ABSTRACT

Sales force management and its impact on organizational growth of selected Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Bamenda State was examined. The specific objectives of the study were to; identify the impact of sales Force training on organizational growth, examine the Sales force motivation on organizational growth, and to analyze the impact of sales forecast on organizational growth. The study was guided by a descriptive survey design because it gives detailed information about issues, problems, events and describes events as they are. Both primary and secondary data were used. The population of the study was 50 employees and the sample size of 25 respondents was obtained using statistical sample. The researcher used questionnaire for data collection. The data gathered from the study was analyzed using descriptive analysis. Least squares technique was used to test hypotheses with the aid of statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS).The study revealed that there was a positive relationship between sales promotion and organizational performance. The study showed that training of sales force had a positive effect on organizational growth. The study submitted that there was a positive impact of sales force motivation on organizational growth. Finally, the study confirmed that sales forecast had a positive effect on customer compliance. The study recommended that management of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Bamenda should organize sales promotion training programmes for their staffs in order to enhance their employee effectiveness

Keyword: Sales Force Management, Organizational Growth, Sales force training, Sales forcemotivation, and sales forecasting.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Being in the period of integrating into the global economy, competition has been on rise to take advantage of new opportunities. Thus, companies are striving for ways of gaining competitive advantage against their opponents to sustain their market lead. All of the above pressures are business drivers for companies to adopt new technologies promising better performance (Yonas, 2015). Sales force is the link that personalizes each company for customers, functioning as a differentiating factor that creates more competitive advantages for companies. Sale people are the most visible representatives of companies, and sales teams are usually the first employees who are in direct contact with customers. Therefore, companies‘ sales force play a key role in diagnosing customer needs, developing customer trust, and strengthening commercial relations. In addition, sales teams are responsible for implementing their company‘s marketing strategies, as these teams not only represent the organizations to their customers but also keep companies informed about clients‘ unmet needs (Ferreira, 2017).In the business world today, highly motivated and committed sales force plays a major role in maintaining long-term satisfying customer relationship which in return contributes to the company‘s success. It is the desire of any business oriented organization to create a conducive and accessible medium through which their goods and services and known and patronized by the target market. This will give room for the realization of stated objectives. It is therefore true to say that business organizations are set up for the achievement of stated objectives such as; profitability, customer satisfaction, product awareness, increase in market share and expansion in growth which therefore is states that sales people must be aware of their competitors, they must monitor the new product being developed and know about their competitor‘s sale effort in their sales territory.

Though performance of sales force are critically important for the success of organizations, there is little empirical evidence supporting in identifying what factors affect the performance of sales force performance and also evidence is lacking to identify the relative importance of those factors in explaining performance. Besides, in most cases there is wide variation in performance of sale people (Johnston & Marshal, 2010).

In Nigeria at Aba, Abia State, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sales force management has been seen as more of tactical approach than strategic engagement in marketing of brands. Mostly, marketing personnel and scholars believe that, sales force management cannot be engaged to build brand equity. It is basically regarded as a mere short-term technique to generate increase in sales but weak in evaluating brand image and perception. However, recently; sales force management is being developed on a large scale consistently on a strategic platform. Roughly two years ago, the advertising to sales force management ratio drastically increased from about 60:40 however in 2009 sale force management accounts for 75% of combined budget (Roughly 50% is trade promotion and 25% is consumer promotion) in many consumer packaged-goods companies, Arising from the fact that the Nigerian market environment is not insulated from the grip of sale force management in driving brand performance in the market place (from the telecommunication sector, banking and most especially to the consumer brands) the use of sale promotion has been on the increase. Organizational growth is a process through which the structure of a multigent system organization increases the number of its roles and links (Keller, 2016). In our context of study, most small and medium size enterprises depend on their population to keep their customers satisfied, to satisfy the customers successfully, organization continually need to improve their performance by reducing cost, renovating product and process to improve customers‘ consumption. Sales management can depend upon the size of an organization and its expansion to change the business environment. Although the organization is responsible for providing customer satisfaction, much of the burden falls on the sales people since they are almost always closer to the customer than anyone else in the company and often provide bias with information and services after the sales. Such a contact gives sales people an opportunity to generate additional sales and offer them a good advantage point for evaluating the strength and weaknesses of the company‘s product and other marketing mixed components (Achumba, 2002).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While a good number of organizations have benefited from efficient management of their sales force, myriad of them have equally lost millions of dollars as a result of poor management of its sales force. Those who engage adequate and concerted effort towards designing appropriate sales force structure and strategy, recruitment and selection of sales people, training, sales people, compensating/motivating sales people, supervising salespeople and evaluating salespeople, have a bird eye view of the awareness, experience and sophisticated nature of customers, coupled with the medley and farrago of their needs and wants, and have enjoyed the impact of improved return on investment.

Poor management has led to both management and marketing myopia from those sales managers who hold tenaciously to believe that salespeople don’t require any training as they are born not made. It is not just about the paycheck. Effective incentive compensation management is based on an understanding of basic human motivation on the importance of trust, self-esteem, social recognition and improved chances to fulfill one’s potential.‖ Indisputably, the success of the organization or firm is dependent on the adequacy and efficiency of sales force management. Therefore, adequate attention has to be projected towards the sales personnel as a new trajectory to optimum performance due to the delicate position they occupy as well as the subtle role they play in the organization, to ensure that customers are pampered as well as serviced with passion and care. Sadly, in Bamenda III, most organizations and their sales managers do not consider these variables (motivating and training of sales force) and in some cases, totally ignore them which might lead to a generally poor sales performance and poor distribution of a firm’s products. Therefore, it is against problem sought to find out the extent to which sales force management and its impact on organization growth. The sales force is the FACE of the Brand or the product.A very important aspect of marketing that yields business is the efficient and effective use of sales force management and companies are always looking for better ways to complete this task (Achumba, 2002).

1.3 Research Question

1.3.1 Main Research Question

The main research question is; what is the impact sales force management on organization growth?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What is the the impact of sales force motivation on organization growth?
2. What is the impact of sales promotion on organizational growth?

3.What is the impact of sales force training on organization growth?

1.4 Research Objective

1.4.1 Main Research Objective

The main research objective is to investigate the impact sales force management on organization growth.

1.4.2 Specific Research Objectives

1. To identify the impact of sales force evaluation on organizational growth
2. To examine the the impact of sales force motivation on organization growth
3. To analyse the the impact of sales force requirement on organization growth