A majority of European companies in India are clearly falling short of their self-imposed sales targets. But this has not only been the case since “Corona”, but is a chronic phenomenon. Playing contrary to popular belief Product (Functional scope) and Price (Keyword price sensitivity) but only a minor role. The size of the market or the target segment is also important not the determining factors for sales success, but almost always the performance of the (own) sales organization.

From our practical experience, we can identify four main reasons why every third company does not achieve its sales targets in India:

• Lack of methodology in the sales process
• Focus on non-viable sales opportunities
• Lack of customer proximity & inadequate advice on sales in India
• “Arrogant” attitude from sales

So these are purely internal reasons and not "the market" – as we have discovered with the help of our scientific approach in numerous sales optimization projects in India. These vulnerabilities are even more difficult to identify, especially for someone within your own organization. There is usually a lack of a clear view of the processes and an external benchmark.

Therefore, the analysis of sales structures is primarily about this Creating transparency. Most company headquarters cannot objectively assess how well – or how badly – ​​business in India is actually going.

Additionally is a Market or sales check a useful tool to gain more clarity and, if necessary, to take (counter-)controlling measures in sales in India. Strategic and operational decisions for Indian sales can only be made on the basis of transparent figures and uncolored feedback that comes directly from the relevant market participants (competitors, end customers, authorities, etc.).

With the help of this questionnaire you can get your first one for India today Self-audit carry out and identify weak points:

• Do your Indian sales reps understand the unique selling points of your products?
• Can Indian sales coherently explain/demonstrate the value proposition? 
• What are your employees’ presentation and communication skills like?
• If it is a retailer, is there a conflict of interest with other products in their portfolio?
• How are customer inquiries processed in India?
• Is there an incentive and compensation system that incentivizes sales accordingly?
• Does sales have suitable tools (laptop, CRM,…)?
• Does the Indian sales department have all the information to acquire a project or does it receive the appropriate information and support from the head office?
• How are the target customers selected? And how are they addressed?
• Can your products be offered profitably in India (Analysis of transfer prices etc.) ?
• Is there functioning sales controlling?
• Who are the actual competitors? Who are the perceived competitors?
• Which competitor will win those projects that were lost (Lost order analysis)?
• What do customers (distributors) really think about the product and the company?

However, much of this information can only be collected or verified with the help of independent third parties. Sometimes you also need tools like: mystery shopping or undercover research to obtain answers to the above questions. This is exactly what we support Market Research-Team in India that specializes in obtaining valid and reliable market information.

Often you can get through customized training programs so-called “low hanging fruits” harvest and bring the Indian sales team back into shape.

When analyzing the Indian sales strategy, it is often clear that one... Indian sales partners do not serve the sales market ideally. In this case, it is necessary to decide whether it is worthwhile to become active on the market yourself or to have one Identify new sales representative.  

Sometimes targeted personnel measures (recruitment, layoffs, restructuring) can also be used Management of the Indian branch be optimized.

In addition to the structural organization, Optimization of processes usually the lever to improve the result. Read more about how we can help you reorganize your company, your structure and your processes in India.