The Challenge of Change

Our latest CPM Expert Speak comes from Alberto Almar; CEO of CPM Expertus Spain Field Marketing. Alberto has been working at CPM Expertus for over 16 years and has over 20 years’ experience in field marketing.

Our present purpose for a better future.
There are many trend reviews that talk about the need to observe the world from an Omni-channel perspective. For those of us who are not millennials, this means we must recognize the convergence between what is physical and what is digital (the so-called Phygital), understand that concepts like credibility and reference have moved to the Internet and that the words agility, flexibility and service have taken on different meanings since the arrival of Amazon.
Despite the growth of e-commerce, selling in physical environments continues to be essential. Drivers related to price and convenience (the possibility of free delivery, ease of returns) co-exist with the great battle involving the abandonment of the shopping basket. Unfinished transactions in fear of a hidden cost, lack of information or the need to meditate the buying decision are what confirm that aspects like production presentation and prescription are decisive factors.

What are the challenges in the Spanish market for an outsourcing company focused on retail (not on e-tail)?
Although there is budding economic recovery, job insecurity in the sector coincides with a growing need for professional brand representation profiles: impeccable presence, excellent argumentation capacity, great negotiation skills and long-term service. And given that the buying experience is nearly as important as the actual purchase itself, exceptional representation of the brand values becomes something extraordinary.
The change in our clients’ demands and the evolution of consumer behaviour are obvious and, therefore, it is surprising to see how there has been talk for years about people management without truly committing to talent management.

Being committed to talent means:

• Driving attraction by generating a value proposal.
  Value for who? Value for all. Teams, company, client and retailers.
  A real proposal that considers the motivational differences among different groups and generations such as the millennials, baby boomers or ‘knowmads’, which expands the possibilities of collaboration such as through cloud working, and which enriches the job market with real career plans.
• Increasing retention by establishing new management and team leadership methods.
  Commitment and implication do not come free of cost. To create connections between a company and a brand, creating strong ties is necessary. And although this process begins with the outsourcing company, the real success is achieved by getting our clients involved in their development.
• Joining the digital transformation.
  Although theoretically aimed at serving people, technology can be relentless with companies. It requires reformulating certain work methods we have assumed as unwavering principles of our very functioning. Success lies in integrating operational and relational processes which are relevant and highly useful. Facilitating the employee membership process, their learning, their communication with the company and the completion of their routine activities is key.

In short, committing to talent means offering a tangible benefit to employees that directly impacts the quality of the work done and, thus, improves our clients’ business results.
At CPM, our mission is to have an impact on the sale of our clients’ products. By acting on the Sell-Out or Sell-In; face to face or by phone; permanently or tactically. Through Sales Forces, Sales Reps or Sales Promoters; through teams of Merchandisers, Brand Ambassadors or Specialist Trainers, among other alternatives. Although being results-oriented leads us to wanting to measure the impact of our activity, the generation of Insights and Influence is where value creation resides and this continues to be the driving force behind our business: people.

Alberto Almar
CEO
CPM EXPERTUS FIELD MARKETING
Alberto.almar@expertus.es