Case
Teaching Notes
Abstract
Sharat Kapoor, General Manager of Essess by Indian Coatings (EIC) and his team, identified the ineffectiveness of the sales force as the root cause of the lackluster sales performance in FY 2019–2020. To deliver the steep sales growth targeted for FY 2020–2021, Kapoor considered three options. The first option was to continue with the entire Ess Ess Bath Fittings (EEBF) sales force. Second, to replace the entire EEBF sales team with a sales team selected from the parent company Indian Coatings. Third, replace only the non-performers in the current EIC sales team with fresh talent from the market with prior experience in the bath fittings distribution channel, which includes working with the distributors and the retailers of bath fittings. Kapoor’s team was divided about the best course of action to deliver immediate sales results while supporting the future growth prospects. Students will be asked to recommend their choice about the model of the sales force, which will be tasked to deliver the best results for EIC, thereby enhancing Kapoor’s career growth prospects of joining the top management team at Indian Coatings. Overall, this case explores the link between sales performance and the relationship between the salesperson and channel member. It also highlights the challenges in extracting sales performance from the sales team of an acquired company.
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