The real impact of the internet on selling and sales management

The real impact of the internet on selling and sales management

 

 

 

 

Internet and information technology have led to the growth of sales and sales management. In most of the business-to-business (B2B) and business to consumers (B2C) transactions, the internet is gaining an increasing proportion. Nowadays, electronic commerce is showing enormous potential to take over a major share of sales; hence there has been an increase of companies to provide services that can reach individual users who have different information profiles and levels of expertise. Internet is not only a powerful tool of transforming the fundamental dynamics behind social and business interactions, but its also growing in both popularity and profitability. The application of the internet in selling and sales management remains a relatively new discipline with the potential to revolutionize the way companies build brands, sell products or services, and develop relationships. Below are the impacts of the internet on selling and sales management.

 

 

Building customer-centric selling arenas

 

Due to an increase in the use of the internet to market and as a medium of sales, it has led to an increase in the power of consumers by increasing the availability of comparative price information and diversity of purchasing options. Customers do not only compel management so as to know the main responsibility of the firm to serving customers, but they also know the knowledge as the key to gaining market orientation. With the internet, many companies have successfully integrated strategies, tactics, and web technologies to cement relationships with customers through the internet. Th main tool most companies use is through the centric selling arena, which is the emergence of extranets. These secure sites are only accessible to certain people and organizations.

 

Centric selling allows transactions between buyer and seller to take place without involving expensive salespeople. Customers can log in and make a purchase, then th salesperson focuses mostly on building customer relationships, developing customized solutions for customers, and prospecting new businsses. EG the best well know company that has benefited from internet selling and sales management is Amazon.

 

Intrnet helps a business to focus on the right customer

 

Internet enebles a company to access any onlione customer at any time and anywhere. With internet a company can try to attract as many potential customers as it can. When a company is using internet to reach its customers it is important for its website to b well designed to achieve set objectives an provide focus . Objectives can relate to servicing current customers while buying, cross selling company products, encouraging new customers or building greater loyalty among existing customers. The websuite should be simple for customers to navigate and access and has appropriate links.

 

 

Creating quality in communications

 

Internet and its related technologies allow for swifter exchange of ibnformation and more consistent communications. It is impportant that vidences presented to customers to be kept to a manageable proportion.

 

 

Understanding buyer behaviour patterns

 

Long and Schiffman study of consumer behavioor concluded that it pays to undrstand customers. There are two major factors that can help one understand consumer behavior on the intrnmet. The first question is if th buyer builds a relationship with a selected vndor or searches for a different electronic vendor for evry transcation. The first pattern is going to crrate an opportunity for sellr to tune regular offerings and be loyal , th secod pattern secuirs a stable relationship. The othr essential factor lies in the scope of the goods and services linking buyers and sellers. The cosnumer carries out a resarch and identifies trhe privider that jas the bst goods or servics.

 

 

Changing approaches to brand management

 

Internet has changd traditional practices to brand management. Nowadays images and allusions are being used to communicate branding messages in tradituio9nal marketing on the intrnt. Cosumers get more exprience of using internet henc he or sh is more liky to gain more exprience of uding internet and h or sh is in a position to search for alternative sources of information and be less reliant on product branding.

 

Pricing

 

Internet makes it easier for one to search for lowest prices. For a producvt to servive in th new electronic world, it has to be more price competitive. Reichheld and Schefter (200) says that price does not rule the web but trust does. Sinha on the contemporary says that cost transparency may weaken customer loyalty and it can create perceptions of price unfairness by encouraging dispassionat comparisons of price and features.

 

Creating interactive opportunities with consumers

 

Internet does not only provide information about potntial needs and future market trends trends trough marketing research, but it also presents valuable source of new product ideas. The main key is not only to be interactive but to also equip customrs with ability and willingness.

 

 

 

Building customer relationships

 

Due to advanced information technology it comes up with new opportunities and challenges to establish, build and manage customer relationships. Interactive communication is the conductor to relationships which cannot only drve th value of a brand but also provide up to date information on customers neds and thoughts.

 

 

Sales technique

 

Internet has led to the growth of emeil campains replacing direct mail. It has led to groth of externets as forms of xternal communications and growth in complxity of intranet systems to facilitate internal communiction.

 

 

Performance measurement

 

Information technology has led to an increase of scope to collect, analyse and exploit customer information. Intrnet provids firms unprecedented opportunitis to understand their csutomers in depth and for customising ofringhs to meet their prefrences.