Sales Management- Was there a need for sales control at Alderson Products, Inc. Why or why not
Sales Management- Was there a need for sales control at Alderson Products, Inc. Why or why not
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Sales Management
Case 1:
Scripto, Inc. (B)1
At one time, Scripto, Inc., utilized the
services of Audits and Surveys, a national marketing research firm, but, owing
to budgetary restraints, Scripto eliminated marketing research and channeled
its financial resources in other directions. As a result, the company had
little of the data it required for important marketing decisions. For example,
the company experienced great difficulty in securing comparative data for sales
of its products and competitive products in retails outlets.
Determined not to let the void
of data affect the 19¢er, Scripto management decided again to consider using
marketing research. While management was in general agreement that marketing
research was an essential ingredient in marketing orientation and sales strategy,
there were two viewpoints as to the type of marketing research needed. One
group believed that market studies and data were most crucial to the success of
the ¢er; hence, they favored using the services of marketing-research
companies, such as Audits and Surveys or A.C. Nielsen Company. Both Audits and
Surveys and Nielsen prepared bimonthly reports measuring sales and movements of
products through stores (the former was used by Papermate). The major
differences between the two research companies were (1) cost and (2) type of
retail outlet sampled. It would cost Scripto $20,000 to use Audits and Surveys
and $25,000 to use Nielsen. Audits and Surveys recorded sales and products
movement primarily of mass merchandisers (variety stores) and a relatively
small sample of drugstores and grocery stores, while Nielsen sampled more
drugstores and grocery stores than A and S but a smaller sample of variety
stores.
Another
group, however, preferred a different course of action – the use of a marketing
research firm that specialized in consumer buying patterns rather than market
studies per se. This group contended that consumer research was more
instrumental in the future of the 19¢er. Such research was typified by the data
generated by the National Consumer Panel of Market Research Corporation of
America.
Decisions
were required on (1) whether or not to again use marketing research; (2) if so,
the type of marketing research most important for Scripto’s 19¢er, market
studies and/or consumer buying patterns; and (3) the relationship between sales
and marketing research. Management was especially concerned about the
relationship between sales and marketing research.
Case 1 Questions:
1)What is your position on the three
problems that had to be solved by Scripto? Defend your arguments.
CASE
2:
Holden Electrical Supplies Company
Holden Electrical Supplies Company,
Cincinnati, Ohio, manufactured a wide line of electrical equipment used in both
home and industry. The sales force called on both electrical wholesalers and
industrial buyers with the greater part of their efforts concentrated on
industry buyers. The industrial products required considerable technical
expertise upon the part of salespeople. Sales offices situated in twenty cities
spread over the country had two hundred sales personnel operating out of them.
In the past eight years sales volume increased by more than 50 percent, to a
level of nearly $150,000,000. The fast rise in sales volume and the
accompanying plant expansion created a problem in that more sales personnel
were needed to keep up with the new accounts and to make sure the additional
plant capacity was used profitably.
In
addition, Holden’s sales recruiting problem was compounded by a noticeable
decline in the number of college seniors wanting a selling career. Holden
recruiters had observed this at colleges and universities where they went
searching for prospective salespeople. Another indication of the increased
difficulty in attracting good young people into selling was aggressive
recruiting by more and more companies. These factors combined to make the
personnel recruiting problem serious for Holden; consequently, management
ordered an evaluation of recruiting methods.
Virtually all Holden salespeople were
recruited from twenty-five engineering colleges by district sales managers.
Typically, Holden recruiters screened two hundred college seniors to hire ten
qualified sales engineers. It was estimated to cost Holden $600 to recruit a
candidate. Management believed the college recruiting program was deficient in
light of the high cost and the fact that only 5 percent of the candidates
interviewed accepted employment with Holden.
Evaluation
of the college recruiting program began with the College Recruiting Division of
the company asking district sales managers for their appraisals. Some district
managers felt that Holden should discontinue college recruiting for various
reasons, including the time required for recruiting, the intense competition,
and the candidates’ lack of experience. Other district managers, however, felt
the program should continue with a few modifications, such as recruiting
college juniors for the summer employment more or less on a trial basis,
concentrating on fewer schools, and getting on friendly terms with placement
directors and professors.
Holden’s
general sales managers favored abandoning the college recruiting program and
believed the company should adopt an active recruiting program utilizing other
sources. He reasoned that, while engineering graduates had a fine technical
background, their lack of maturity, inability to cope with business-type
problems, and their lack of experience precluded an effective contribution to
the Holden selling operation.
The
general sales managers felt that the two hundred sales engineers currently
working for Holden were an excellent source of new recruits. They knew the
requirements for selling the Holden line and were in continual contact with
other salespeople. By enlisting the support of the sales force, the general
manager foresaw an end to Holden’s difficulty in obtaining sales engineers.
The
president preferred internal recruiting from the nonselling divisions, such as
engineering, design, and manufacturing. He claimed that their familiarity with
Holden and their proven abilities were important indicators of potential
success as sales engineers.
A
complete analysis of Holden’s entire personnel recruiting program was in order,
and, regardless of the approach finally decided upon, it was paramount that the
company have a continuous program to attract satisfactory people to the sales
organization.
Case 2 Questions:
1)Evaluate Holden’s recruiting program,
suggesting whether or not the company should have continued in college
recruiting of sales engineers.
CASE 3: Marquette Frozen Foods Company
The Marquette Frozen Foods Company
manufactured a wide line of frozen foods sold directly to all types of food
stores. The company’s 100 salespeople worked out of thirty-five district sales
offices located throughout the United States. Annual sales were nearly $50
million. Although the sales picture was quite favorable, certain recent
developments indicated a possible need for redesign of sales territories.
Sales
territories were established using population as the base and were composed of one
or more counties, depending on each county’s population. The aim was to assign
each salesperson to a territory containing about 1 percent of the country’s
total population. Since the total population was approximately 205 million
(exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii), an attempt was made to assign each person a
territory consisting of about 2,050,000 people. Population statistics were
obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and were modified according to
local area statistics.
The
method of territory design was illustrated by the Northeast I sales territory,
including Maine, New Hampshire, and part of Massachusetts. The Northeast I
territory included the following Maine counties, along with their
populations; Aroostook, 95,000;
Piscataquis, 16,000; Penobscot,
125,000; Androscoggin, 91,000;
Cumberland, 193,000; Franklin,
22,000; Hancock, 35,000;
Kennebec, 95,000; Knox, 29,000;
Lincoln, 21,000; Oxford,
43,000; Sagadahoc, 23,000;
Somerset, 41,000; Waldo, 23,000;
Washington, 30,000; and York, 112,000. Maine population: 994,000.
The
following New Hampshire counties and their population were included: Belknap,
32,000; Carroll, 19,000; Cheshire, 52,000; Coos,
34,000; Grafton, 55,000; Hillsborough,
224,000; Merrimack, 81,000; Rockingham,
139,000; Stratford, 70,000; and Sullivan,
31,000. New Hampshire population: 737,000.
Finally,
the following Massachusetts towns were included to increase the sales territory
population to the desired figure (the first six towns listed were in Essex
County, while the last two were in Middlesex County); Amesbury, 13,000; Newburyport,
18,000; Haverhill, 46,000;
Lawrence, 67,000; Salem, 41,000;
Marblehead, 21,000; Tewksbury,
23,000; and Lowell, 95,000. Massachusetts population: 321,000. Total
population in Maine, New Hampshire, and parts of Essex and Middlesex counties
in Massachusetts: 2,055,000.
Analyses
of population statistics were made every three years. When warranted by
population changes, sales territories were redesigned: however, most changes
were minor. The company supplied each salesperson with a detailed map showing
the counties in his or her territory, the cities and towns, population, and the
exact territorial assignments and to ensure a salesperson’s exclusive rights to
a given territory.
The
Marquette sales manager had proposed and received acceptance of this method of
determining sales territories several years ago. He favored this procedure
because it guaranteed equal territories and similar sales opportunities for all
company sales personnel and therefore eliminated an important cause for poor
morale. With total population divided evenly, it was easy to compare relative
performances of the sales force. Total population divided was an accurate
estimate of potential demand, according to the sales manager, because everyone
was a potential customer for frozen foods. In addition, he said that the
simplicity and economy of this approach made it even more desirable.
Careful
analysis of a number of call reports, however, confirmed the sales manager’s
suspicions that many salespeople were
“skimming the cream” or concentrating on the larger and easier-to-sell
accounts, neglecting altogether a substantial number of prospects.
Consequently, he concluded that territorial coverage was unsatisfactory. He
believed that this situation could be remedied by reducing the size of the
territories, permitting more intensive coverage.
The
sales managers was aware that there were many reasons why reduction of the size
of sales territories was difficult to implement. First, the sales personnel
would feel that something was being taken away from them; in some cases they
would lose accounts they had cultivated over a long period. The result was a
possible morale problem. Second, high costs were involved in redesigning sales
territories. Third, there would be a need to hire additional salespeople to
cover the new sales territories. Fourth, someone would have to convince the
sales force that the changes were in the best interests of the sales staff, the
company, and the customers. It would be essential to secure the sales force’s
acceptance of the new plan.
Since
substantial problems were associated with reducing the sizes of the sales
territories, the Marquette sales manager was still undecided whether to
redesign the present sales territories.
 |
| Sales Management- Was there a need for sales control at Alderson Products, Inc. Why or why not |
Case 3 Questions:
- Evaluate Marquette’s method of designing the sales territories – strengths and weaknesses. Should the company reduce the size of its territories?
CASE 4:
Alderson Product, Inc.
Alderson Products Inc., a $15 million
company, had recently become a wholly owned subsidiary of National Beverage
Corp. of Baltimore, Maryland. National had purchased 100 percent of Alderson
stock. The acquisition brought with it a number of problems common to such ventures,
with the most pressing problems centering around the control of the sales
effort.
Alderson
Products, Inc., produced and sold packaging equipment exclusively to the soft
drink industry. The company, located in Detroit, was established in 1951 by the Alderson brothers, Jim and Frank, both of
whom had worked for General Motors for several years but who wanted to be in
business for themselves. After a five-year search while they were still working
at GM, they decided to enter the packaging equipment industry when an
opportunity came up to buy out a small bottle capping machine producer. For the
first year of operation, Alderson produced only a limited line of bottle
capping machinery. However, gradually at first and then more rapidly, the
Alderson product line was expanded to include capping machines, decapping
machines, bottle lifters, case painters, case rebanding equipment, parts,
lubricants, blenders, fillers, water-coolers, carbonators, saturators, packers,
decasers, washers, water treatment systems, conveyors, rinser load tables,
warmers, water chillers, and refrigeration units. Most of the equipment bearing
the Alderson name was manufactured by the company itself. Some equipment was
purchased from other makers: the cappers and decappers came from the Zalkin
Corp. (France), the bottle washers from Firton Manufacturing (Pennsylvania),
rinser and warmers from Southern Tool (Louisiana), water chillers from Dunham
Bush (Georgia), and the refrigeration units came from Vilter Manufacturing
Company (Wisconsin).
The
products offered by Alderson came in several different sizes to match the
various different applications in the soft drink industry. In addition to the
new products manufactured or purchased by Alderson, the company sold used
equipment and machinery. The company got into used equipment after finding that
a large number of its customers were too small to afford new equipment and
could not perform extensive maintenance and repairs on their present equipment.
The
market for used equipment grew to the point where it contributed 30 percent of
v Alderson’s net sales. Most of the used sales were from rebuilt machinery.
Alderson bought the used machinery from bottlers, brought it to Detroit,
reconditioned it, and sold it. Other used machinery was sold “as is.” This was
machinery that was bought in acceptable operation conditions and required minor
modifications or repairs. Usually, the “as is” machinery was transported top
the buyer directly from its original location.
The
“rebuilt” phase of the business called for the customer to make a 25 percent of
deposit on the order before the particular unit went through the shop. Once in
the shop, the equipment was dismantled to its basic components and parts were
added as required. The customer ended up with a “like new” machine or piece of
equipment. Savings to the customers were typically about 30 percent with a new
unit. Alderson’s rebuilt equipment carried a warranty. As an additional
service, Alderson tried to maintain an adequate stock of spare parts for older
units, even if the original manufacturer no longer made them available. There
was some concern among management as to the future of the rebuilt equipment
part of the business. About two years ago, the company began experiencing
difficulty in acquiring used equipment that could be rebuilt. The supply of
older units was dwindling, and competition for the used equipment was forcing
prices up considerably. Alderson also found that more and more bottlers were
reconditioning their own units. Although it constituted a profitable segment of
the overall operation, there was some thought that it might be best for
Alderson to get out of the used equipment business and concentrate on its
growing business for new machinery and equipment.
Alderson
served only the soft drink industry, despite the suitability of the company’s
products and services for other industries, such as the beer or fruit juice
producers. No attempt had been made to branch out into the other markets,
largely because the Alderson brothers felt they knew the soft drink industry
best. The company served primarily local and regional bottlers; however, plans
were underway to increase coverage to national and, possibly, international
markets. Future expansion plans did not include markets outside the soft drink
industry.
Distribution
of Alderson products was through two company salespersons and six
manufacturers’ representatives. Both salespersons were paid straight salaries.
One salesperson spent about one-fourth of his time appraising and procuring used
equipment. The other salesperson spent about one quarter of his time piloting
the company airplane. The representatives received a commission for their
services, according to the following schedule: 5 percent for the first $50,000,
2.5 percent for the next $50,000 (up to $100,000) and 1 percent for anything
over $100,000. This was bases on individual sales. The representatives received
a sales commission on any sale in their territory, regardless of whether the
company (Alderson) or the representative closed the sale.
In
addition to using the personal selling, Alderson promoted its products through
advertising, trade conventions, and direct mail. Alderson advertised in six
trade publications, averaging one insertion every two months in each of the journals.
The direct mail consisted of a newsletter, “Alderson’s News,” mailed to current
and potential customers.
With
the takeover complete, National sent its auditors to Alderson Products for a
routine evaluation. Among other things, it soon became apparent that Alderson
had been very lax in its sales control efforts. In particular, there was no
evidence that a sales budget was used and there had been no attempt at a sales
analysis. The sales manager, who had been in his position for two years after four
years as a salesperson with Alderson, said there had been no sales budgeting or
sales analysis effort for three years prior to his becoming sales manager. He
did mention that a sales budget was used for a time before that, but he was
unaware of its details. When questioned by the National auditor as to why he
had not instituted sales control procedures, the sales manager said he had
discussed it with Frank Alderson and they came to the conclusion that the
company was moving along very well and there really was no need for tight
control. He was, though, on the alert that, should sales results taper off, it
might be necessary to have some controls at a future date. The sales manager
also pointed out that he was so busy working on a personal basis with the company
sales personnel and the sales representatives that he just didn’t have the time
for budgets, quotas, sales analysis and “things like that.”
Case 4 Questions:
- Was there a need for sales control at Alderson Products, Inc.? Why or why not?
- What would have been the components of a good sales control program for Alderson products? Be specific and give your reasons for each element of sales control.
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