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Subject:Re: Sales Manual From:"Linda K. Sherman" <linsherm -at- GTE -dot- NET> Date:Thu, 13 Aug 1998 12:10:35 -0400
Michelle Nolan wrote:
>
> Fellow Tech Writers:
>
> I am hoping some of you can help me. I have just received a new
> contract to develop a Sales Manual for technical sales staff at a
> software development firm. The manual will be used in-house only (not
> for customers), and is meant to assist both new and veteran salespeople.
>
> I am looking for your input as to what should be included in such a
> document. Some things I have thought of are inserts of the company's
> travel/employee policies, job descriptions, and sample scripts for
> product demos.
This isn't what I would think of as being a "sales manual". In
particular, the policies and job descriptions stuff belong in the
company's Employee Handbook or Policies & Procedures manual, not in a
sales manual.
Whenever I've seen a "sales manual" it has been a three-ring binder that
contains continually-updated inserts about the company's products. It
invariably includes price lists and, if appropriate to the product line,
parts lists. It may include worksheets to help the sales people
determine what components or versions the customer needs, or to
calculate an estimate for a price quote. An FAQ section compiled by the
customer support staff is something I think all sales manuals should
have but rarely do.
Including product demo scripts is a good idea for *my* concept of a
sales manual. However, I would suggest sitting down with your clients to
get a better description of how they define a "sales manual". Things
sound a bit fuzzy.
Format issues. I would strongly suggest sticking to 8 1/2 x 11 sheets in
a three-ring binder. This allows for easy updates and lets the sales
people add their own notes and materials. Also, most marketing
materials, newsletters, etc are printed in 8 1/2 x 11 format, and you
will probably want to include copies of this in the manual.
