1. Interview a sales manager to understand the sales organizational design plan for the company or business unit for which he/she works. Address the following.
a. What is this manager’s name, job title, and company? Describe the industry? Who are this salesforce’s primary customers (e.g., manufacturers, retailers, businesses, consumers, etc.)
b. Describe the organizational design for the salesforce. Which of the designs we discussed in class (e.g., geographical, market, product, function, etc.) does this most closely align with? Justify your answer.
c. Why did the sales manager choose this particular sales organizational/territory design plan? According to this manager, what are the pros and cons of the design?
I interviewed Sarah Jones, the Sales Manager at Acme Corporation, a leading manufacturer of cloud computing software. Acme Corporation’s primary customers are businesses of all sizes.
Sarah Jones is the Sales Manager at Acme Corporation, a leading manufacturer of cloud computing software. Acme Corporation’s primary customers are businesses of all sizes.
Acme Corporation’s salesforce is organized by product. Each sales team is responsible for selling a specific product or product line. This design is justified by the fact that Acme Corporation’s products are complex and require a high level of expertise to sell effectively.
Sarah Jones chose a product-based sales organizational design for Acme Corporation because she believes it is the most effective way to sell the company’s complex products. She explained that product experts are better able to understand the needs of customers and recommend the right solutions. They are also more likely to be able to answer customer questions and objections.
The pros of a product-based sales organizational design include:
The cons of a product-based sales organizational design include:
Overall, Sarah Jones believes that the pros of a product-based sales organizational design outweigh the cons. She has found that this design has been effective in helping Acme Corporation to achieve its sales goals.
Here are some additional thoughts on the pros and cons of a product-based sales organizational design:
Pros:
Cons:
Ultimately, the best sales organizational design for a company will depend on a number of factors, including the company’s products, customers, and industry.