If there is one thing that is a common factor across almost all types of business entities, it is sales. Government agencies, private businesses, charitable organisations, small businesses, large corporations, start-ups and even family-run businesses like ours – we all must sell our products or services to continue to be viable (in more ways than one).

Sales can be defined in several ways depending on the context. For instance, it could be the mode or type of sale:

• B2B

• B2C

• Enterprise sales

• Direct sales and so on.

It could also be defined as per the ‘platform’ - through online channels, brick-and-mortar stores, or referrals. Regardless of the type, at its very core, sales is the process of exchanging goods or services for money.

Successful sales teams know that it is also a systematic approach to identifying, engaging with, and persuading potential customers to buy products or services. While the bigger goal is to meet the targets of, and generate revenue for a business, a sales team starts with building trust.

At Texmo Industries, we realise that sales begins with understanding customer pain points, presenting solutions, & building and supporting relationships for long-term success. That is exactly why, for us, sales isn't about making a transaction; it's about creating value and fostering trust, which drives customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The right sales targets
Customer trust gets us better sales – and there is no doubt that we try & live by this credo. The challenge is to understand the intricate relationship between an intangible thing like customer trust, and the more tangible aspect of sales. One of the ways to connect the dots is to set targets based on a few keystones:

• Ensuring our sales teams understand the purpose of our business: people before profits

• Believing in the process and being systematic about the three main stages of sales cycle: before, during, and after the sale

• Being customer-centric through all phases of the sales cycle: from prospecting to closing the sale

• Using the best possible market intelligence: actionable insights into the smallest markets, and areas of interest of our customers.

The importance of setting the right target is exemplified wonderfully in an article written by Andris A. Zoltners, Prabhakant Sinha, and Sally E. Lorimer in Harvard Business Review: When 10%–20% of salespeople miss goals, the problem might be the salespeople. But when most salespeople miss, the problem is their goals.

Using sales to get it right
Indubitably, sales drive the growth of any company and when all teams work together to help achieve sales targets, it brings in a high degree of cohesiveness. We know that we must continue to manufacture excellent products that customer love and trust. Our service skills must be impeccable so that an existing customer never has to regret the decision of buying from Taro Pumps.

We also rely on analysing business situations, prevailing economic & market factors, getting feedback from the sales teams, and meeting our customers as often as we can, to hone our sales targets constantly. This kind of planning for growth helps us all focus on all aspects of business, especially in trusting that the brand reputation will continue to be the greatest asset for our business.