Selling And Sales Force Management Plan

Selling and Sales Force Management Plan

Randall Keith Winton

Marketing 458 Section 001

Dr. Dan Flint

November 28, 2007

Introduction

Canon PowerShot cameras are small in size and light weight cameras that capture images digitally and store those images on a memory card. This is as opposed to the traditional Canon camera which uses 35mm light sensitive film. The Canon PowerShot Cameras are equipped with a lens that is capable of magnifying an image up to 3 times. By using a memory card, PowerShot cameras have the ability to capture both single still shots and record short videos. PowerShot cameras also feature an LCD screen on the back of the camera allowing the user to view the picture that is being taken. This LCD screen along with a play back mode also allows the user to review the pictures they have taken and gives them the option to delete or keep it. PowerShot cameras can also easily upload pictures when connected to a PC, allowing for use on the internet or in an email.

Canon PowerShot Digital Camera

Canon Inc. is a multinational corporation with a history of being one of the leading companies in the imaging and optics field. Canon Inc. designs and manufactures its own digital imaging equipment including cameras, lenses, camcorders and inkjet printers. Canon has a reputation in its industry for providing superior quality products at competitive prices. It is this experience and their large investment in product research and development that give canon its competitive advantage.

Part 1 Plan for Selling

Prospecting

The initiation of the selling process would begin with the generation of leads or potential prospects. The primary sources used to determine potential prospects would be from mass market advertising, trade shows, and loyal customers who purchase other Canon products. As they are located, potential prospects could be recorded into a list. This list would then be ordered and ranked according to the lead’s attractiveness. The most attractive leads would then be put through an analysis process to determine whether they qualify to become prospects. To qualify leads into prospects, each potential prospect would be evaluated on a set of criteria to judge whether or not they meet those qualifications.

The first factor of these criteria would be to determine if the potential prospect has a need or would derive value from purchasing Canon PowerShot cameras. This filter would eliminate businesses that neither buy nor sell similar products or those that do not attract the same target market that Canon products are engineered towards. The potential prospects that meet this qualification will be primarily retail businesses that specialize in personal electronics, such as Best Buy, Circuit City, and Office Depot. Along with these electronic retail stores, there would also be the retail giants, Wal-Mart and Target, as well as smaller businesses like Wolf Camera that specialize in cameras and photography equipment. Other potential prospects could include industries or professions вЂ" such as real estate professionals and insurance claims officers who need a lightweight, compact, and versatile camera to provide them with a powerful visual aid for their clients.

The next qualification that will be used to filter the potential prospects is to determine whether or not communication and correspondence can easily be carried on with the potential prospect. This filter will locate the potential prospects that are located in geographic regions which are not easily accessible or those that I am unable to get an appointment with. Smaller businesses like Wolf Camera would be the most likely fall into this category.

The last filter of the criteria would be to eliminate the potential prospects that do not have the resources, capability, or authority to purchase of our product. By determining the potential prospects that are able to make purchases, I will not waste time and resources pursuing leads that are unable to make a purchase. Instead I will know exactly which potential prospects are capable of making purchasing decisions and thus worth the effort and time required to plan the sales call, which is the next step in the selling process.

Planning the Sales Call

The first step to take in planning for the sales would be to determine a set of goals to be achieved from the initial call. Some realistic goals would be;

• For the prospect agree to a second meeting if sale can not be completed during the first call.

• To have the prospect agree to a product demonstration.

• To have the prospect begin the process of placing a sales order.

After achievable goals have been established, I would next move towards gathering as much as information as possible about the prospect. This information would be on both the prospect and the firm they work for.

To effectively evaluate and prepare for a sales call it is important to know specific details about the company which you are making the sales call. Information to be researched about the company would include its size, how their purchasing decision process works and the persons who are involved in that decision making process, the products they currently offer, past purchases of our competitor’s products, and the current situation the company is in or any special circumstances that they are faced with, such as their financial position. By knowing how the company operates, their current status and what they are experiencing will aid in targeting their needs more effectively.

The information to be collected on the prospect would include what type of person they are, what they are interested in, how they have received prior sales people, the role they play within their company, and how they are compensated. Another very important piece of information that would need to be discovered is the prospect’s social style. More specifically, the degree to which the prospect is assertive and responsive. Knowing this about the prospect will allow me to design an effective approach and presentation which portrays a good impression during the sales call.

The Approach and