Field Sales teams are expensive to run, but their impact on sales can be challenging to calculate. Many brand owners rely on imprecise assumptions about the impact of sales activities on revenues to generate an assumed ROI.
However, the advent of more widely available retailer Scan or POS (Point of Sale) data allied with flexible SFA systems means that brand owners can know with certainty the ROI of their Field Sales investments. This can lead to more motivated salespeople working smarter and achieving better results, which they and their management can easily see.
Introducing an ROI mentality to a CPG sales team is a major undertaking, but one that can produce sparkling results. In categories where the accepted ‘rules of the game’ mean that all players provide large field sales teams, the results can be dramatic. For the brand owner that achieves differential advantage, the prize is significant, and the effects are long-lasting. Conclusion – there’s a big upside to making the change.
