The Effect of the Internet on Sales Management

Seminar paper from the year 2001 in the subject Business economics - Trade and Distribution, grade: 9 (von 10), Maastricht University (FDEWB), course: Sales management, 29 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: [...] No waves disturbed their journey. Especially the last decade this calm sea turned into a world of waves, the tips of the waves blinking white, a sign for a restless sea and a build up of higher waves. The Internet brought many companies into permanent white water, the ever changing business environment. They need to adapt in order to remain profitable and secure survival. The Internet is a type of global information infrastructure consisting of computer hardware and software that is characterized as both general and open (Peterson, Balasubramanian and Bronnenberg, 1997). In this definition 'general' refers to the fact that the Internet has not been designed for one particular set of services. 'Open' implies that all specifications necessary to use the Internet are publicly available. In other words, the Internet is a network of networks. The Internet is a rapid growing phenomenon. One of the most fascinating elements has been its amazing growth. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (2000) found that U.S. consumers and businesses spending on information technology was about 10 % of the U.S. gross national product (GDP) in the year 2000 compared to a merely 1.5 % in 1981. The present popularity of the Internet as a commercial medium is due to its ability to facilitate global sharing of information and resources, and its potential to provide an efficient channel for advertising, marketing, and even direct distribution of certain goods and information services. The Internet has been called the most important new marketing medium since television. The use of the Internet allows companies to identify their customers, differentiate them, interact with them, and then customize programs that will heighten customer satisfaction and loyalty (Groossman, 1998). The Internet has radically changed the way companies do business. For instance, it can be used as an effective business-to-business tool to increase collaboration. Therefore, the main problem statement this paper answers is : What is the effect of the Internet on Sales management? First, the general advantages and disadvantages of the Internet will be discussed. Second, the effect of the Internet on the buyer-seller relationship are enlightened. Third, change in the sales representative's job are elaborated on. After that a proposal is made to effectively integrate the Internet in the sales force activities. The paper ends with a short conclusion.