In the middle of November, I spent a day in the field with a drinks sales rep from one of our clients. Why? As a Marketer for Gaina Software, I wanted to get a better understanding for how people actually use our mobile sales app, ORCA and I wanted some feedback on the product.
In the interests of privacy, we’ll refer to the rep as David. David collected me at the agreed time and had bought me a coffee, so we were off to a great start!
Where Our Day Began
Our first port of call was a town in South Down, Northern Ireland. We visited several bars before 11:00. David was treated like an old friend. We were offered tea, coffee and sandwiches everywhere that we went. Our rep wasn’t treated like a salesman, he was viewed as a trusted companion who could ensure that outlet owners could satisfy the needs of their patrons. Why? Because he never let them down.
Order Makers, Not Order Takers
When David entered a pub, golf club, hotel, off sales or restaurant, he knew exactly what the manager needed and he knew what products they’d be interested in. How? He used our ORCA sales app. The ORCA app allowed him to immediately show managers their order history for specific times of year, to see their weekly and monthly ordering habits and offer guidance on what they needed. David didn’t take drinks orders, he made them. Managers loved that. And because the information that he relayed to them was always correct, they trusted him when he suggested new products.
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We visited two neighbouring off sales that were within 150 feet of each other, but both delivered very different products and shopping experiences. David told me that the sales and survey information stored on ORCA gave him the insights that he needed when determining the appropriate products and promotions to offer each outlet. Off Sales A had a strong history of selling premium vodkas, gin brands and high-end IPA and craft beers. Off Sales B tended to sell traditional vodka, gin and beer brands, along with bottles of wine priced between £6.00 – £9.00. David could see all of this information on ORCA. The customer-specific sales reports that were available to him enabled David to promote the appropriate brands and products to management and shop owners.
To David, ORCA acted as a mobile sales assistant.
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The Power of Knowledge
When we visited a golf club in county Armagh, we arrived with two promotional bottles of pink gin. Free for the club’s bar. Why? David was here a month previous and made a note on his ORCA app that on the coming Saturday, the club was hosting a Ladies Night. Having that information to hand was vital when planning his week. He received a handshake and pat on the back from the golf club’s bar manager and you could see the respect between the two. There was a mutual understanding of the other’s needs and they acted upon maintaining this relationship. This was how you retain custom. Exceed expectations.
For drinks sales reps, having the information that your customers need, to hand, is vital to retaining their custom and upselling products.
ORCA integrates with Control-IT, Gaina’s ERP software, and gives reps like David real-time information in relation to the products and promotions that are available in your drinks business. David is able to look at specific customer buying habits, without the need to phone head office, saving everyone time by eliminating that process. With ORCA, he can gather customer information with our surveying capabilities and build an information centre, vital to building relationships
The image below is a preview of what David could do from his tablet. The information that he gathers and inputs to the app is automatically uploaded to Control-IT (Gaina’s ERP system), allowing him to make informed decisions that can result in increased sales volume, value and margin!
Profit Indicator
What’s more, David can see the profitability of each order and, with a manager’s blessing, could negotiate pricing with customers. The profit indicator ensures that reps are only making profitable orders. What’s not to love about that?
(you can see in the image below, the profit indicator on the right-hand side of the screen shows the profitability of an order that a rep is about to make)
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Customer experience is a huge part of any sales role. A sales rep is required to be an industry expert, a reliable supplier and (in some cases) a trusted friend. Having a tool in their arsenal that allows them to achieve these facets helps reps continue to build profitable relationships for the business.
Our mobile sales app ORCA is enabling David, and reps just like him, to:
– Store more information on their customers and promote repeat business
– Offer promotions and pricing that are based on up-to-date, relevant data.
– Save time (and money) by eliminating the time they spend on the phone to office staff.
What did I learn on that day?
I learned that the use of a mobile sales app, specifically ORCA, can enable more profitable relationship building, allow for a more informed transfer of information between seller and customer, and that moving away from the use of paper and pens can increase your sales value, volume and margin.
Need more information on how you could increase sales volumes? Get your FREE eBook!
Alternatively, get in touch using the form below if you want to turn your sales reps into order makers, rather than order takers
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