Business to Business Marketing-SPSL Case Study Essay

Business to Business Marketing-SPSL Case Study - Essay Example Yet at the same time, personal selling is expensive. It costs a company much more to make a face-to-face sales call than it does to contact customers through a call centre or the web (Zoltners, Sinha & Lorimer, 2009.p.6). Consequently a sales force is most appropriately deployed to select customers, products and selling activities; specifically, those for which the benefit is worth the cost. When deployed to the right opportunities, an effective sales force is an invaluable asset for a B2B company; a powerful customer-facing force that can be a source of considerable competitive advantage. In Saxons case, the sales force will be by far the most relied upon department within the organization. This is mainly because they are required to deal directly with the customers and every other department within the organization relies on them to bring in the business. Typically, they are the only department which brings in money; everything else generates costs (Blythe & Zimmerman, 2005.p.252). It has been observed that a very good sales force, one that has talented salespeople who engage in the right selling activities produces at least 10 percent more revenues in the short term than an average sales force of the same force. In the long term, the revenue impact can be much greater: 50 percent or more. However, it is not a guarantee that everything will go well with Saxon once a sales force in place. Due to the criticalness and power of the sales force they become difficult to control, direct and manage. The fact that they are dominated by motivated people who bring in capabilities and values it also means that they bring egos and the need for security and meaning (Lilien & Grewal, 2012.p.522). Unlike advertising, salespeople cannot be turned on and off. Unlike a...Because the purchase is for the company; rather that for own use, the value presented in the merchandise must be seen as actual and functional as opposed to conceptual and representative (Wright, 2006.p.455). N ot all benefits associated with the brand name are emotional benefits and B2B buyers will be interested in corporate branding as this can be a sign of reliance and worth, service and extensive value when associating with a respectable and established organisation. Lastly, there is the issue of competition. In most B2B markets competition is as intense as is in B2C markets but, because consumers want different benefits than business buyers, it tends to be of a different kind, Competition in B2C markets is just as likely to be on the product and service brands as it is on price, while in B2B it is more likely to be on functional benefits offered and after-sales-service as it is on the brand or the price (Davis, 2010.p.8). Although price is important in the latter market, functionality and reliability can be crucial as a dysfunction in some way would be catastrophic in terms of lost production or disrupted services. Rivalry in B2B markets emanate from comparatively small number of organizations and organisational behaviour will be founded on such aspects as key partnerships. On the other hand, rivalry in B2C markets will emanate from multiple retailers and a variety of diverse merchandise and brands based on the consumer’s continuously var ying demands.

Why should anyone be led by me Personal Statement

Why should anyone be led by me - Personal Statement Example It focuses on my traits and competencies as a leader. In essence it answers the fundamental question why anyone should be led by me. Why Should Anyone Be Led By Me? If there is one thing that I can claim having very good knowledge of, it is me. I have often heard that the ultimate end of education is ‘self-discovery’ (19). In my own case, thankfully, I think it happened to a substantial degree and I presume that is what gives me the aptitude for leadership. Besides my parents and teachers, several of my friends and a number of books that I read allowed me a lot of reflection and introspection as to what I was and what I ought to be. Thus they have been of immense help in taking a close look at my values, strengths, weaknesses, talents, relationships, passions and interests. In short they let me find my voice. At the same time, I am aware that the discovery is an ongoing process and the description in the current document is a portrait of what I am at the moment. In my ex perience as a manager, I made a conscious effort not to be overcome by frustration or disappointment at the end of an unsuccessful business encounter or presentation (31). I saw them rather as learning experiences and indicators of the dots that I missed. I was careful not to let my command be confined just to my area of specialization. I was prepared to go that extra mile to gain knowledge of other departments to the extent they would be needed so that my business acumen would become complete and credible. It also helped me to answer with conviction any questions regarding the business decisions that I had made. I constantly reminded myself that gaining access to the C suite in itself did not mean anything and there would a long way to go beyond that. A very useful tip given by my first boss was to think afresh always. I must say I took it to its letter and spirit. Before that, I remember having done the mistake of applying ‘one of the old solutions’ to a new problem t hat appeared to resemble an old problem. My first boss’s suggestion meant that each solution was bound to be as unique as the problem itself. Over the years, I have cultivated the practice of contemplating multiple options and applying mind-map sketches whenever I had to mull over one. It meant a little more labor to focus on the most significant parts of the data and then to identify the patterns. But then, it saved me from the unpleasant task of resorting to self-deception or depending on false reasoning and rationalization (180). Not that this method was entirely without risk, but it stood the best chance for success for the simple reason that the approach was as honest as it could be. I am glad I made mistakes. They gave me the chance to act in time and strengthen myself as a leader. On one occasion, when I was in high spirits following excellent pay off on one of the project ideas that clicked, it was actually one of my subordinates, a young man, who warned me, subtly th ough, not to be carried away by short-term success but to be prepared for future scenarios and contingencies. It took me some time to appreciate precisely what he meant. When I got the essence, I have begun to force myself and my team to stay away from the comfort zone and look at each project from an R & D perspective. It was one of the first lessons but one of the finest too. The first few months of my career caused me insomnia literally because too many deadlines seemed to accumulate at a time leading to stress (143). After a couple of experiences of sophisticated reproach by my superiors, I figured out how the daily grind affected my priorities and important and urgent tasks would inadvertently get overlooked. I realized that I was dwelling mostly with the tasks that I inherently liked and in