DỊCH XOG GỬI WA Q LIỀN NHA.CỐ GẮNG GUJ SỚM NHA.. TRANG 51 Xerox noticed that it was missing out on a large amount of business when some of its largest users of high-end printers went to other companies for mid-range and low- end printers. They knew that they needed to develop a methodological plan to help them manage customer relationships across multiple products, often with different selling processes. Many office managers do not prefer to buy low-end equipment through a direct sales force, and Xerox did not work with dealers and distributors. Because of this, Xe¬rox had to allow its sales reps to deal with indirect sales channels in order to help customers buy the way that they desire most.The company made the transition from a purely direct sales model to one that mixes direct and indirect sales. Using this strategy, Xerox sales reps are able to refer an account to a dealer for a lower-end product. Their sales quota and compensation are then both properly ad-justed. In this way, Xerox is formalizing its policy of encouraging the cross-selling of one product line against another, even when these lines are distributed through con¬flicting channels. A well-informed sales force can dramatically improve cross-selling techniques, en¬abling the company to realize the full potential of its customers, as in the case of Xe¬rox. Cross-selling is one of the best ways to increase customer’s profitability, but the organization of this selling effort is usually a problem for most companies.This is not difficult to imagine considering the divisions formed by cross-selling, where separate entities rarely communicate with each other or share customer information. To prevent this, there must be a method to the madness. As in the case of Xerox, a little organization and planning went a long way in the terms of sales. By informing their sales force and making the transformations needed, their cross-selling efforts have definitely allowed them to realize the full selling capability of their sales force and the profit potential of their customers.1 ■ TRANG 52 For several decades, Xerox operated on the frontier of a planning field now called strategic management. Xerox continues to be a leader in this area. In this chapter, we examine the important concepts and processes involved in planning and strategic management as related to marketing and the sales force. IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE PLANNING Top corporate management understands the tremendous importance of the sales force in the organization’s business and marketing efforts. Marketing generates rev¬enues for the firm. For many businesses, the sales force comprises the firm’s total mar¬keting efforts. When the sales force hits its sales target, the corporation achieves its profit goals. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. Chapter 3 discusses the important relationships among corporate leaders, the marketing department, and the sales force. Let’s begin by examining the importance of corporate planning. Planning is the conscious, systematic process of making decisions about goals and ac¬tivities that an individual, group, work unit, or organization will pursue in the future and the use of resources to obtain them. Planning is not an informal or haphazard re¬sponse to a crisis; it is a purposeful effort, directed and controlled by managers and often drawing on the knowledge and experience of employees throughout the orga¬nization. Planning provides individuals and work units with a clear map to follow in their future activities, but at the same time this map may allow for individual circum-stances and changing conditions. STRATEGIC PLANNING Strategic planning involves making decisions about the organization’s long-term goals and strategies. Senior executives are responsible for the development and execution of the strategic plan, although they usually do not personally formulate or implement the entire plan. Strategic goals are major targets or end results that relate to the long-term survival, value, and growth of the organization. Strategic managers usually establish goals that reflect both effectiveness (providing appropriate outputs) and efficiency (a high ra¬tio of outputs to inputs). Typical strategic goals include various measures of return to shareholders, profitability, quantity and quality of outputs, market share, productivity, and contribution to society. When appropriate, goals should be quantified and linked to a time frame. They should be acceptable to the managers and employees charged with achieving them, and they should be consistent both within and among work units. A strategy is a pattern of actions and resource allocations designed to achieve the goals of the organization. The strategy an organization implements is an attempt to match the skills and resources of the organization with the opportunities found in the external environment; that is, every organization has certain strengths and weak¬nesses. The actions, or strategies, the organization implements should be directed to¬ward building strengths in areas that satisfy the wants and needs of consumers and other key actors in the organization’s external environment. TACTICAL AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING Once the organization’s strategic goals and plans are identified, they become the ba¬sis of planning undertaken by tactical and operational managers. Goals and plans be¬come more specific and involve shorter periods of time as planning moves from the strategic level to the operational level. Tactical planning translates broad strategic goals and plans into specific goals and plans relevant to a definite portion of the or¬ganization, often a functional area such as marketing or human resources. Tactical plans focus on the major actions a unit must take to fulfill its part of the strategic plan. A tactic, then, is the operational means by which an organization intends to reach its objectives. Operational planning identifies the specific procedures and processes
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 14:59:46 +0000
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