Organisation of sales and sales related restrictions

The organisation of helps your company use its resources efficiently. In addition to the sales situation itself, you must take three areas into consideration:

• planning of sales
• motivating the sales team
• sales monitoring.

Plan sales targets on a case-by-case basis in cash, in units, in terms of market share or sales margins. Determine the tasks of your personnel and give them operating instructions. Decide on the time of sales and the number of discounts. Assess costs and prepare a reporting plan.

Motivate your sales team with positive feedback, raises or bonuses. You can also arrange training or task rotation for them. You can increase their responsibilities or opportunities for influence and career advancement. Use different motivation approaches with different kinds of people.

Follow your company’s sales actively and observe the achievement of goals. Follow the activities of your sales team as well as the number of customer visits and orders. Also determine the costs caused by sales. Listen to customer feedback and learn from it.

Selling usually consists of the same stages whatever the sales situation.

At the preparation stage, you must create presentation material for your company and products, including brochures and samples. Also plan your timetables and get to know your customers’ information.

At the contact stage, you start discussions with the customer on your or the customer’s initiative. Reach to your customer’s contact request as soon as possible. Map out all of your customer’s needs in the discussion.

At the solution stage, your task is to present a solution to your customer’s need or problem. Aim at eliminating any doubts concerning buying.

At the offer stage you present your offer to the customer. This may be a preconceived standard offer or one tailor-made for the customer in question.

At the encouragement stage, you may give time for the customer to consider your offer or offer them something for free. A positive gesture may confirm the purchase decision.

At the after-care stage, you should ensure that delivery runs smoothly and you customer is satisfied. Whether you made a sale or not, you should send out a customer satisfaction query.

Sales restrictions are usually based on legislation. As an entrepreneur, you may also personally set restrictions to sales, such as a ban on selling energy drinks to children. The municipality may also impose separate restrictions.

Selling certain products is restricted due to reasons connected to public health, for example. For instance, cigarettes may not be visible on a shop shelf. Other products subject to sales restrictions include alcohol, drugs, guns and gambling.

The time of sales is crucial in some cases. For example, you may only sell alcohol at certain times of day and fireworks on certain days.  

The target group is also significant. For example, you may not sell alcohol for someone who is visibly drunk. Products that you may not sell to minors include alcohol and tobacco products, toxic chemicals, fireworks, gambling as well as games, films and magazines with age restrictions. You may also not sell things on credit to minors.

Minors may generally not make more significant purchases, such as pets or trips to foreign countries without parental consent. The salesperson is responsible for finding out the customer’s age and checking that parental consent has been given.

Sales conditions may cause further restrictions. For example, there are specific rules on selling food outdoors.

For more information on sales restrictions, contact the authority that oversees the sales of the product.

You can usually use marketing prize draws, such as lotteries, competitions and games to attract more sales to your products. Please note that in the marketing of services related to credit and health and medical care, among others, prize draws may be contrary to good practice.

You must comply with the regulations related to marketing prize draws. Note that you must take into account stricter requirements in marketing aimed at children and young people also in the context of prize draws.

Make sure that the rules of marketing prize draws and related participation are as clear as possible. The rules must indicate how and when people can participate in the prize draws. Also provide information on the grounds for deciding on the winner and when the winner will be announced. Indicate how the winner will be notified of the win. Make sure that it is easy for participants to find the rules and conditions.

In the context of marketing prize draws, also provide clear information about who is the organiser and that the price draw has a commercial purpose.

Note that if participating in marketing prize draws requires buying a product, you must provide information on the product as required by the Consumer Protection Act. 

Comply with statutes on data protection in the marketing prize draws. Consider that participants must give permission to your company for submitting marketing communications, for example by ticking a box.

Remember that the product must play a key role also in marketing prize draws. Do not put too much emphasis on the prize or the chances of winning.

If the winner of a marketing prize draw is selected randomly, your company will usually have to pay a lottery tax.