Few companies realize the true value of salespeople in marketing objectives.
They are arguably the most effective medium for our promotions, and yet, while most brands invest a great deal of resources in advertising, aiming to achieve a high position in brand recall , striving for "Top of Mind," they don't always dedicate a commensurate effort at the point of sale .
Being a well-known, prestigious brand helps influence the buyer before they arrive at the store, but 75% of the time , the buyer makes the final decision at the point of sale , influenced by merchandising and promotions, but above all, by the salesperson.
A single comment from the salesperson can negate an email database entire advertising campaign . All it takes is for them to say something like, "Yes, that brand is well-known, but this model is selling really well..."
Large retailers and self-service stores downplay the importance of the salesperson, but in some markets, the traditional channel accounts for 45% of the total , and in cases like pharmacies , opticians , or travel agencies , they represent almost 100%. These are sectors in which salespeople have the status of "initiators ," and their opinion is highly valued when making a purchase. Therefore, it's important to pay close attention to " channel marketing
" actions , ensuring that the brand is recommended by the salesperson, who thus becomes both the target and the medium . A salesperson may recommend us for two basic reasons:
Because they know the brand better : if we have communicated correctly, with product presentations, catalog shipments, information, etc., knowledge translates into trust, and trust into recommendations.
Because you get an extra benefit from that brand: it could be a higher margin or a points-based incentive program that rewards sales volume.
In both cases, the salesperson is not only our means of communication with the end customer, but also our target audience. And they are the most profitable because by convincing one, we influence many.
We must start from the premise that we are offering a quality product with guarantees, with adequate service, since in many cases, today's merchant is looking for a product that "doesn't give them problems" after the sale.