Information Age Publishing Sales Management: A Primer for Frontier Markets

In a fast-moving era of increased international competition, frontier markets must devise innovative ways to meet demanding sales targets and maintain profitability. These efforts will only succeed when local businesses abandon the concept of sales as a checklist of persuasive arguments that lead a customer to make a purchase and accept that building enduring customer relationships is the key to achieving sales goals. To understand what it means to sell successfully, sales representatives must develop a solid foundation in selling skills and an understanding of the critical elements needed to achieve sales goals. By delving into the foundational concepts related to leveraging sales as a tool for organisational profit, the authors give readers important insights into the critical elements of the sales process, including consultative selling, sales force management, qualities of effective leadership in sales, and the use of technological tools such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Sales Force Automation (SFA) systems. This book includes insightful contributions from leading sales and marketing practitioners across the continent of Africa on characteristics of successful salespeople and how to recruit them, the crucial role of sales leadership, sales team training methods and strategies for developing customer relationship management programs. Case studies tie theory to practice and short quizzes help readers test their understanding of the material. Written in an accessible and reader-friendly format, this book is primarily aimed at undergraduate students with a secondary audience comprised of postgraduate students and business practitioners. ENDORSEMENTS: "Successful corporate marketing strategies are formulated around the delivery of value to consumers while maintaining a competitive advantage. Sales Management: A Primer for Emerging Markets offers innovative ways to locate, nurture, and develop long-term win-win relationships with key stakeholders. Readers will be rewarded with achievable concepts that will lay the foundation for developing a pattern of profitable sales. Highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate students as a well-crafted textbook drawing on real-world experience, for academicians as a reliable teaching tool, and for practitioners in the world of business seeking tested guidelines for marketing success." ~ Amon Chizema, Professor of Corporate Governance & Strategy; Birmingham Business School; University of Birmingham, UK "Sales Management: A Primer for Frontier Markets is a “must read” for future and current managers seeking innovative strategies for ensuring long-term repeat business with customers and consumers while maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Discussions on consultative selling, the role of ethics in sales, and the stages of the personal selling process have been specifically detailed and grounded in peer-reviewed case-study findings. A highly recommended read for undergraduate and graduate students, academicians, and business managers pursuing up-to-date insights into selling, customer service, marketing management, small business management, and retailing." ~ Patrick Awotwi, Commercial Director; The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana and Author of “Consider it Sold: A Seller’s Point of View”