Lots of people like to romanticize sales professionals and the tactics they use. It’s a compelling thought to imagine salespeople as slick-operating, smooth-talking dynamos who could schmooze their way through any difficult situation. In reality, though, sales pros don’t tend to operate this way –– especially not in the B2B field. Rather, more often than not, landing a sale depends on a person’s ability to apply sound business logic to a situation. And every company needs logistics and a solid logistical plan to keep the promises their sales team makes on a regular basis.
Don’t believe us? Here are four ways your logistical strategy can affect your sales performance.
Cost
As alluded to above, most salespeople don’t close deals by tugging at their clients’ heartstrings. This is one of the many myths associated with the sales process. Instead, the vast majority of business transactions come to pass because they make financial sense for the parties involved.
Plain and simple, if the price isn’t right, most entrepreneurs will walk away. Given that harsh reality, it’s imperative that all online-based retailers have a logistical system that allows them to save money –– so they can pass those discounts on to their customers. Remember: any economic edge your company can grasp might just separate you from your competitors.
Customer Trust
When a business enters into a deal with a new client, it’s critical that the first impression goes well. But, it’s just as important that all subsequent dealings go smoothly also. Messing up even one key order to a valued client could be enough to inspire them to look elsewhere. You don’t want that happening.
Charging your staff with monitoring the logistics of every order your company completes is a taxing –– and potentially crippling –– strategy. If you’ve experienced internal failure in this regard in the past you may want to contact a dedicated 3PL consultant.
Flexibility
Maintaining a strong relationship with any business partner is fundamental to a sales professional’s long-term success. And any time a sales pro or account manager can’t fulfill one of their clients’ requests, that relationship takes a hit. In theory, the best logistical practices should allow for a wide range of visibility and flexibility. If you’re not able to increase or scale back the volume on your orders quickly and efficiently, then you’ll always have trouble growing your sales department.
Time
Let’s face it: no employee has ever complained about having too much time on their hands. What’s more, not having enough time to complete tasks can force professionals to work more than they should and may also contribute to avoidable mistakes.
Quality logistical planning should save your company time rather than costing it. However, if your team constantly has to adjust, alter, and correct orders and logistical details then they’re unlikely to perform to their full potential. Shoddy logistical work can prove a massive time suck and distract your most important team members from tackling the tasks they need to focus on. In the worst case scenarios, a breakdown from a logistical standpoint can leave a business stuck in neutral. The good news is, improving how you run your logistics is entirely in your control –– so you can work to avoid any unfavorable outcomes with proper implementation and foresight.
