Customer Relationships through Sales Forces and Marketing Events

Competitive organizations are always concerned about the development of management skills to enable them achieve competitive advantage in the reference market. Marketers are aware of difficulty of product development and implementation of strategies focused on consumer satisfaction. In this respect, competition is very strong; therefore, there must be taken appropriate strategies and marketing tactics that will lead to achieving these objectives. Building customer relationship marketing is considered a very important goal that can turn into a genuine organizational competence. This article aims to show the role played by sales forces, on the one hand, and marketing events, on the other hand, building a solid relationship, in the long term, with the customers. As components of integrated marketing communication, both sales forces and marketing events should be developed and supported by effective strategies and marketing tactics able to determine the competitive position of the organization. To capitalize on the benefits of sales forces, their position ought to be known in relation to marketing activities within the organization. It is also a "must" that advantages created by using marketing events should be acquainted by managers. But some of the most visible benefits refer to direct contacts directly with consumers through sales forces and create special moments through marketing events. Based on the literature in marketing at presenting the advantages orientation, these two communication techniques for developing and maintaining customer loyalty constitute a strong case for developing directions of action focused on these concepts. For this purpose, the article proposes several management measures in the use of sales forces and marketing events to build customer relationships. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer review under responsibility of Organizing Committee of BEM 2013.