Understand your sales force's motivations so you can take them to new heights!

Call, convince, conclude? Yes... but no. The sales force isn't just a salesperson armed with a telephone. It's a truly strategic function! A complete system that drives the company's growth, optimises every customer relationship and aligns marketing and sales objectives.

Whether in-house, outsourced or pooled, this sales team makes a direct contribution to sales. Provided, of course, that it is well structured, trained, motivated... and above all adapted to the market. Because an effective sales force is above all an organisation designed to achieve the right objectives.

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Sales force: a definition that goes beyond "just a salesperson

A sales function... but not just a sales function

By definition, the sales force refers to all the human and technical resources mobilised to sell a company's products or services. It is a pivotal function, at the crossroads of marketing, sales and customer relations. But it would be a mistake to reduce its role to a simple sales process.

It also plays a role in :

• feeding information back from the field to the strategic teams,

• communicating brand value and image,

• analysing needs and identifying new opportunities.

In short, it makes an active contribution to the company's sales strategy.

A strategic lever for the modern company

In an environment saturated with similar solutions, services and offers, it is no longer always the product that makes the difference... but the way in which it is sold. And that's where the sales force comes into its own.

Today, the most successful companies share these points:

• integrate their sales force into their overall strategy,

• Equipping them with CRM technologies to improve the customer experience,

• Continuous training: to optimise results and maintain a high level of skills.

👉 The result? Greater efficiency, better customer relations and improved profitability.

What makes up an effective sales force?

You can't improvise a sales team like putting together a playlist. An effective sales force has to be built up. And above all, it has to be adapted to your product, your customers and your market. It's anything but standard.

1) The profiles that make up a sales team

We often speak of "the" sales force in the singular. But in reality, it is made up of profiles with very different missions:

• Field representatives: who are responsible for sales prospecting and direct contact with customers;

• Sedentary sales staff: often based at head office or in a shop, responsible for customer reception and follow-up;

• Sales engineers: with a more technical profile, capable of adapting their approach to complex or high added-value products;

• one or more sector managers or sales directors: who manage, organise and set the direction for the whole team.

So the job is not just about "selling": it involves knowing your offering, understanding your customers and contributing to your sales objectives.

2) Combining internal and external resources

Some companies prefer to rely on an internal sales force that is fully integrated into their organisation. Others choose to outsource part of their sales force to specialist service providers. This is a way of becoming more flexible, extending your coverage area or reducing certain fixed costs.

📌 Please note: these benefits do not apply to all situations. It all depends on:

• the size of the company,

• its activity

• its development objectives,

• the resources available internally.

In practice, many organisations opt for a hybrid model, combining a stable core with outsourced reinforcements at certain key moments (launches, seasonal peaks, shop-in-shop, etc.).

Internal, external and back-up sales forces: what are the differences?

People talk about the sales force as a homogeneous block. But in reality? It's a constellation of formats, configurations and functions, each with its own strengths and constraints.

Internal or integrated sales force

This is the "in-house" model. Sales people recruited, trained and managed in-house, who know the product, the company and its customers inside out.

The advantage? Better control of the relationship, uniform distribution of value, stronger customer loyalty.

❌ Disadvantage? Higher cost, slower ramp-up, less flexible fixed resources.

This model is often preferred:

• for complex or high value-added products,

• when brand image is a key issue,

• in highly specialised sectors, where local knowledge is vital.

Outsourced or back-up sales force: when the outside world becomes the driving force

On the other hand, some companies opt for an external sales force, often as a back-up, or even shared with other brands.

🎯 The aim ? To speed up implementation, quickly cover a new territory, or respond to a peak in activity without exploding fixed costs.

This type of force is generally :

• rapidly operational, as they are already trained

• mobile, sometimes itinerant, or even sedentary, depending on the assignment,

• managed by a specialist service provider using its own tools and methods.

It can be involved in :

• launching a new product

• opening new points of sale

• specific campaigns such as pop-up stores or shop-in-shops.

When used properly, this solution offers a powerful feature: the ability to test a market without making a long-term commitment.

Tasks, objectives and day-to-day life of the sales force

This is not a job for the salon. The sales force is all about action, contact and results. Every day, in the field or in a sedentary position, our sales representatives make one appointment after another, make one call after another and follow up. With a single watchword: achieving sales targets (without ever losing sight of customer satisfaction).

A daily routine punctuated by sales targets

Whether in-house or outsourced, each sales team is part of a structured process, with quantified objectives and a clear scope. On paper, it might look something like this:

• number of contacts made over a period,

• conversion or order rates,

• sales generated in a given area or product category.

But in reality? It all depends on the salesperson's ability to :

• focus their energy on the right accounts

• use the key CRM functions

• master each stage of the sales cycle.

Objectives can be reviewed in real time, using data from the field, weekly reports or a detailed analysis of results. And each indicator becomes a lever for optimising actions, adjusting priorities and maintaining useful pressure.

A mission in the field... and in relationships

Selling, yes. But selling intelligently. The mission of the sales force does not end with the signing of a contract! It encompasses all the work involved in building customer loyalty, follow-up and relationship management.

Every contact with the customer is an opportunity :

• improve the customer experience

• build trust

• to create real, tangible, measurable added value.

Here, the best profiles are not those who speak the fastest... but those who listen, who adapt their discourse (and who transform each exchange into a lasting commitment). It's this attitude that makes the difference between a good salesperson... and a strategic asset for the company.

Optimise the effectiveness of your sales force: train, motivate, equip

An effective sales force is not just a good product sold by an army of motivated salespeople... It's an intelligent system that's constantly adapting. Performance depends on a fine balance between tools, skills and the ability to challenge oneself.

There can be no lasting results without ongoing training. The strongest sales teams are also those that invest in :

• Skills development (product, technical, tools),

• the use of an adapted, intuitive CRM integrated with the other tools,

• enhanced sales methods, focusing on listening and analysis.

But training alone is not enough. You also need to :

• motivate the teams, by valuing effort as much as figures,

• disseminate information on an ongoing basis (market intelligence, new products),

• contribute to the overall vision, by involving the sales force in strategic thinking.

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What your sales force can really become

The sales force is no longer a simple "field army". It is a strategic player, a relay of information and a source of insight (capable of influencing overall strategy). It provides feedback on weak signals, enables marketing actions to be fine-tuned and helps to make the most of experience in the field. With a view to continuous improvement, it also contributes to the digital dissemination of the offering and, of course, to achieving sales targets. When you optimise it, you're betting on sustainable growth that's truly aligned with market realities... and that's what's going to make the difference tomorrow!