Internal Sales: How the changing nature of an internal sales office has benefited the employer and the employee - Part 4

There is little point changing your business focus or the way a department is run if there are not long-term benefits to all concerned. In the final part of our in-depth focus on internal sales and customer service, Neil Tilsley of Polypipe Ventilation explains how companies can benefit.

Improved service and customer satisfaction
Customers’ queries are answered with greater speed and intelligence, saving time and building the trust and confidence of the customer or potential partner. Satisfied customers are more likely to return the next time they have a need.

Increased sales and opportunities

The assistance from the office provides a more informed and educated sell, resulting in a greater amount of conversions due to the provision of better information for decision making. This more informed sell provides further opportunities, as the greater product and market knowledge that the internal person has increases the ‘add-on’ sales of other company products.

It also means the external sales team’s time is utilised better and referrals from the office have a greater chance of being secured.

Reduced errors 
When there is a large turnover of staff, or if employees are bored in their roles, there is a far greater chance of errors, especially in the processing of purchase orders. When people become experienced in their role these are significantly reduced, resulting in improved customer relationships and the reduction of the cost to the manufacturer of rectifying errors.

Pride and interest in the job

We want our employees to have pride in their jobs and by giving them greater empowerment and knowledge we are able to do this. Job satisfaction is very important and this pride should transfer to all that come into contact with the employee.

Ensuring that our employees are involved in the business means they show an active interest in what we are doing and why we are doing it. The role becomes more interesting and helps to keep employees motivated.

Improved company morale, greater employee loyalty and a more stable environment
If people are happy in their jobs then the whole company is buoyant, the team ethic throughout the company grows and we see that people are willing to go that extra mile when needed. This also helps encourage loyalty and a stable environment, which gives employees the confidence to grow and develop with the company.

I would like to wish all the best to any company looking to change the focus of their internal support function and to anyone looking to build a career in an internal sales/service environment. Good luck!

We would like to extend our special thanks to Neil at Polypipe Ventilation for his time and insight into our feature on internal sales in the building products industry. 

If you missed the rest of the series, you can catch up here:
Part 1: The changing nature of internal sales for a manufacturer of building products

Part 2: Five ways to ensure the internal support function is successful

Part 3: The skills, experience and attributes to look for when recruiting a customer service professional

If you are interested in starting or developing a career in internal sales or customer service, please contact us to discuss your requirements or to arrange to meet us at one of our specialised regional career development clinics for the building and construction industry. Contact us on 01480 405225 or email recruit@pinnacleconsulting.co.uk

Take a look at our current internal sales vacancies.

Polypipe Ventilation designs and manufactures a full range of high quality ventilation systems for the domestic and light commercial building sectors. They specialise in supporting specifiers, contractors, developers, installers and operators by providing energy-saving ventilation solutions that meet Building Regulations and save time and money on site.

As a group, Polypipe design, develop and manufacture the widest range of plastic piping products, with over 20,000 product lines available. Their primary focus is on developing and supporting pragmatic product systems through specific knowledge and understanding of the residential, commercial, civils and infrastructure market sectors.

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