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IMPROVING SALES FORCE PERFORMANCE THROUGH EFFECTIVE
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Indri Astuti
1*
, Hadi Purnomo
2
, Nurwulan Kusuma Devi
3
, Prihatina Jati
4
STIMA IMMI Jakarta, Indonesia
1,2,3,4
indriast015@gmail.com
1
2
, nurwulankusumad[email protected]
3
,
4
ABSTRACT
Human resources (HR) is one of the important things in supporting the achievement of a maximum goal.
The company as a profit-oriented organization really expects targets in terms of sales, production,
delivery, performance and other goals within the company to be achieved immediately. This study used
a qualitative method of collecting data sourced from documents, books, journals, articles / other online
media, using grounded research theory aimed at developing theory (theory building) inductively based
on data. The result of this study is that human resource management can improve sales force
performance. Through the results of Suparman's research that human resource management is able to
improve sales force performance in the case example here is PT. Perdana Mitra Abadi Cianjur which
develops the potential of its employees through the development of human resource management,
namely providing in-service training to its employees regarding product knowledge and soft skills.
Keywords: Human Resource Management; Improve; Sales Force Performance
INTRODUCTION
Human resources (HR) is one of the important things in supporting the achievement of a
maximum goal. The formation of productive humans requires management and development. An
employee is able to face and solve current or future problems due to the development and
management of human resources (Susan, 2019).
In a growing company, all aspects of it must receive attention, human resources should be
applied evenly to increase the achievement of company goals both in sales, capital, production,
and other raw materials. Through all existing aspects, human resources are one of the aspects that
play an important role that must be processed properly in order to increase the usefulness or
effectiveness, and efficiency or usefulness of a company. Whether or not a company is successful
in achieving its goals, it is the people who work for the company that can determine it (Suparman,
2017; Wijayanto et al., 2023).
The company as a profit-oriented organization really expects targets both in sales,
production, delivery, performance and other goals in its company can be achieved soon (Azhari
et al., 2023). However, on the side next to it there is an employee or worker who is a social
creature who has life needs that must be met in order to survive. Therefore, in good cooperation,
the company or its employees must fulfill the interests of both, so that cooperation between the
two runs well (Suparman, 2017).
As time goes by, it is difficult for an employee to acquire skills and achievements if they
only capitalize on what the employee has without any provision and development. Therefore,
developed human resources have a significant impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of a
company (Susan, 2019). Effectiveness is the level of success of a company as a form of effort to
achieve a company's goals (Saputra, 2010). The level of achievement of an employee must receive
more attention by a company or organization, in order to get a more decent profit which is part of
the goals of a company. Benchmarks of employee achievement are not enough just to be seen
from the output produced, there are other factors that must be considered including creativity,
loyalty and discipline of an employee (Suparman, 2017). This research aims to determine the
effectiveness of human resource management in improving sales force performance.
RESEARCH METHOD
This research uses qualitative research methods through literature review or documentation
studies. The purpose of this research is to understand the experience of phenomena by research
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subjects such as behavior, motivation, perception, and action thoroughly through descriptive
means in a special context experienced. Research steps can be collected through data collection
sourced from documents, books, journals, articles / other online media (Sidiq & Choiri, 2019). By
using grounded research theory, the use of this theory aims to develop theory (theory building)
inductively based on data (Subadi, 2006).
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Definition of Human Resource Management
1. Definition of Management
Management is English management which means taking care in general.
Management is defined more broadly by Lauren A. Aply in her journal Susan (2019) that
management is "The art of getting done through people" the art of getting work done through
other people. Management is also commonly interpreted as science, profession, and tips.
According to Luther Gulick in his journal, Susan (2019) management is defined as a science
because it is seen as a field of organized knowledge, which seeks to understand what it is
like for humans to work together to get company goals and create forms of cooperation that
are beneficial to humans (Susan, 2019).
Management can also be a profession, due to the special skills that underlie it to reach
the achievements of a manager who is bound by norms and is required to work
professionally. Robert L. Katz in his journal Susan (2019) said that a professional must have
social and technical strength. Conceptual strength is the power of assuming that the company
as a method or technique of each part undergoing changes that have an impact on all
companies is understood or understood completely. Social strength is seen so that managers
can work together and lead their groups and understand members as individuals and groups.
Technical strength is related to the strength of a manager when using specialized equipment
and procedures (Susan, 2019).
Through the various definitions above, it can be concluded that management is a
human activity that manages both within the scope of a company, institution, or group which
can later achieve company goals effectively and efficiently (Susan, 2019). Management is
the science and art of developing methods of using human resources or other resources to
achieve an effective and efficient goal. There are six parts to management, namely: man,
money, methods, materials, machines, and markets. The man part here is a human being
who grows to form the field of management science or commonly referred to as HRM, a
translation of manpower management or human resource management (Marlina & Ekasari
Harmadji, 2022).
2. Definition of Human Resources (HR)
Human resources (HR) are individuals who are productive in driving an organization
or company, which functions as a substance of ability that must be trained and developed.
Broadly speaking, there are two definitions of human resources, namely human resources in
a broad scope such as an area in which there are groups of productive age, while human
resources in a small scope are individuals who work or employees in an institution or
organization (Susan, 2019).
In an effort to achieve an organizational or institutional goal, human resources are an
important component that must be possessed. In an organization or company, human
resources are the most important component compared to other components such as capital,
and production, because those who control other factors are humans themselves. An
important factor that cannot be removed from an organization or company is human
resources, this is because human resources are a key determinant of whether a company
develops or not. Basically, human resources are in the form of human individuals who work
for the company and are the drivers, thinkers, and planners for the achievement of a
company's own goals (Susan, 2019).
So far, in its development, an employee or worker is not only seen as a human
resource, but more than that employees for an institution or company are seen as an
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important asset, this has given rise to a new term namely H.C or Human Capital. Human
resources are now no longer seen as an important asset, but rather HR is a valuable asset that
can be enriched and developed not as a burden. Human resources can be broadly defined as
individuals who work for institutions or companies that are useful assets whose abilities
must be trained and developed (Susan, 2019).
3. Definition and Explanation of Human Resource Management (HRM)
Human resource management is a specific field of management to explore the
relationship and role of humans in the company. Humans as employees are the main
component of human resource management. So with that, the main thing that must be
explored in HRM is employee relations only, in the process of achieving a company's goals,
humans have an active task and more in every company activity this is because humans
become planners, a worker who determines the achievement of these goals. The company
will never achieve its goals if there is no task from a worker in it, the various sophisticated
tools owned will not have any impact if it does not involve the active duties of a worker.
Managing workers is not an easy thing because it is complicated, workers bring diverse
thoughts, feelings, desires, and backgrounds into a company (Marlina & Ekasari Harmadji,
2022).
According to Gauzali, in his journal Susan (2019) that human resource management
is an activity that must be carried out by a company in order to obtain the knowledge,
abilities, and skills of employees who are in line with the work performed. Meanwhile,
according to Edwin B. Flippo in his journal, Susan (2019) defines human resource
management as planning, directing, organizing, maintaining, and dismissing workers with
the intention of achieving a company goal (Susan, 2019). Therefore, human resources must
be properly managed in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a company
(Marlina & Ekasari Harmadji, 2022).
According to experts in his book, Marlina (2022) human resource management is
stated by Simamora as the utilization, development, assessment, provision of compensation,
and personal management of organizational members or groups of workers. Meanwhile,
according to Irham Fahmi in his book, Marlina (2022) human resource management is stated
as an arrangement of organizational activities aimed at attracting, developing, and
maintaining effective employees. So that through the above definition that human resource
management is a science that streamlines and streamlines human resource tasks in order to
achieve a company goal (Marlina & Ekasari Harmadji, 2022). This opinion is in line with
Mondy's opinion in his journal Dipang (2013) regarding the understanding of human
resource management that HRM is several individuals who use it to achieve a company or
organization goal (Dipang, 2013).
Human resource management is a very important component (Mulyana, 2010). In
achieving the goals of a company that is able to adjust and adapt to various changes that
exist (Chams & García-Blandón, 2019). The following staffing programs are regulated and
determined by human resource management :
1) Determine the quantity and assign effective employees in line with company needs
based on job descriptions, job specifications, job requirements, and job evaluations.
2) Determine the recruitment, selection, and placement of employees based on the principle
of the right man in the right place and the right man in the right job.
3) Determine welfare, development, promotion, and termination events.
4) Predict future supply and demand of human resources.
5) Describes the state of an economic situation in general and the development of the
company in particular.
6) Closely monitor the labor laws and compensation policies of similar companies.
7) Monitor engineering developments as well as labor consortiums.
8) Organize education, training, and benchmark a worker's achievement.
9) Organize employee mutations vertically and horizontally.
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10) Organize employee retirement, termination, and return or severance pay.
Behind the ability of human resource management, it is also important for workers to
be able to work effectively and efficiently. Ownership of managerial competencies makes
HR survive, managerial competence is the ability to create a company's vision and method
and the ability to obtain and direct other resources in the form of achieving the vision, as
well as applying the company's method or strategy (Marlina & Ekasari Harmadji, 2022).
Sedarmayanti in his journal Susan (2019) suggests relating the realm of human
resource management based on the time of implementation and the role of development, to
the following parts:
1. Pre-Duty Training; Provide training to prospective workers who will later start to work
or are preparatory for new employees, so that workers can do the tasks they are assigned
in the future.
2. On-Duty Training; On-duty training is carried out for workers who are currently
working for an organization or company with the intention of upgrading their abilities
when doing work.
3. Post-Task Training; A training held by an organization or company to help and prepare
workers when they retire (Susan, 2019). Human resource management for organizations
aims to create formal company targets to help a company achieve a goal, hoping to
increase company productivity and utilize employees effectively and efficiently,
develop, maintain the quality of work life, and work comfort, and manage changes that
will mutually benefit both the employee and the company (Marlina & Ekasari Harmadji,
2022).
There are several components in human resource management including
Entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs are all people who invest their capital to get an uncertain
income according to the profits achieved by a company (Abdul-Rahman et al., 2014).
Employee is a worker, there will be no activity and achievement created in a company, if
there is no employee in it, therefore employees are used as important assets in a company.
Leader, a leader is a person who has the power to direct others and is responsible for one's
work in achieving a goal. The style or way of a leader who influences his subordinates, so
that they work together effectively in harmony with his direction (Susan, 2019).
Manajemen sumber daya manusia berfungsi sebagai berikut :
a. Planning; Scheming employees effectively and efficiently so that they are aligned with
the needs of a company in achieving a goal.
b. Organizing; The activity of organizing all workers with the division of labor, work
relations, delegation of power, integration, and structure in the organization.
c. Briefing; It is the activity of directing all workers to work together effectively and
efficiently when helping to achieve the goals of a company, worker, or community.
d. Controling; Control is the activity of all workers who are controlled so that they follow
company rules and work in line with the plan. If there is a mistake, the plan must be
corrected.
e. Procurement; Procurement is a process of retrieval, selection, and orientation place in
order to get the right workers with the needs of a company. In the procurement process,
there are also several things such as job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment,
human resource selection, and human resource placement (Marlina & Ekasari Harmadji,
2022).
f. Development; Development is a method of improving the theoretical, technical, and
moral skills of workers through education or training.
g. Compensation; Compensation is the reward of service in the form of money or goods
provided by the company to its employees.
h. Integrating; Integration is an activity that involves workers and companies to unite the
two so that appropriate cooperation is formed and mutually beneficial. In its activities,
integration has several things, namely work motivation and job satisfaction.
i. Maintenance; Maintenance is an activity to maintain and improve a person's condition
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both physically, and mentally, and employee loyalty. In the activity process,
maintenance is carried out through welfare activities based on the needs of employees
and educators.
j. Discipline; Discipline is the utility of human resource management and the secret to
achieving a goal. Discipline also means a person's awareness of obeying the applicable
rules.
k. Dismissal; Dismissal is the termination of the employment relationship between the
employee and the company. In its implementation, this dismissal is regulated by law
No. 12 of 1964 (Susan, 2019).
Sales Force Performance Improvement
1. Through Product knowledge and Soft Skill Training Program
According to Johnston and Marshall in his journal, Suparman (2017) states that
performance is an assessment of behavior in order to achieve the goals of a company.
Meanwhile, the performance of salespeople according to Challagala and Shervani in their
journal Suparman (2017) is a level of achievement of a target by salespeople. Through this
opinion, an organization will get a lot of profit or margin due to the achievement of a target,
and employees also become even more enthusiastic in doing their work, when one of their
targets can be achieved (Suparman, 2017). Sales performance according to Tatiana and
Umar in their journal Purnomo (2021) explains that the components of a company's
performance are either financial performance related to company margins or non-financial
(Purnomo et al., 2021).
There are several parameters of sales force performance, namely being able to
recognize potential buyers, being able to market high-risk products, and being able to
achieve a sales target (Lee et al., 2015; Mora Cortez & Johnston, 2020). Assessment of sales
force performance can use components directed by the sales force itself. Salespeople must
take part in various types of activities carried out. As for the implementation of sales force
activities, namely regarding product understanding, effective relationships that are built,
effective delivery, and maintaining buyers. All companies really hope for success in their
company, in the process of success it must go through a process or method, one of which is
the sales force. this success can be achieved by one of the salespeople if indeed the task is
his past talent, but the lack of confidence arises in someone who thinks that he does not have
any skills or talents as a salesperson, even though he has the interest and desire to become a
salesperson. Therefore, success can be achieved not only through a high talent but all efforts
or efforts from all the energy of thought that lead to success (Suparman, 2017).
A salesperson must understand the selling point component or selling point of a
product to be sold, the selling point is the benefit of a product, the quality of a product, and
the place where the product is sold. Training is held to make it easier for an employee to
carry out his duties. According to T. Hani Handoko in his journal, Suparman (2017) training
is explained that training programs are expected to increase the efficiency and effectiveness
of workers in achieving specified work targets and doing a good job. Various skills and
certain usage techniques can be mastered through training programs. The training program
provides material on product knowledge, soft skills, communication skills, and the ability to
work in a team (Suparman, 2017).
hrough the results of research conducted by Suparman through linear regression
analysis regarding the effectiveness of training on improving the performance of salespeople
at PT Perdana Mitra Abadi Cianjur, it was found that the training program provided by the
company to its employees regarding product knowledge and soft skills had a concurrent
impact on improving the performance of salespeople at PT Perdana Mitra Abadi Cianjur
(Suparman, 2017).
Through the results of Suparman's research, it can be concluded that human resource
management is able to improve the performance of salespeople in the case example here is
PT Perdana Mitra Abadi Cianjur which develops the potential of its employees through the
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development of human resource management, namely providing on-duty training to its
employees regarding product knowledge and soft skills.
2. Through the Digital Marketing Training Program
In the process of running their business, business actors in the current era have their
own challenges in the development of technology that is currently developing. With the case
of the covid-19 virus outbreak in 2021, technology is developing so rapidly that all industry
players in any field quickly follow the changes that are developing, one of which is in the
automotive industry. PT. Nasmoco Puwokerto (NASMOCO) is an automotive industry
located in Central Java Indonesia, the impact is also felt by this automotive industry, which
is usually the sales force at PT. Nasmoco Purwokerto carries out the sales process by coming
directly to offer its products to potential customers through distributing brochures, this can
no longer be used in the covid pandemic situation, the impact is the decline in car sales at
the company during the covid-19 pandemic (Purnomo et al., 2021).
Therefore, a company must make changes by utilizing technology as a marketing
medium. According to Pradiani in his journal Purnomo (2021) that the use of digital
marketing will have a significant positive impact on sales performance. Therefore, sales
performance requires this ability to improve sales performance (Purnomo et al., 2021). This
has been done by PT Nasmoco Purwokerto through a digital marketing training program
provided to its employees.
The results of research conducted by Purnomo (2021) on PT Nasmoco Purwokerto
with an associative research method using a quantitative approach with sample data
collected from 30 respondents of PT Nasmoco Purwokerto salespeople who have attended
digital marketing training that training will increase a worker's ability and competence in
certain skills. From the results of the data obtained, it states that it is not easy to take steps
to increase sales during a pandemic. Even though the employees have participated in digital
marketing training provided by the company to its workers. Purnomo himself believes that
one of the causes of not achieving a company's goal is due to the high sales target during the
pandemic (Purnomo et al., 2021).
The results of the final assignment research conducted by Aqmala (2007) at PT
Asuransi Bumi Asih Jaya located in Central Java showed that the more appropriate a way or
method of training, the better the effectiveness of sales training, while the components of
the accuracy of the training method include the background of the participants, the alignment
of the method with the trainee's career, and the accuracy of the training material. The results
of the data show that the suitability of a method or method with training facilities has more
impact than other indicators. The quality of training materials will have a lot of impact on
the effectiveness of sales training, as for the components of the quality of training content
include complete material, the provision of appropriate and appropriate material based on
the needs, the material is new information, and the orderliness of the structure of the material
provided (Aqmala, 2007). So with that, the author assumes that the failure to achieve sales
goals at PT. Nasmoco Purwokerto is due to the lack of effective training provided or there
are other variables that affect the achievement of the company's goals.
CONCLUSION
Based on the research conducted, the conclusion of this study is that human resource
management is a very important component in achieving the goals of a company or organization.
Human resource management also functions as improving employee performance, especially in
this study is the sales force. Through the results of Suparman's research, it can be concluded that
human resource management is able to improve the performance of salespeople in the case
example here is PT. Perdana Mitra Abadi Cianjur which develops the potential of its employees
through the development of human resource management, namely providing on-duty training to
its employees regarding product knowledge and soft skills.
Through the results of research conducted by Purnomo (2021) on PT. Nasmoco
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Purwokerto from the results of the study that digital marketing training has a significant impact
on the ability of an employee in the company. however, the results of the data obtained state that
it is not easy to take steps to increase sales during the pandemic. Even though the employees have
participated in digital marketing training provided by the company to its workers. Purnomo
himself believes that one of the causes of not achieving a company goal is the high sales target
during the pandemic.
The author also argues that the non-achievement of a company's goals may be due to the
ineffectiveness of the training provided to employees as in the results of Aqmala's research (2007)
at PT Asuransi Bumi Asih Jaya Central Java from the results of his research showing that the
more appropriate a way or method of training, the better the effectiveness of sales training, while
the components of the accuracy of the training method include the background of the participants,
the alignment of the method with the trainee's career, and the accuracy of the training material.
The results of the data show that the suitability of a method or method with training facilities has
more impact than other indicators. There are many variables that make the non-achievement of a
company's goals, among which are the ineffectiveness and inappropriateness of the material
provided during training so that it affects the non-achievement of an organization's goal
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