In any organisation, the sales department plays a pivotal role in the success of the business. The unique and important role of sales is to bridge the gap between the potential customer’s needs and the product and services that the organisation offers that can fulfil their needs.

Here are some of the key ways in which sales impact the organisation’s success:

Sales Lead Conversions

As mentioned before, salespeople bridge the gap between customer needs and the product or service that fulfils that need. Often, salespeople are dealing with already warmed up prospects who have an existing awareness of the company through marketing and advertising efforts, and it’s the job of the salesperson to close the deal by introducing further information and helping the customer make those connections.

Take for example, car sales. You typically go to a car dealership knowing you are looking for a car. The car salesperson will typically ask you questions about your personal life including size of your family, typical daily routine, etc. in order to gain insight into what you would use the car for. They can then offer information about various cars in the dealer’s range that would suit your needs and guide you in making an informed decision about which car is the one for you.

Because salespeople interact directly with the potential customer, they have the advantage of being able to glean personal knowledge that will aid them in delivering their sales pitch and tailoring their offerings to their audience. This is often an attractive aspect for customers, as they may view the salesperson as the expert, which builds credibility and therefore trust.

Business Growth

Sales play a key role in the building of loyalty and trust between customer and business. Trust and loyalty are the main reasons why a customer would choose to recommend your company to a friend or family member or write a great review of your product or service online.

Recommendations and reviews have always been valued by prospects and customers, as they come from a third party and the perception is that the reviews and recommendations are independent of the seller and therefore carry more credibility. In the digital age, they are extremely influential, due to the reach and power of social media and online media. During sales interactions, encouraging the customer to recommend a friend or give positive feedback can have an impact on the growth of the business through increased brand awareness and sales.

Customer Retention

Selling is a personal interaction between one human and another, which is a powerful thing. Never underestimate the personal connection between two people, and the potential effect this can have on your brand’s reputation.

Excellent salespeople are those that not only make the sale but create a long-lasting impact on the customer. Long term customer relationships lead to repeat custom, referrals and increase the brand’s reputation by word of mouth.

One of the keys to customer retention through sales is to perform sales follow-ups. Setting up after-sales calls or meetings is a great way to maintain and build a positive relationship and gives the customer an opportunity to feedback their experience of the product or service. If the customer has a complaint or issue, it can be dealt with quickly and professionally. Too often, unhappy customers will not complain, they will simply switch their custom to another provider and won’t recommend your services or products to others. It’s more cost-effective to retain customers than to win new ones, so look after your existing customers well.

In conclusion, the power of sales in the continued success of an organisation is not to be underestimated or under-used. Take advantage of the impact sales can have, not only on revenue but on brand reputation, long term customer retention and business growth.