Discussion 13 peer response | Management homework help

Peer 1

 Which method of sales force organization would be most appropriate for;

(a) National company that sells a computerized billing system for small physician practices.

The best method of sales force organization for this scenario would be a multi-channel distribution strategy. This strategy involves multiple methods to reach customers, such as direct mail campaigns and telemarketing (Lapoule & Colla, 2016). The need for such a wide range of communication channels is because there are many types of doctors who use this billing system. Some are solo practitioners with only one office, while others have several locations in different states or countries (Lapoule & Colla, 2016). This kind of company needs to reach out to its customers in many ways because it cannot expect all doctors to have access to the internet or other electronic devices used for online sales (such as tablets or smartphones). They also may not have time to read emails or even open their mailboxes every day.

The simplest way for them to get messages out would be through direct mail campaigns. These could include letters informing them about new products, pricing changes, and so on (Lapoule & Colla, 2016). The company could also send out postcards advertising their services at events where they were present or when they made appearances on television shows hosted by well-known news anchors like Anderson Cooper or Rachel Maddow (because these shows often feature guests who work in health care).

(b) A manufacturer of adhesive bandages and sutures?

A manufacturing company that produces adhesive bandages and sutures would probably benefit from a sales force organization that models the traditional “push” model (Ahearne, 2010). This means that the sales representatives will be responsible for generating leads by cold calling potential customers, pitching the product to them, and persuading them to buy.

A push model is typically more effective when reaching new customers because it relies on heavy marketing investment and many personal visits from sales representatives. In contrast, a pull model (commonly used in software businesses) favors outsourcing lead generation tasks to third-party companies specializing in doing just that. These companies can generate more leads through online advertising, email marketing campaigns, or social media outreach efforts (Ahearne, 2010). Ultimately, the decision of which type of sales force organization is most appropriate depends on your specific business goals and how you plan on achieving them

 References

Ahearne, M., Rapp, A., Hughes, D. E., & Jindal, R. (2010). Managing sales force product perceptions and control systems in the success of new product introductions. Journal of Marketing Research, 47(4), 764–776. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1509/jmkr.47.4.764

Lapoule, P., & Colla, E. B. (2016). The multi-channel impact on the sales forces management. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 44(3). https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJRDM-11-2014-0159/full/html

Peer 2

 A National Company that Sells Computerized Billing Systems

A geographical sales force organization method would be most appropriate for a national company that sells computerized billing systems for small physician practices. For such a company, consumers of its products are located in different locations. A geographical sales force organization ensures that all the potential consumers, regardless of location, have access to the items (Feigenbaum, 2017). There are so many individuals spread all over the nation that could consume the computerized billing systems. With the sales persons located in different parts of the nation, it is possible to eliminate the concern of some consumers seeking the product but have to incur hefty costs to access it. Furthermore, the sales organization would help the firm maximize sales assistance items are available all over the nation. 

Adhesive Bandages and Sutures

A product sales force model would be most appropriate for the scenario. For a company that manufactures adhesive bandages and sutures, the individual sales teams could specialize in which items they want to sell. The approach can help the firm identify areas where its items are most required and call and encourage it to allocate enough salespeople to the region identified to meet the market demand in the specific region (‌ Hartmann & Lussier, 2020). Thus, the company will stand a chance of realizing maximum sales and a respective profit rise. The method is best for the scenario because the demand for the product varies from place to place, and the customers would purchase them from the closest supplier available.

References

Figenbaum, E. The Sales Force Structure. (2017). Small Business – Chron.com. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/sales-force-structure-3118.html

‌ Hartmann, N. N., & Lussier, B. (2020). Managing the sales force through the unexpected exogenous COVID-19 crisis. Industrial Marketing Management, 88, 101–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.05.005