SALES MANAGEMENT

Sales management is the attainment of an organisation's sales goal in a n effective and efficient manner through planning, staffing, training, leading and controlling organisational resources.

The traits of a good sales team are as follows:

• Enthusiasm
• Persistence
• Self Confidence
• Initiative
• Commitment
• Street Smart

The sales force at HUL are prepared extensively to meet all these traits before setting them out to the actual industry. Once recruited, there is a mandatory training period of 1 year that the employee has to go through. During this period the employees are exposed to different situations and are provided with assistance to cope with the same. Periodic assessment are carried out and based on the performance, only those employees who are sought to be a fit to the position are certified and allotted suitable designations.

Dove welcomes all feedback of its customers through its websites to follow up. As a brand it has understood that providing the necessary customers satisfaction is as crucial as making profits and have been working with its heart and soul to achieve the same. It indulges in the minds of its customers a sense of trust and care.

A sales activity management process would involve the components depicted in the figure

Source: http://www.4cplus.com/images/sales-m2.jpg

HUL has been efficient and has managed to be the best at all the above shown components and thus is enjoying the leverages of being the market leader.

ANALYZING CONSUMER MARKETS

The consumer markets can be analysed based on the response stimulus model which is as follows:

Source: http://www.tutor2u.net/business/images/stimulus_response.gif

Along with these stimuli the customer also experiences some psychological processes before she actually decides to buy the product. These processes include the following:

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjj2a05abBrj-Km9k6d9P4IVLZbB54FULU_wn7hGfkT3Q1ff-IO4IlyjP03YtqjnbuNYJ7x0wOdMg4Ede7Kx8FajA8ef0XVfNU_4lg9wSxO5OzQuNWNpeEYL8M7P7zMVoZpCOL0yKT0A/s1600/Psychological+Factors.jpg

• Motivation: the customer needs to feel the urge to have a soft and moisturized skin. It is only then she will begin to look for related products. Dove will definitely stand out considering its composition which has one quarter moisturizing lotion.
• Perception: in all campaigns of Dove there is immense focus on the fact that the brand cares for its customers. This focus helps develop a positive perception towards the product in the minds of the people.
• Learning: the product promises not to leave any residue after wash which most other soaps fail to do because of its high ph. The customers who once use the product will experience this promise come true and this would help them learn about the gentleness of the product.
• Beliefs and attitudes (Memory): a customer who uses the Dove soap does not generally switch to any other product considering all the benefits she receives and the personal connect towards the brand that has been successful in keeping its customers happy and satisfied. 

ANALYZING BUSINESS MARKETS

B2B MARKETING APPROACH

Buying situations: The business buyer faces many decisions in making a purchase.

• Straight rebuy: in this approach the buyers call for stock on a routine basis. Dove soaps usually fall under this category as it is a daily use commodity.
• Modified rebuy: here the buyer wants to enforce a change in the product specifications, price, delivery requirements or other things. This situation is very unlikely to happen in the case of the Dove soap because the buyer has little say in the process. Also HUL works on the advance payment policy thus ensuring no flaws.
• New task: this is a buy where the buyer is buying the product for the first time. This situation could arise when a new retailer sets up a store and wants to import the Dove soap bars. In all likelihood of such cases there would be no worries because of the brand's trusted sales over the years

PARTICIPANTS IN THE BUSINESS BUYING PROCESS

As shown in the figure the distribution process of Dove products starts with the manufacturer and moves down to the retail stores, CSD and modern trade through C&F(cost and freight) and stockists. 

HOLISTIC OR SUSTAINABLE MARKETING

SOCIETAL MARKETING

Source: http://designopportunistic.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/screen-shot-2011-11-17-at-12-13-12-am.png 

Dove use this approach of marketing. In this they educate the women that the perfect body is a healthy body and influence their perceptions to change towards this direction. This would in turn help raise the self-esteem and confidence in the minds of women. It also focuses on human welfare in addition to brand profits and consumer demands.

They conduct many social activities to build a community. An example of this would be the sleepover workshop they conducted on eating disorders. Many such activities are brought forward to the society through social media as well.

THE HOLISTIC MARKETING ACTIVITIES OF DOVE

       Dove has managed to attain several advantages because of its holistic approach in marketing. A few of these include creation of goodwill, differentiation from its partners, professional image, creation of the perfect environment for support and so on. Its holistic approach includes

• personal care with beauty tips
• assistance with medication: the dove self-esteem funds, programs for aesthetics and well being)
• provision of companionship: the Dove website has a community of forums blogs where its consumers can discuss about anything of their choice.

 The dove also attempts to provide personal attention to its customers and tries to indulge in them a sense of feeling beautiful with its campaigns and workshops. 

BRANDING

POINTS OF PARITY

• Availability of different variants
• Availability of these variants at almost the same price or with negligible difference
• Availability of different sizes (there are 2 sizes)
• Focus on moisturizing the skin
• No harshness because of the low ph level

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE

• Low ph value
• One quarter moisturizing lotion composition
• Usage of ordinary women in their ads and campaigns
• One strong emotional proposition used (you are beautiful)
• Stress on the thought that it's not about glamour
• Promises not to leave any residues on the skin

The brand uses EMOTIONAL BRANDING to market its products. There is a deep sense of rationality and emotional components in their strategy.

BRANDING DYNAMICS 

STP

SEGMENTATION: it is the division of market into segments on the basis of similar wants and needs

TARGETING:

• The brand targets women of all ages (above 18), sizes and shapes.
• Upper middle and high income class.
• The main focus is on working women considering its high pricing and the lack of tie these women have to spend on beauty (the beauty bar provides women with the combined benefits of a soap and a moisturizer).

POSITIONING:

• Dove encourages women to develop a positive relationship with beauty which would help raise the self-esteem,, thus making them aware of their full potential.
• It positions itself as a brand that listens to its customers and as one that lays concern in the well being of the customers
• The soap is a personal care product and calls itself a moisturizing bar with one quarter moisturizing lotion in its composition. It is also known as the beauty bar.
•  The high moisturizing composition is the differentiating factor for the product. 
• Dove has positioned itself in a way that women all over the world are made to feel that they are beautiful and to bring about this revolution several campaign were conducted such as the dove campaign for real beauty, Dove movement for self esteem and the Dove real role models.
  
  

Services and services marketing

• The product falls under the Pure tangible good category of the service mix.

• The product might be considered to be a commodity that is high in experience qualities which means that the evaluation of the product can be done after purchase.

MANAGING SERVICE QUALITY 

                           HUL's principles in order to maintain its quality policy includes the following concerns:

• Major concern towards maintaining the safety of products that are delivered to the consumers : HUL maintains stringent mandatory quality standards and the compliance is verified by conducting periodic audits and self assessments. This is carried out so as to ensure that the company designs, manufactures and supplies only those products that are safe and of excellent quality. They also have in place comprehensive management procedures so as to reduce risks and protect its consumers and markets. The brand has provided appropriate training and resources to ensure the deliverance of quality and the performance is tested using both internal and external measures so as to measure and improve wherever possible.
• Every Unilever employee is aware of the fact that the quality and consumer safety is his/her responsibility: Unilever has demonstrated visible leadership in the market to meet this policy. HUL partners with stakeholders to provide leadership, build transparency and thus share best practices and the brand has managed to forge effective working relationships with its contract manufacturers and suppliers. 
• HUL places its consumers and customers at the heart of its business: The consumers and customers are made to actively engage themselves in the process so as to translate their requirements into purchasing the products and services of HUL, this adds on to creating consumer value 
• HUL believes that quality can be attained with shared responsibility: HUL actively promotes its Quality Policy and has a quality assurance organisation in place to ensure consistency and visibility of quality standards, processes and performance indicators across all Unilever businesses at all levels