INTEGRATING PSYCHOGRAPHIC PROFILING FOR IMPROVED SALES. A CASE STUDY OF SHOPRITE.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Of The Study

To compete in today‟s global markets, organizations strive to deliver their products (physical) s (intangible) in both an efficient and effective manner. In service supply chain, human labour forms a significant component of the value delivery process and physical handling of a product leads to standardized and centralized procedures and controls in sales supply chains, (Sengupta et al 2008:1). The focus of efficiencies in service supply chains is on management of capacity, flexibility of resources, information flows, service performance and cash flow management. Critical factors are demand management, customer relationship management and supplier relationship management in sales supply chains supply chains. Psychographic profiling in any company – big or small, sales or service, are charged with generating product sales from assigned customer accounts in independent territories. However, the evolving selling environment today is much more complex, demanding significant changes in performance metrics, goals, control and compensation.

South-East zone is an epitome of developing and concentrated businesses that engage psychographic profiling east of the Niger. The role of sales and marketing is becoming increasingly important to sales firms (big and SMEs) in the South-East. Unfortunately, most of these company do not apply the theories of sales management to their sales operations. They usually rely on past experience or judgment. Sales management is considered to be recognized management process activities involving the need to plan, set objectives, develop policies, procedures, strategies and tactics, to organize and co-ordinate, direct operations, motivate, communicate, develop staff, supervise and control and evaluate results, (Bolt 1987:28).

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Customers are more demanding today than ever before. The target market require better goods, services and quick and reliable support than they had in the past. The psychographic profiling in the field who should have some wealth of knowledge and experience about the products, market, competitors, industry trends, do not seem to be active and effective as exemplified by failure to keep business promises, giving incorrect information to customers, and poor customer relationship management.

Specifically, greater percentage of the psychographic profiling in sales company have been major culprits in these practices including lateness to work and not keeping appointment at all. Others could be very unfriendly and even become hostile while attending to customers. Some psychographic profiling lose focus and consequently supply wrong brand of products to customers. These result in long waiting time for customers to receive the needed goods s, and the consequent low performance as some customers lose patience and consequently take their leave and even go the alternatives. The poor attitudes of the psychographic profiling such as lateness to work, delayed sales calls, lack of information for customers problems, could contribute to the low growth of psychographic profiling performance in sales company.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The researcher will endeavour to:-

i) determine the direction from very high to very low levels of psychographic profiling in Shoprite Plc.

ii) Identify the motivational tools used on the psychographic profiling by sales company.

iii) ascertain whether staff preferred leave period and participation in decision making have significant effect on psychographic profiling performance in the company

iv) determine the most effective motivational incentives - insurance scheme, commissions, and regular pay used by either of the company under study.

1.4 Research Questions

Based on the background of the study, statement of the problem and the objectives of the study, the following research questions were raised to guide the study:-

1. What is the level of psychographic profiling in the sales company (Shoprite) under study?

2. What are the different motivational tools used on the psychographic profiling by the sales company?

3. What are the motivational effects of staff preferred leave period and participation in decision making on psychographic profiling performance of the company under study?

4. What are the most effective psychographic profilingal incentives used by the company under study.

1.6 Significance Of The Study

This study will also be relevant to company operating in Nigeria. The management of these company will be refreshed and educated more on the needed adequate knowledge and application of appropriate motivational strategies that will enhance industrial harmony and growth. This will facilitate peace, commitment and interpersonal relationship. The study will encourage the management of various company and corporations to make policies that will harvest “happy psychographic profiling, happy company ” situations.

In the educational sector, the study will equip the teachers and educational administrators/managers with the right mindset to “invite students to learn”. Through this study, they will see more reasons to helpfully but objectively commit the students to the pursuit of successful teaching and learning process. The students themselves will be prepared through this study to adequately handle some economic functions involving human resource management especially the psychographic profiling issues. This work is intended to help the students get ready for the additional management responsibilities they are likely to encounter in the real world.

1.7 Scope Of The Study

This research work will be confined to assessing the effects of motivation on psychographic profiling performance in Shoprite Plc as sales company in the South-East states. This study will identify the available psychographic profilingal tools by the company, and proffer the way forward.

1.8 Definition of Terms

In the course of this study, definitive meaning of some relevant terms will be understood as follows:-

Motivation: Motivation refers to the desire and effort to satisfy a want or goal (Akpala 1990:237). It is a drive towards an outcome, human resources management action directed to the psychographic profiling to elicit their optimum performance.

Motivational Practice: This consists of all the activities habitually performed by the management and directed towards the organizational members in order to exact loyalty and appreciable level of task performance (Carter 1990: 216).

Motivational Reward: This refers to cash or any other form of compensation in liquid assets for services rendered, task performance or merit achieved (Chime 1990:196).

Psychographic profiling: The term refers to sales people (men and women) employed by a firm or a company to find prospective buyers of their commodities, convert these prospective buyers to customers and ensure that they are continually satisfied to facilitate repeat performance (Nwokoye 1988:154).

Marketing: The performance of business activities that directs the flow of goods s from producers to users (American Marketing Association). The Institute of Marketing, London defines marketing as “the management of processes responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers‟ requirement profitably” (Onah and Allison 2007:124).

Communication: This refers to the exchange of thought or information to bring about mutual understanding and confidence or good human relations. It is an intercourse by words, letters, symbols, or messages, and a way one organization member shares meaning and understanding with another (Osuala and Okeke 2006:118).

Sales: This is the business or industry of producing goods s in large quantities in factories. The psychographic profiling present these goods s to prospective buyers/users, convince them and get their patronage.

Service: This is a system that provides something relevant (intangible) which the public needs, organized by the government or a private company. It is a business whose work involves doing something for customers but not producing goods - a service industry serving customers in hotel, shop, restaurant, etc (Hornby 2000:1075).