Table of Contents
Salespersons have a significant role in increasing sales, especially for the distribution and retail business players. The main job of a salesperson, of course, is to generate sales. However, most salespeople also interact directly with customers, so they indirectly represent the company. Many people assume that all “sales” are the same. Even though there are many types of sales, ranging from canvasser, motorcyclists to order-taking salesman, all three have different functions and responsibilities.
The types of sales that most often confuse people are sales canvasser and order-taking salesman. Let’s find out what the differences are!
Sales Canvas and Order-taking Salesman? What’s the difference?
The main task
Both canvasser and taking orders are tasked with offering products to buyers. However, introducing new products of the company to potential buyers is the main focus of canvassers. While an order-taking salesman is focused on maximizing sales and gaining as much profit as possible.
Vehicle they used
Generally, canvassers visit prospective buyers using four-wheeled vehicles such as boxcars because the products sold are usually brought in large quantities immediately. In addition, they can reach customers with further distances. However, if the products they carry are not too many, they can also use a motorbike.
Order-taking salesman visit customers by motorbike. As the name implies, their job is only to record sales orders, so they don’t need a big vehicle to carry the product.
Product
When the transaction occurs, the canvasser carries the product and delivers it directly to the customer. At the same time, an order-taking salesman only has the product catalog. If a transaction occurs, the product ordered will be sent separately by the company.
Target consumers
Order-taking salesman focus on customer retention. Therefore, they’re usually placed in areas with high sales potential, such as modern markets, traditional markets, retail, wholesale, and semi-wholesale. The canvasser itself will cover retail and semi-wholesale that sales-taking orders have not reached.
Price
Products brought by the canvassers have varied prices. They tend to be more expensive than the products offered by order-taking salesman. However, several canvassers provide products at the same price as order-taking salesman.
The price of products brought by order-taking salesman is usually more affordable than the canvassers because the main focus is on customer retention.
Payment method
Because the goods are delivered simultaneously, canvassers usually do the transactions in cash. Meanwhile, order-taking salesman can do sales transactions using two payment methods, by cash or credit, which is paid off after the goods reach the customer.
Working time
Compared to order-taking salesman, which record sales orders, sales canvas spends more time because of the unloading of goods when the transaction occurs.
In conclusion, the most striking difference between sales canvas and order-taking salesman lies in the main task, target customers, and payment methods.
Field sales performance in making sales is like the spearhead of business. Therefore, businesses are required to monitor the performance of field sales regularly. Tracking the performance of field sales, which always move from place to place, is definitely not easy. However, it can be solved if your business uses good distribution management software. Distri can be the right solution for field sales management.
What is a Distri? Stay tuned!
