, and this can only be traced through personal contact, it's time to go to such firms with their more loyal and interesting proposals.

Managers are among the most sought-after specialists. They are the ones who bring profit to the organization for which they work.

What is a manager? Definition

Leaders, managers, administrators are called managers. These professions imply control over the fulfillment of the tasks of employees. That is, they manage a specific group of employees. However, managers are now called not only managers. Ordinary employees selling something are called the same. This is because the employer wants employees' status to make them feel more meaningful. But these workers do not really organize the work of others. They are ordinary consultants, sellers, traders. The manager's status is only virtual. And it is used to make ordinary employees feel comfortable in their profession. A real manager leads, controls others. He gets his wages for effective work their subordinates.

Account Manager. Responsibilities

The resume of many who are looking for a job has in the item "Personal qualities" information about the sociability and stress resistance of the applicant for a vacant position.

These characteristics are great for the position of an account manager. It is not always necessary to become one. higher education and work experience. The main thing here is to be able to interact with customers and conduct business negotiations, know the product and perform labor duties... The account manager is looking for leads and products. He makes them tempting commercial offers to interest in the goods or services of the firm, whose interests it represents.

Such a specialist also has other responsibilities. The account manager personally meets with potential customers. And a lot depends on these meetings, because it is then that all the nuances of cooperation are discussed and contracts are signed.

Dealing with existing customers is a major responsibility. The account manager should always keep his customers in and out of customer base.

Bank customer service manager. Responsibilities

Many banks are on a daily basis in search of employees, namely, account managers. This is due to the fact that the work in this area is not so easy and the employees need to fulfill various responsibilities.

As a rule, a bank customer relations manager performs the following work. He fulfills the sales plan, accepts and processes orders, prepares commercial proposals. She also advises clients on banking products, which include loans, cards, deposits, and so on, prepares documents, works with and generates reports.

In each bank, this list of responsibilities may be supplemented, decreased or slightly different. Everywhere individually. The account manager can also fulfill the following responsibilities: he can monitor the fulfillment of contractual obligations and work to increase sales.

Cellular customer service manager. Responsibilities

Account managers are also needed in the cellular industry. It is also difficult work that requires endurance, patience, communication skills, the ability to find a common language with customers and sell goods and services. In the salons of cellular communication, employees perform the following duties.

A customer service manager advises on all services and goods, sells cell phones, accessories for them, tablets, photo and video cameras. Connecting to telecom operators, accepting payments, working with the cash desk, keeping records are his main responsibilities. A mobile customer service manager takes part in the inventory, monitors the cleanliness and order in the salon.

Work Manager Responsibilities

Corporate clients are legal entities. They are a tasty morsel for business. The manager for work with corporate clients interacts with them.

He has the following duties. Searches for developing companies that will be interested in the offered goods and services, conducts surveys, forms offers, personally meets with potential clients, participates in exhibitions and events, negotiates, concludes contracts, works with documentation, maintains long-term relationships with key buyers, leads business correspondence, makes reporting of the work done.

The list of responsibilities can be supplemented or simplified. It all depends on the requirements of the employer and the scope of the company.

What qualities should a customer relations manager have?

This work is related to interaction with people. Therefore, the main quality of a customer service manager is the ability to find an approach to any person.

Other characteristics are also important. These are sociability, resistance to stress, activity, mobility, knowledge of the offered goods and services, literacy, the ability to conduct business negotiations, accuracy, punctuality. The list of qualities can also be supplemented by possession foreign languages, especially English.

A customer service manager must be able to work with a personal computer, office equipment, know office and other programs. Their list depends on the field of activity.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Working as a Account Manager

Like any profession, this one also has its pluses and minuses. If we talk about the advantages, then they include the fact that a customer service manager can build a good career, thereby become in demand and receive a decent salary.

This profession is suitable for those who like to lead an active life, are not afraid of communicating with a large flow of new people, knows how to win over, interest in goods and services and sell them.

If we talk about the shortcomings, then it can be noted that wage directly depends on the number of transactions concluded and their amount in monetary terms. Therefore, if the month is not successful, then the account manager will receive only a salary, as a rule, the minimum.

Another disadvantage is communication with conflicting clients... If they are unhappy, it’s the fault of the account manager, whose job it’s just to sort out the differences. Psychologically, this profession is not suitable for those who take everything to heart. Here you need to be able to listen, find a way out and not lose your composure.

Writing a resume for an account manager

This profession is in great demand in the labor market. After all, we live in a capitalist world where sales skills are needed to survive. If you were not frightened off by the above-mentioned customer service - promising profession and you could be.

To interest employers, you need to compile good summary... In personal qualities, indicate those that are more suitable for the item "Responsibilities". Account manager for resume can add positive reviews from past employers, if he has a good relationship with them. It is also worth mentioning all the skills that you possess. Write also about your experience in other jobs, practices where you worked with clients. This will be a big plus, as it will show the employer that you have already had experience. business negotiations and are not afraid of communication.

If you have any achievements in your studies, in practice, in past jobs, then also write about them. Thus, you will show yourself as a person with an active lifestyle.

Write your resume competently, especially pay attention to words and phrases directly related to the activities of the manager. For example, mistakes are often made in the word "contracts".

Complete your personal information with your business photo with a neutral background, where your face is clearly visible and there are no strangers. Before submitting your resume, check it for errors, see if you entered your data correctly so that you can be contacted for sure.

In contact with

classmates

In this article, you will learn:

What is the structure of sales management for corporate clients?

What are the sales technologies for corporate clients?

What are the main sales channels for corporate clients

Sales to corporate clients are strikingly different from retail and even from small wholesale. What exactly? How is trade management organized? What technologies are used? And, in particular, what are the features of the sale of cars to such counterparties? You will get answers to these and other questions related to this topic in this article.

The essence of the concept of "sales to corporate clients"

Let's immediately define what it is? The word "corporate" will appear frequently in this text. According to the dictionary, it means "related to a corporation, legal entity." This kind of trading is quite difficult. This is due to the specifics of the buyer and the product. In this case customer in the modern sense, it is not an individual person, but a legal entity (company, organization, enterprise). Such consumers do not waste their time on trifles. They purchase a product or service not in the amount of one or two copies, but, say, 10-20 or more at once. The objects of such trades complex expensive products and services are presented. It follows that corporate can be called sales to legal entities (corporations) of expensive things (services), large batches of products for the purpose of subsequent processing and resale. This is a big business category. This review will focus on her.

The key difference between such sales from other types of sales is the sufficient labor intensity and duration of the operation. Some characteristic features of corporate trading:

painstaking procedure and duration of operations;
the need to competently maintain a large amount of documentation accompanying the transaction;
combination of constant work with constant customers and continuous search for new buyers;
effective cooperation with suppliers, participation in tender (competitive) purchases;
providing corporate support after the transaction;
a significant amount of sale (reaches hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars);
the presence of a large number of participants;
manifestation of personal and professional qualities when conducting a number of negotiations to make a decision on the expediency of an agreement and reach an agreement on such important conditions as terms, guarantees, additional opportunities;
openness of the conclusion of the contract (it is known to a whole circle of people);
competitive nature (the client company has a choice between what you and other sellers offer).

Sales management to corporate clients includes:

The ability to reconcile a person's personal interests with the benefit of the organization he represents. This implies the need to maintain regular close contacts with consumers (personal meetings, possibly in an informal setting; presentations; joint participation in events), as well as collecting information about the business of the acquirer;
Analysis of the buyer's activities will allow you to use logical arguments in communicating with a potential counterparty (since there are large sums of money, for example, justifications with numerical data will be convincing for him);
Skills communicative communication, including the ability to turn those who interrupt the dialogue into a stage of reaching a compromise.

A successful specialist is ready to look for new customers and devote as much time and attention to them as it takes to complete the transaction. After all, if today he does not get a buyer, tomorrow he will go to competitors. Accordingly, they will benefit. Underway permanent job to create programs aimed at the effectiveness of the search for corporate consumers, ways to interest them and encourage them to cooperate with their company. To successfully achieve these goals, you need to clearly understand: working with a wholesaler is not a standard trade, but aerobatics, an art. In addition to natural abilities, training and continuous improvement are required. Every experienced businessman understands the role of big sales, and therefore takes the qualifications of the relevant employees seriously.

What is sales management to corporate clients

It is difficult to give a precise definition to this rather vague concept. In practice, it includes, first of all, the leadership of those who are involved in the sale of goods. Such a specialist is called a key account manager (KAM). Administration provides for a careful selection of employees for this responsible position, the creation of the right motivation, training in narrow-profile skills. The second, no less relevant moment, is the coordination of sales processes (including trade channels). We will consider corporate sales management as a collection of all these concepts. It combines elements of marketing, management.

Trade management concept with a client purchasing a large consignment of goods contains such components as:

Revealing target audience , which is the main "target" of narrow group trades:

collection of information about potential buyers (what goods and services are in demand, what price category and terms of cooperation are attractive), intermediaries (dealers, distributors), sales channels;

identification of strategic and secondary niches;

planning of penetration into new segments.

Channel management:

ensuring reliable communications. An ongoing process of sharing the collected information should be maintained;

development of trading plans for different channels and within one (with packages of conditions for each of them);

organization of control over distributors (prices, level of service);

creation of a system of incentives for dealers and distributors (training, incentive bonuses, promotions);

selection of criteria for assessing participants in the implementation process, adjustment of conditions, customer base.

Planning the work of the sales department:

defining the specific objectives of this unit;

attention to personnel (number of employees, their level of professionalism);

preference for a certain way of distributing responsibilities (by types of goods, service areas, client groups);

provision of material and technical base.

Management of the sales service of goods:

Ability to conduct personal (direct) sales and communication skills:

development of a search strategy for potential buyers;

improving the skills of effective implementation (flexibility in negotiations with clients, presentations, counterargumentation, conclusion of a deal);

achieving the customer's desired level of service, warranty, after-sales service;

encouragement of managers who have achieved high labor productivity.

Regulation of the sales system:

Proceeding only from this list (which does not pretend to be complete and complete), it is clear that it is quite difficult to combine all the components of sales management, it is even more difficult to implement these processes. Most domestic companies have only a few elements. And this is understandable: they always start small, gradually complicating the process, adding more and more links to the chain. Mentality also plays a role: a Russian person in general and a businessman in particular prefer to be guided by clear, “tangible” concepts and get the quickest possible benefit. A control corporate sales operates with "abstract" terms: plans, motivation, strategy, incentives, and so on. And yet, some positive dynamics in this direction is observed:

the interest of business people is growing;
efforts are being made to develop and improve sales strategies (especially by large enterprises). Often, the incentive is a new owner or leading management specialists. A fresh look at the established order allows you to identify weaknesses and make effective changes;
such an effective method as planning the process of selling products is gaining popularity.

Businesses (mostly large ones) are moving away from the short-sighted principle of making profits as quickly and extensively as possible. If at an early stage things were conducted on the basis of spontaneity, luck, chance, now comes the realization of the need to act with an eye to the long-term future.

An example of this approach: on large enterprise came new director on marketing. His innovation was manifested in the introduction of sales plans and reports on them. General manager, at first skeptical, began to pay attention to the relevant documentation, realized the effectiveness of the implemented tool. For several years he managed the enterprise without such reporting, but now, in the case of an untimely report, he felt that he did not control the situation. His mind about planning changed to the opposite: with transaction reports, the CEO could control and manage the business. The level of product sales has increased.

An important role in sales management is played by the training of relevant specialists, continuous improvement of their qualifications. In the job market, the demand for highly qualified managers now exceeds the supply. Many companies prefer to “grow” their own professional, train him and “sharpen” him to the specifics of their business. Large concerns pay for the training of their employees in all kinds of schools, courses, trainings. Some leaders small firms conduct classes on their own, practicing interaction of more experienced workers with newcomers in order to transfer experience. There were cases when the director of the sales department weekly gathered subordinates to discuss and analyze the results: the most non-standard, outstanding case was considered, opinions were exchanged, and conclusions were drawn. Such is the collective (or corporate) training.

It is, of course, difficult to list everything a salesperson has to do. In order to competently perform duties, communicating with a variety of people, he needs personal and professional growth. Essential qualities good manager: communication skills, ability and desire to learn and develop, erudition, the skill of maintaining stable friendly relations, realistic view, literacy, responsibility, self-discipline, flexibility. Mastery is improved in many ways. The study of this issue and the development of such methods were given the most serious attention.

It is often the practice to “attach” a new employee to an experienced, well-established employee. This is a good technique to introduce a newcomer to the course of the matter, to show what exactly his job is. However, here it should be borne in mind that such a load should not go to the detriment of the interests of the company and the mentor himself. It is important to properly motivate him: these can be ideological means of persuasion (contribution to the common cause of the company, assistance to a future colleague), organizational (clearly limited duration of the internship, the volume of joint activities) and material (reward for mentoring). Advantage this method lies in the mutual benefit of specialists: a new one gets the necessary knowledge and skills, and an experienced manager gets an incentive, a work shake-up.
Business games are also effective. It looks like acting out scenes that simulate real working circumstances (negotiations, phone calls to potential customers, overcoming objections, presentation). Such "immersion" in work is a rehearsal before the real process. After the staging, the positive and negative aspects are discussed: what worked well, and what skill needs to be developed.
"Advanced" leaders use a fairly new way- interviewing. This is an interview with an employee in an informal setting, one-to-one. The topic of the conversation is personal, working, aiming at the future. The conversation should be prepared in advance, the questions should be planned. A discerning boss (or head of sales) will note the general state of the subordinate (attitude, awareness of internal affairs), professional skills (ability to conduct a conversation, reason, avoid sharp corners), personal interest in business (possession of industry knowledge, career aspirations).
Testing (written or oral). This is a ubiquitous way to test knowledge. Perhaps such control will be part of the company's daily activities (10-20 minute written tests) or a large-scale test (a list of topics, questions is prepared in advance, a date is set, people who will be engaged in research and summing up are determined).

Of course, these are not all methods. Whichever you choose, the goal is the same - to increase the company's sales. Therefore, include in the training the solution of narrow-profile issues. So, a specialist in the field of tourism must navigate the routes sold, an employee who is guided in the auto business must understand technical characteristics cars.

What a corporate sales manager should do

He performs the following duties:

searches for potential buyers (companies that will be interested in the product or service being sold);
maintains and timely replenishes the client database;
holds personal meetings with representatives of a corporate customer;
advises a potential consumer on all issues arising during the discussion and preparation of the transaction;
prepares presentations, participates in thematic events;
conducts negotiations;
concludes deals;
prepares accompanying and other documentation;
keeps in touch with major clients;
carries out business correspondence;
provides reports on the conducted sales.

While working in the sales department, managers perform a lot of tasks. The above are just basic functions. The general course of activity of a specialist in corporate trade is the organization of cooperation with corporations, firms and enterprises that are interested in the service or product being sold. To achieve this, various conferences, seminars, presentations, corporate events (celebration of internal events of companies) are held. If a hairdresser operates with scissors, then this person does a significant part of the work through the phone. Many issues (invitations, coordination of cases, meetings, dates) are resolved by telephone conversations. Personal meetings are an integral part of it working day... Communicating with potential buyer, he must show not superficial awareness, but deep, serious knowledge of his business, competition within this segment, pricing policy. Mandatory requirement is the ability to effectively sell, establish and maintain long-term working contacts. In addition to the basic qualities and skills, a large sales employee must have knowledge of a narrow focus, namely:

the nuances of preparing a deal;
features and rules business etiquette telephone conversations;
principles of showing attention to reach an agreement in person;
specifics of a corporate agreement between companies.

Regular consumers deserve special attention. It doesn't take long to explain why. Everyone has long understood that working with long-term customers is convenient and profitable. They provide the firm with such advantages as a reputation as a reliable partner, financial stability, time and effort savings at the preliminary stage of the transaction. Over time, loyal customers develop friendly feelings towards your organization and begin to advertise it to their affiliates for free. Therefore, lines of relations with such clients are being developed, a system of long-term interaction is envisaged (congratulations on memorable dates for both enterprises and personally leading specialists, invitations to events).

The majority of Russian corporations, which have been effectively operating on the market for at least seven years, have managed to acquire regular customers during this period, to form a more or less stable client base. To improve the quality and comfort of business development, CRM systems are used. These are programs that replace the manager's diary. But not only him, CRM (customer relationships management - management of relationships with customers) includes a database, stores the history of relationships with each company, sales reporting, allows you to collect and process internal marketing data of the company and much more. In other words, it is a well-developed tool that automates the sales management process.

Practical example:

An enterprise operating in the field of B2B (literally "business to business" - an organization provides its product or service to corporate clients, which allows the latter to work in their niche), has developed its own customer relationship management program. It included:

service samples and control of their observance. The standards stipulated many details (work with customer requests, response times to written requests, business etiquette, a package of documents provided);
feedback on the services provided and the quality of service. Wishes, recommendations, remarks were recorded separately;
thematic events, meetings with the management personnel of the company.

This improved the process of interaction with customers, made it possible to understand their needs, and quickly reach an agreement.

Main sales channels for large batches of products

The corporate client is a special concept. You are not the only one interested in "big fish". Let's talk for a start about where it is "found" and about the bait on which it "bites". Try to find buyers like this:

through advertising. "Cast the net" widely, using outdoor advertising, television, radio, Internet. As a rule, serious companies take the time to watch advantageous offers online. So feel free to create sites, electronic catalogs, where it is convenient to add the latest information, any changes. Consider options for sharing contact information. Leave information about yourself in all possible electronic directories and, for your part, regularly review them, perhaps your potential partner is waiting for your response to his ad;
building our own strong customer base. This is an effective way to gain a foothold in the market and expand your position. You can buy these materials from a competitor if you need them;
tracking events on electronic trading platforms... The Internet is your irreplaceable assistant. There are programs and applications that allow you to keep abreast of sales, make forecasts, analyzes, monitor, respond to offers;
attending seminars, conferences, other thematic events. There is a possibility of exchange of business cards for further cooperation;
based on the recommendations and reviews of partner firms. Other social contacts also work.

Sales channels for corporate clients are divided into active and passive.

Active ( aimed at a specific target audience ):

Direct sale. The company itself negotiates with a potential consumer. The method involves personal contact, which contributes to the development of trust and is usually effective. However, this channel presupposes high qualifications and experience in conducting such operations among the people who are negotiating. The well-coordinated work of the entire department is also important.

Sales through a dealer. The intermediary company takes over the work of the sales department. This method is often used when there is a need to increase the level of direct sales. In practice, this is still a distribution channel. The "guide" between the buyer and the seller must have either a base of potential customers, or financial and work resources. If this is not the case, it will take a very long time and troublesome to sell the product.
Internet bidding. This is the modern path used by businesspeople who prefer to apply Worldwide network as the main communication tool, search. It makes it possible (subject to some experience) to do without the accompanying consultations of the manager and has good prospects, therefore, its development and use continues.

Corporate sales in the market. Municipal or federal organizations have sales offices and businesses in various areas. They select suppliers of goods and services centrally. They should be serviced by the best specialists with sociability, decent experience, knowledge of the specifics of the product and service. The main goal of the administrator is to ensure comfortable interaction, the ability to receive any information and resolve the issue through him.
Service sales. Provide customer service by assigning a personal employee to each of them. He identifies and takes into account the needs of the customer, guides him in the choice a specific product or services, informs about all changes and conditions. This channel increases profits from existing customers without significant investment.

With passive the initiatives in the search for a buyer do not come from you, but from the consumer himself. It often happens that a well-thought-out PR campaign plays a key role. On the recommendation of partners ("word of mouth") or from advertising information about you, a corporate client himself goes to your organization. In the case of direct appeals, you need to take measures so that after talking with the secretary or administrator, the customer does not change his mind to cooperate with you. Good way- create centralized system handling phone calls. Special attention - applications for potential consumers... Convenient when signals go to the main office, directly to the inbound sales channel. A special manager is responsible for the work of this department. All this minimizes the risk of losing a customer and increases the efficiency of the passive line. Thus, this way of selling goods cannot be underestimated.

Difficulties of active sales to corporate clients

As in any business, doing such sales, you can face a lot of difficulties. Its specificity is due to the peculiarities of narrow-group trade and its significant difference from retail or individuals. Since the client is a legal entity (organization, firm, institution), you have to communicate with a fairly wide circle of people. And this implies the ability to negotiate, take into account the interests and benefits of others. Let's discuss some of the difficulties and ways to overcome them.

Duration of the sale procedure.

It is clear that any agreement provides for specific deadlines. It is clear to professionals in this field: the longer the transaction is closed, the higher the likelihood of failure. In addition, regular operations can be carried out over several years, while the time of a manager's work in one company is approximately two to three years. It turns out that a situation may arise when a specialist leaves, but the customer remains. How to insure and maintain a relationship with him?

Way to overcome. Maintain a professional customer base. Preferably, it should be not just a list of customers with phones, but a well-designed CRM system, for example, 24com. It is a first-class customer and order accounting system. Using this program, you will be able to store all the information for each contractor and materials accompanying the preparatory period and the agreement itself.

Control of staff work.

More than one employee is working on the deal. Its success is also due to the support of the project manager, as well as back-office workers (those who actually provide a service or produce a product). How to coordinate their work?

Way to overcome. And again 24com will come to the rescue. With its help, you can set intermediate goals for subordinates, define milestones and check progress.

Attracting consumers.

Since the B2B sector deals not with ordinary customers, but with corporate ones, the problem of finding new buyers arises. Especially if advertising funds are limited.

Way to overcome. One of the most effective methods – telemarketing. Again, the 24com CRM program will serve as invaluable support. It allows you to automate the collection of information about potential customers and the work of salespeople.

Large amount of documents.

It's okay when a serious case is put on paper. The transaction is accompanied not only by financial evidence (invoices, invoices). On initial stage preliminary agreements are concluded and drawn up, approval of sketches, layouts. Everything should be in perfect order, because it is not known what act will be needed at one time or another.

Way to overcome. In the 24com accounting system there is a section "Documents". It is designed to provide storage and quick access to all data for a specific customer or contract. It also contains templates that make it possible to form standard acts in a few seconds and immediately send them to print.