What is the sales network?

The sales network is an organizational structure that encompasses all the personnel dedicated to sales, tasked with being in direct contact with customers and utilizing all available marketing strategies at their disposal to persuade the customer.

This structure plays a very important role regarding sales techniques because it connects the company and the customer.

The salespeople are responsible for accompanying the customer throughout their purchasing journey; in fact, they are often closer to the customers than anyone else within the company.

This contact provides salespeople with the opportunity to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the company's products, developing and maintaining a better marketing mix both for customers and for the company.

Types of Sales Networks

The sales network is divided into two different types: direct and indirect.

The differences can vary depending on the personnel:

Direct Sales Network

A sales network formed by direct personnel, that is, employees of the agency. people and organizations 

Indirect Sales Network

An indirect sales network is the personnel of an autonomous organization that works on behalf of the company (agents and brokers).

Based on the characteristics of its activity, a company decides which sales network is more suitable for its strategy.

The choice of the network is based on several elements:

  • The product: for complex products that require assistance a direct sales network oriented to act with criteria of "service" selling rather than product selling is necessary;
  • The business: consists of a turnover of the product or a set of products that maintain a relationship with fixed costs, in such case a direct network is chosen. On the contrary, an indirect one must be chosen;
  • Distribution Typology: if the company wants its products to be present only in luxury stores, it must choose a direct network;
  • The product mix: if you want to sell a range of products consisting of homogeneously custom-sold items, an indirect network can be chosen.

Furthermore, there are sales networks by area.

The organization by area occurs when a seller is assigned a specific geographic area in which they represent the company for the sale of products and towards all potential customers.

The organization by product, on the other hand, is realized when each seller is given the responsibility of selling a product line.

Finally, the customer-oriented organization, occurs when each salesperson is responsible for managing groups of customers with significant characteristics in common.

How to Create a Sales Network

A successful sales network is able to provide a complete service based on the needs of the company.

To be effective, a sales network must contain important elements:

  • A business strategy;
  • A search and selection of salespeople;
  • A commercial training; 
  • An implementation of management tools for the sales force;
  • A management of the sales force.

Once you understand which elements are important for creating the sales network, you move on to managing the sales force:

  • Tackling the analysis of the seller's tasks: this defines the requirements and capabilities needed to perform a specific task accurately;
  • Study the sales timing;
  • Rationalize and manage the sales timing itself.

    The seller, at this point, will have to learn the "tricks of the trade", which are:

    • Learn to manage his time better;
    • Learn to schedule customer visits;
    • Calculate the time to dedicate to each visit so as not to keep subsequent customers waiting;
    • Schedule routine and work tasks.

    The more time is optimized, the more productive it becomes!

    The success of a commercial sales network lies entirely in the  coordination and commitment of all employees.

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