Managing a drinks Field Sales Team isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s the linchpin of success for brands seeking to thrive in competitive markets. Yet, some businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), sometimes undervalue the importance of having a dedicated Field Sales Manager for their sales team.
Let’s delve into why managing a drinks Field Sales Team is vital, the challenges SMEs face, and real-world solutions from two of JME’s own Field Sales Managers.
Why Some Businesses Undervalue Field Sales Team Management
Many SMEs view Field Sales Team Management as an unnecessary luxury, particularly if they’re operating on a tight budget. There’s a misconception that smaller operations do not need structured Field Sales Team leadership or that it’s an expense that’s better spent elsewhere.
However, this mindset can lead often to a lack of strategy and direction, therefore creating an ineffective or disengaged team and sales targets not being achieved.
As Lenia Christodoulou, JME Field Sales Manager for London, explains: “SMEs view employing someone to manage a small team as a poor return on investment. Some brand owners may feel they cannot afford to hire a Field Sales Manager, but in reality, they cannot afford to not hire one.”
The Cost of Poor Team Management
Without effective management, Field Sales Teams often struggle to meet their potential. But the value of having a Field Sales Manager is sometimes only appreciated the hard way and it may not be a priority at the start.
Andrene Hughes, JME Field Sales Manager for Scotland, highlights a common pitfall: “Brand owners often have amazing ideas about creating a brand and think it’s simple to get their product behind bars. They don’t realise that it requires training and coaching to ensure Field Sales Teams are effective in securing menu listings and building the relationships that create sales.”
As Lenia Christodoulou points out also, investing in good Field Sales Management can save costs in the long run: “A Field Sales Team that lacks leadership and training will cost far more in missed opportunities than the cost of employing a Field Sales Manager. Without good management, Field Sales Teams can be ineffective and waste valuable resources for the brand.”
The Benefits of Strong Field Sales Team Management
Effective Field Sales Team Management delivers benefits that extend far beyond hitting sales targets. At its core, good Field Sales Team Management amplifies a team’s strengths, fosters morale, and ensures a consistent approach to customer engagement.
As Andrene Hughes explains, “Having a Field Sales Manager ensures a sales strategy and field sales structure is in place for their teams. They should support the team to learn and practice all the steps of the sale, from journey planning, to presenting a product, closing the sale, and ultimately achieving the targets.”
This is where the importance of experience in the field comes into play. An experienced Field Sales Manager understands first-hand what makes a Field Sales Representative effective, and how to empower diverse team members to achieve results. Through the skills that come from training and coaching a wide variety of different personality types, an experienced drinks Field Sales Manager will bring invaluable benefits.
Lenia Christodoulou understands this better than most: “Everyone has different learning styles and different needs, so as Field Sales Managers we always need to think about how to coach each person and how to help them improve. Having experience with managing many different teams and individuals through JME provides us with the background to understand how to get the best out of each person.”
The JME Approach to Effective Field Sales Management
JME drinks Field Sales Managers have a robust training and coaching system in place that is designed to set their team up for success. It is built on the back of decades of experience throughout different levels of the drinks industry.
“Personal development is a really big thing for us at JME.” Lenia Christodoulou explains: “Understanding what each person wants to aim towards career wise, plus their goals and motivations. Whether it’s learning about budgeting and forecasting, or becoming better at developing relationships and building rapport swiftly. We always help team members to grow in the areas they want to.”
It’s often the small things that can have a huge impact on the success of teams, such as structured weekly meetings to help plan the week ahead. Such meetings are also the perfect opportunities to review the activities of the previous week, as Andrene Hughes points out:
“Having someone to oversee the Field Sales Team is essential because they help the team members to be efficient through a structured system, such as having a planning preparation call at the beginning of each week. This will highlight planning for the week ahead plus where the Field Sales Representative needs to follow up on recent visits to enable them to close sales – a crucial component that is often overlooked.”
Practical Tips for Better Field Sales Team Management
- Structure is everything – planning, preparation, targets, and reviews. A drinks Field Sales Representative’s journey can be lonely so it’s essential to have a solid structure in place and review targets on a regular basis.
- Clear targets are so important – it’s beneficial to be able to break them down into monthly, weekly, and daily KPIs to set understandable and achievable targets.
- Motivate your team and support them through providing the training and coaching they need to do what they say they’ll do, build rapport with the right people, and be disciplined. There’s no point in just walking into an appointment and hoping that you’ll be speaking to the right person or decision maker. It takes skills and training to set up a successful meeting and make sure you’re not wasting your time.
- Document everything – brand owners need data to see what they are getting in return for their investment, how sales are going, how things are moving forwards, and how their product is being used. JME recommends BOWIMI, our partner CRM system.
- A good Field Sales Manager understands the key difference between training and coaching and knows when to apply each approach. This is particularly important for SMEs, who often recruit entry-level sales teams. Recognising when to train and when to coach can make all the difference in helping a team succeed.
- It’s equally crucial to appreciate the value of hiring the right Field Sales Manager. Attracting someone who aligns with your goals is worth investing in to achieve the results you want for both your team and your brand.
How JME Can Help
At JME, we specialise in supporting SME Drinks Brands to grow in the on-trade with solutions tailored to the challenges of Managing Field Sales Teams. We offer part-time Field Sales Management services, with FSMs available in most key cities for one or two days per week to keep the team focused and on track. This is a great use of an SME budget!
We also offer Field Sales Training and Coaching sessions to ensure team members have the foundational skills they need to succeed in the field. Alongside this we can support on building out Job Descriptions (JDs), Team Targets, KPIs, and we are happy to share our vast experience on the best CRMs, reporting, and people management tools.
Investing in Team Management isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity for long-term success. Don’t let poor Team Management hold you brand back. Contact JME today to learn how we can help you transform your Field Sales Team into a high-performing powerhouse.
Book a consultation by contacting Jenny@JMEdrinksconsultancy.co.uk to take the first step towards a brighter future for your business.
