This paper examines the workforce planning and sales team development strategy following InterClean's merger with EnviroTech, which shifted the company's focus from selling cleaning products alone to providing full-service cleaning solutions for the healthcare industry. The paper outlines three job analysis methods — observation, interviews, and questionnaires — used to identify key sales roles and competencies. It then details the job requirements, workforce planning system, and a progressive selection process. Finally, it presents a six-member core sales team, explaining how each individual's hard and soft skills align with the company's new dual product-and-service sales strategy.
InterClean has merged with EnviroTech and, as a result, has taken on a new strategic direction. The company no longer sells only cleaning products, but will also provide full-service cleaning solutions for organizations in the healthcare industry. A key feature of this new strategy is that the sales team will be responsible not only for selling products, but also for selling services.
While customer service is important in the product sales industry, it is even more critical in the service industry. Whereas the cleaning product industry requires only minimal contact with the customer during a sales deal, the service industry requires more human contact and, consequently, stronger interpersonal skills. New salesperson positions will therefore require that staff possess both sales and interpersonal competencies. With the company's new dual purpose of serving both product and service clients, salespersons will likely be required to work in teams. It will therefore be important to recruit individuals who can function well within a team environment.
In performing an analysis of sales jobs at InterClean, three analysis methods are appropriate: observation, interviews, and questionnaires. First, a set of six sales employees will be observed — three who were formerly working with EnviroTech and three from InterClean. The comparison will examine how they perform their work, the time each task takes, and the manner in which they communicate with customers. Sales figures will also be compared to determine which methods work most effectively. Finally, a comparison of the long-term customers on each salesperson's list will be made, and this information will be consolidated to determine the most effective sales strategy.
A different set of six employees will be used for the interview portion of the analysis. The interviews will include questions regarding each person's thoughts on effective sales strategy and customer service, and will be conducted collectively with all six participants. This information will then be compared and integrated with findings from the observation section. Finally, a questionnaire will be distributed to all salespersons who were not observed or interviewed, with questions similar to those asked during the interviews.
Resulting from the analysis, several job duties and specifications were identified. It is important to keep in mind that the sales department will handle both product and service sales and should therefore be driven by excellent customer service.
The first specific requirement is the ability to genuinely believe in a product or service and convey that belief to the customer. Salespersons need to be highly positive about what they are selling. They will therefore be encouraged to use the products themselves and honestly report any problems to the research department.
The second requirement is effective communication. Salespersons need to be able to substantiate their confidence in the product and/or cleaning service through friendly and open conversation. They should project a sense of trust and honesty to the customer.
Third, salespersons will be required to handle occasional complaints regarding products or services, which demands considerable patience. Responding to an upset customer with hostility is not acceptable. Customer service must be driven by understanding and a solution-oriented approach to problems.
"Training and incentives align team with company goals"
"Six candidates chosen for hard and soft skills"
The above sales team can be used as the core sales personnel, and can also be leveraged to recruit new personnel and train existing staff in the company's sales and customer service policies. As the company grows, core team members can also serve as team leaders for new salespersons, promoting the company's goals and strategy throughout the organization. The central requirement remains that all personnel must excel at both customer service and the sales process itself.
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