Jon3G
26th May 2005, 06:03 PM
Sony Ericsson is doubling its field team in a bid to make shop floor staff more familiar with its phones, in what is thought to be a £1m investment.
Sony Ericssons own research found that half of all handset purchasing decisions are made in store and 80% of demonstrations result in a sale, prompting the manufacturer to train staff at multiple retailers, operator stores and smaller independents.
It will dispatch 17 market development managers (MDMs) who will be expected to visit 260 stores over a six-week period.
Ben Padley, Sony Ericssons head of marketing, said the company was finally able to invest in training after the joint venture went into the black for the first time over the last 18 months, adding: Maybe we didnt have the budget before.
Padley said the explosion of handset models flooding into stores could overwhelm store staff. Handsets are also getting more complicated and people like Carphone are opening more stores, he said. There are now more than 200 handsets being sold. It can be overwhelming for people on the shop floor.
We get really excited about our products. We want to get that across to the sales staff on the shop floor so they can do the same to consumers. If people understand our products, they will sell them.
Padley said a web portal will be launched this year on which dealers can order point-of-sale material and request a visit from a Sony Ericsson MDM. MDMs will also be sent to the networks call centre staff who handle direct sales and upgrades.
As a reaction to the research results highlighting the clout held by sales staff, a large number of demonstration handsets will be sent to stores. I will be disappointed if you walk into a Carphone or Phones 4u and dont get a demo for a K750i over the next few weeks, said Padley.
Sony Ericsson has also started branding some independents with signage as part of its move to get more widely noticed in retail stores. Gee Kumar, owner of indie store Coast Telecom, had a Sony Ericsson sign fitted on his North London store last month. He said: The branding of the sign outside has given us a lot of credibility. We get a lot more footfall since we had the sign put up.
He said there was initial concern that aligning with one manufacturer could harm the stores reputation as an independent but insisted that customers knew the store stocked a full range of products.
Weve had a lot more people coming through the door. Even people coming in for a basic fix on their Sony Ericsson is good, because thats a new customer, he added.
© Copyright 2005 : Noble House Media Ltd
Sony Ericssons own research found that half of all handset purchasing decisions are made in store and 80% of demonstrations result in a sale, prompting the manufacturer to train staff at multiple retailers, operator stores and smaller independents.
It will dispatch 17 market development managers (MDMs) who will be expected to visit 260 stores over a six-week period.
Ben Padley, Sony Ericssons head of marketing, said the company was finally able to invest in training after the joint venture went into the black for the first time over the last 18 months, adding: Maybe we didnt have the budget before.
Padley said the explosion of handset models flooding into stores could overwhelm store staff. Handsets are also getting more complicated and people like Carphone are opening more stores, he said. There are now more than 200 handsets being sold. It can be overwhelming for people on the shop floor.
We get really excited about our products. We want to get that across to the sales staff on the shop floor so they can do the same to consumers. If people understand our products, they will sell them.
Padley said a web portal will be launched this year on which dealers can order point-of-sale material and request a visit from a Sony Ericsson MDM. MDMs will also be sent to the networks call centre staff who handle direct sales and upgrades.
As a reaction to the research results highlighting the clout held by sales staff, a large number of demonstration handsets will be sent to stores. I will be disappointed if you walk into a Carphone or Phones 4u and dont get a demo for a K750i over the next few weeks, said Padley.
Sony Ericsson has also started branding some independents with signage as part of its move to get more widely noticed in retail stores. Gee Kumar, owner of indie store Coast Telecom, had a Sony Ericsson sign fitted on his North London store last month. He said: The branding of the sign outside has given us a lot of credibility. We get a lot more footfall since we had the sign put up.
He said there was initial concern that aligning with one manufacturer could harm the stores reputation as an independent but insisted that customers knew the store stocked a full range of products.
Weve had a lot more people coming through the door. Even people coming in for a basic fix on their Sony Ericsson is good, because thats a new customer, he added.
© Copyright 2005 : Noble House Media Ltd