Optimizing Sales Strategies in the Boat Excursion Industry: A Case Company
Kotilainen, Milla (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052013660
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052013660
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this thesis was to find out how the sales strategies of the case company could be optimized to ensure customer acquisition and company profitability in the upcoming years. The objectives were to define the current sales process and strategies, contemplate upon consumer behaviour, explore success factors of sales representatives, and reflect on management approaches in the context of the case company, with the intention to discover areas for optimization.
The theoretical framework discussed relevant topics regarding sales, such as sales process, consumer purchase behaviour, and management. Direct marketing and personal selling approaches are the basis of the company sales interactions, for which reason they were covered comprehensively. Skills and responsibilities which are required from successful salespeople were explained. Most importantly, various sales approaches, including adaptive selling, value selling, and insight selling, were contemplated on to reach comprehensive understanding on modern sales strategies. Additionally, sales optimization models on company, management, and individual sales representative levels were presented.
The research methodology was qualitative. The study was carried out in the form of semi-structured face-to-face interviews and participant observation in the case company. Five sales representatives, the company owner, and the sales and human resources manager were interviewed. The participant observation was conducted in the role of a sale representative during an internship in the company. These data collection methods were formed to gather insightful but as objective data as possible from different perspectives. The results were documented through notetaking and analysed using thematic analysis methods.
The results showed that the sales process of the company is flexible and adaptable. Language barriers and cultural differences were considered main obstacles in sales interactions. Ideas on management varied to a large extent within the company, though its importance for motivation was recognized. Several modern sales strategies were pursued by sales representatives, emphasis on adaptive and customer-oriented approaches. Each sales representative had created a personalized strategy, while the characteristics of successful salespeople were agreed to be adaptability, confidence, product knowledge, and language skills. Determination to succeed and improve oneself were also found important. Employee well-being and return rate, supervision, online presence, and customer-oriented approaches were found to be areas for improvement.
In conclusion, customer-orientation and employee well-being are important areas for strategic optimization in the case company. Through enhanced customer understanding, feedback systems, and digital presence, customer-orientation can be optimized. Insight selling could be integrated in the sales process and strategies to support customer engagement. Supervision and human resource management should be optimized to boost employee well-being. For instance, cultural awareness, inclusivity, and supportive environment could improve employee return rate.
The theoretical framework discussed relevant topics regarding sales, such as sales process, consumer purchase behaviour, and management. Direct marketing and personal selling approaches are the basis of the company sales interactions, for which reason they were covered comprehensively. Skills and responsibilities which are required from successful salespeople were explained. Most importantly, various sales approaches, including adaptive selling, value selling, and insight selling, were contemplated on to reach comprehensive understanding on modern sales strategies. Additionally, sales optimization models on company, management, and individual sales representative levels were presented.
The research methodology was qualitative. The study was carried out in the form of semi-structured face-to-face interviews and participant observation in the case company. Five sales representatives, the company owner, and the sales and human resources manager were interviewed. The participant observation was conducted in the role of a sale representative during an internship in the company. These data collection methods were formed to gather insightful but as objective data as possible from different perspectives. The results were documented through notetaking and analysed using thematic analysis methods.
The results showed that the sales process of the company is flexible and adaptable. Language barriers and cultural differences were considered main obstacles in sales interactions. Ideas on management varied to a large extent within the company, though its importance for motivation was recognized. Several modern sales strategies were pursued by sales representatives, emphasis on adaptive and customer-oriented approaches. Each sales representative had created a personalized strategy, while the characteristics of successful salespeople were agreed to be adaptability, confidence, product knowledge, and language skills. Determination to succeed and improve oneself were also found important. Employee well-being and return rate, supervision, online presence, and customer-oriented approaches were found to be areas for improvement.
In conclusion, customer-orientation and employee well-being are important areas for strategic optimization in the case company. Through enhanced customer understanding, feedback systems, and digital presence, customer-orientation can be optimized. Insight selling could be integrated in the sales process and strategies to support customer engagement. Supervision and human resource management should be optimized to boost employee well-being. For instance, cultural awareness, inclusivity, and supportive environment could improve employee return rate.