Understanding the new commercial challenges
A more volatile and demanding consumer
The consumer of 2025 is not the same as yesterday. Informed, in a hurry, comparing, they navigate between channels with fluidity, zapping from one brand to another according to their mood or the promotions of the moment, and expect immediacy, personalised advice and impact. Purchasing decisions are less linear, often emotional, and strongly influenced by recommendations and the experience at the point of sale.
In this context, the sales force can no longer limit itself to a presence on the ground: it must play a role in advising, building relationships and providing experience. Understanding local expectations, picking up on weak signals, creating real proximity... these are all levers for restoring trust and brand preference.
An omnichannel approach that has become essential
Between e-commerce, physical retail, the drive, marketplaces, mobile applications and social networks, the buying process has become fragmented. Consumers can discover a product at the point of sale, test it in a partner shop, order it online and recommend it via an Instagram story. This is forcing brands to align their commercial strategy across all channels.
For the sales force, this means integrating multi-channel thinking into their approach in the field: relaying digital offers, directing customers to online services, understanding the mechanics of e-retail, and above all maintaining a consistent image and message whatever the channel used.
The growing impact of data and commercial intelligence
Data is everywhere: distributor panels, CRM feedback, feedback from the field, sell-out data, performance KPIs. It's just a question of knowing how to use it. Sales managers now need sales forces capable of reading, understanding and transforming data into concrete actions in shop.
Business Intelligence tools, coupled with structured field reporting, can be used to quickly identify areas for improvement: slow-moving shelves, frequent out-of-stocks, falling PDL, low conversion rates, etc. An agile sales force, trained to read these indicators, becomes a strategic performance lever.
Levers to boost the performance of your sales team
Rethinking the organisation of the sales force
Team size can no longer be fixed in stone. Poorly covered areas, untapped potential, unanticipated seasonal variations... these are all signs that the traditional organisation is reaching its limits. To energise the sales force, we need to fine-tune our coverage of the field according to the real issues at stake: by channel, by trading area, by type of outlet or according to the product priorities of the moment.
Solutions do exist, including the creation of mobile teams, occasional reinforcements in under-performing areas, the pooling of resources across several brands, and more precise management using data from the field.
Training and coaching teams to increase their impact
A high-performance sales force is a well-trained force. The skills required have evolved: the ability to persuade at the point of sale, to enhance a product pitch, to conduct complex negotiations, to activate digital tools and to capture insights. It's no longer enough to know your product, you need to know how to sell it in every distribution context.
Ongoing training (face-to-face, e-learning, blended) and regular coaching in the field enable teams to progress. This requires a personalised approach, depending on the profiles involved: sales staff, animators, merchandisers, telemarketers, managers, but also support functions at head office. Each assignment in the field deserves specific support, tailored to the challenges it presents.
Digitalising sales management
Digital tools do not replace people, but they do make them more effective. Reporting applications, CRM in the field, geolocation tools, action plan monitoring platforms, on-board BI... all these devices enable the sales force to save time, be better prepared and accurately monitor their results.
But the challenge is also a cultural one: these tools have to be designed for users, be simple, useful and integrated into field routines. Their adoption cannot be decreed; it has to be built, by involving the teams from the design stage onwards.
Outsource all or part of your sales force
L'outsourcing is not a loss of control, but a lever for strategic flexibility. It allows resources to be rapidly adapted to needs: product launches, seasonal peaks, trade marketing operations, the opening of a new channel, regional or national activation.
Calling on a agency specialising in commercial outsourcing as Service Innovation Group France means that you can benefit from operational profiles who are trained, supervised and managed according to clear KPIs, with a commitment to results. It's also a way of gaining greater agility without overburdening your internal structure.
Field solutions to maximise sales efficiency
Activating the point of sale through sales promotion
In 2025, faced with a saturation of offers, the point of sale remains a powerful lever... provided that it creates links and interaction. This is where thecommercial animation It creates traffic, triggers purchases and, above all, enhances the product experience.
Whether it's tastings, demonstrations, advice sales, dedicated corners or events (e.g. roadshows, special operations, street marketing), these targeted activities generate immediate sales and boost brand visibility. They also make it possible to gather direct customer feedback, a valuable asset for marketing departments.
Optimising shelf performance through merchandising
Merchandising is often underestimated, even though it plays a decisive role in point-of-sale conversion. A poorly-optimised layout, an undetected stock shortage, poorly-installed point-of-sale advertising or a botched relocation can all result in lost sales... without showing up in the figures.
The missions of operational merchandising This means ensuring product availability, shelf conformity, brand visibility and the implementation of commercial agreements. This is achieved through concrete actions: stock-taking, restocking, installation of point-of-sale displays, shelf audits, theatrical displays and so on. A real lever for rapid, measurable gains.
Using distance selling as a complementary lever
Telesales has changed its image. Far from being a simple reminder call, it has become a complementary sales weapon, capable of generating business from a distance in a qualitative way. It can be used to reach areas without coverage, to maintain customer relations between two visits to the field, to follow up on DNs, to qualify files or to take orders.
Coupled with CRM tools and a well-constructed sales pitch, it becomes an agile relay to complement the actions of field sales forces. It can also be used to sound out customer expectations, provide remote training or even follow up after a sales event.
Monitoring and measuring for continuous improvement
Track the right KPIs to objectify performance
Boosting a sales force isn't just about "doing more", it's about "doing better". To do this, you need to rely on relevant indicators. Transformation rate, DN/DV, sales growth per PDL, number of qualified visits, breakage rate, share of voice on the shelf... These KPIs need to be monitored regularly and analysed precisely.
This monitoring enables us to identify bottlenecks, detect weak signals and put in place targeted corrective plans. The aim is not to pinpoint teams, but to give them the means to improve on the basis of shared facts.
Feed back insights from the field to adjust systems
The sales force is also a valuable source of information. When they are properly trained and equipped, they become a conduit for market intelligence: consumer behaviour, product acceptance, price pressures, competitors' initiatives, recurring logistical problems, etc.
Implementing feedback tools in the field (via apps, questionnaires integrated into visits, structured reporting) makes it possible to collect these insights, analyse them and pass them on to the relevant departments. It's a virtuous circle between operations and strategy.
Encouraging collective intelligence and agility
Finally, energising your sales force requires a culture of teamwork and continuous improvement. Organising coordination meetings between managers and sales staff, sharing best practice in the field, co-constructing sales pitches, involving teams in adjusting action plans... All this strengthens commitment and collective effectiveness.
In a spirit of partnership, some brands choose to co-lead their external sales force with their internal team. This enables them to align their messages, optimise resources and maintain a clear vision of results, while retaining flexibility in the field.
2025 trends to stay competitive
The growing integration of AI into commercial systems
Artificial intelligence is gradually making its way into the world of the sales force. Sales forecasts, targeting of visits, recommendations for actions in the field, drafting of personalised sales pitches, etc. AI makes it possible to increase the relevance and speed of decisions, provided it is used as a support, not as a substitute for the human element.
In 2025, some hybrid teams will be relying on algorithms to prioritise the points of sale to be visited, identify areas with potential, or predict future out-of-stock situations. A real time-saver... provided that the data is reliable and properly interpreted by the teams on the ground.
The rise of responsible commerce
Brands can no longer ignore societal expectations. Short supply chains, responsible products, transparency of commitments, the carbon footprint of commercial operations... These criteria are now part of purchasing decisions, including B2B.
A sales force that is well trained in these issues becomes a lever for reassurance and differentiation. They can promote the brand's CSR commitments, raise awareness at the point of sale, or raise local expectations. It's also a way of strengthening the bond of trust with retailers and end consumers.
Towards more hybrid and agile sales forces
The one-size-fits-all model no longer exists. Some brands rely on in-house teams backed up by targeted outsourcing. Others alternate between telesales, events and merchandising, depending on the high points of the year. Still others adopt a completely outsourced model, with shared KPIs.
This hybrid approach enables us to respond more effectively to challenges on the ground: opening new channels, rapid product launches, event coverage and local activation. All with a unified management approach, connected tools and shared training.
Conclusion: transform your sales force into a growth driver
Boosting your sales force in 2025 means more than simply increasing resources: it means rethinking your effectiveness on the ground in a changing ecosystem. By combining training, digital tools, data analysis, animation, merchandising and outsourcing, it becomes possible to build an agile, efficient system that is adapted to the new challenges.
But for these levers to have a real impact, they need to be activated methodically, with the right profiles and rigorous management. This is precisely what we do on a daily basis.
Do you want to boost the performance of your sales force, across all or part of your network? Rely on a recognised partner capable of providing flexible, expert support across all distribution channels, in France and abroad.
Find out more about our support for sales forces and make an appointment to talk about it.
