Johnson and Johnson Case Study 1

Allen Ortiz

Prof. Gene Dichiara

Sales Force Management

02/07/2016

Case Study A-4: Johnson Drug Company

The case states that the role of the sales person under the new Drug Service Systems is to first understand all aspects of the product they are selling. Before, each sales person is actually promoted to sales they should be working for the company in some capacity. The case study states that the sales person is typically hired with in house. The sales person is then required to know how the product is prepared in the warehouse, by working in the actual warehouse. This part of the system is key; some sales people do not know how their product even reaches them. They may know that some of the product is stored in a warehouse, but lack the understanding of how the product arrived or where it is packaged and stored in the warehouse.

The sales person is to have a full understanding of the tools used in the drug service system.  The system was created so that technology could enhance their selling ability, which benefits the seller, and The Johnson Companies profits.  With that said, the salesperson “was responsible not only for the sale of products but, more important, for the management of the system, and thus for the management of profits at the retail level.” The salesperson should also be focused in on reaching their predetermined volume of sales so that they may receive commission.

        In order for the sales personnel to sell the system selling process, he or she should be proficient in implanting the concept with their own individual sales. This will help sell the product with their own personal experiences and knowledge of how it is used. This will entail the sales personnel knowing how the system gives an advantage in not only selling but how it may decrease costs in other areas like “order replacement decisions, labor employment, credit policy formulation, book keeping, shelf stocking, inventory decisions, carrying costs, traffic flow, layout structure, financial decision making, and merchandising strategy planning.”

        The sales personnel are only to report to there field sales manager. The field sales manager is considered to also be a field supervisor of the sales force, a field intelligence person, troubleshooter, and a seller of sales systems.  The field sales supervisor is also the only link from the sales marketplace to top management. Although it may just be easier for each of the field sales managers titles to become jobs for others to have, so that much of the pressure can be taken off one person.  For example; hiring a specialist in the sales force as a field intelligence person, or hiring an expert in technology as a trouble shooter makes much more sense.