The Role of Sales Agent

As it seems today, there is no doubt that the Internet has brought changes to the role of the sales agent. The days when the salesperson controls the information he receives about the client, about the company and the products are over. When such information is available online, the customer often knows more about the product, the competition and the market than the salesperson.

But, not only has the buyer had access to information on the Internet and social networking. Sales agents also have easy access to great deal of information about clients and his company. This information allows the salesman to become more familiarize with the company and find out more information about who is involved in the buying process and who competitors are. He can also learn the lifestyle of the client, the preferences for products and meet his friends. The purpose of collecting and processing the information available online is the ability to adapt to the customer in the sales strategy, presentations and messages that best fit his needs.

A good sales agent in the Internet Age would have to adopt the role of a provider of value-added information that cannot easily be obtained via the Internet or other sources. For example, instead of a car dealership sales agent providing ‘dry’ technical specifications, an agent with an in-depth knowledge of car maintenance, for example, may be more attractive and create a competitive advantage over cars marketing website.

In sales areas that have undergone a process of commoditization, transactions are characterized by a purchase with almost no interaction with sales agent (such as books, electronics, etc.). In other areas, where the act of sale is not required, salespeople have almost disappeared. However, many areas of both the B2B and C2B, require meeting face - to - face, and the sales process is more “consulting" oriented, it features much more "sale" rather than "buy".