Wholesale Sales and Distribution
Customer relations in the wholesale sales and distribution sector are not limited to taking orders. Dealer and customer requests, quotations, products, sales orders, inventory status, purchasing needs, deliveries, invoices, and collections must be managed together.
XtraCRM combines CRM, sales, product, inventory, purchasing, finance, task, and communication features to enable tracking the entire commercial process from the initial customer meeting to order delivery and collection from a single center.
How does the process work in the industry?
The process usually starts with a product and price request from a new dealer or customer. The products requested by the customer, quantities, delivery address, payment method, and desired delivery date are determined.
Based on this information, a quotation is prepared and presented to the customer. Changes in price, discount, product quantity, or payment terms are tracked during the negotiation process.
Once the quotation is accepted, a sales order is created. The stock status of the ordered products is checked; for missing products, purchasing or supply processes are planned. When products are ready, delivery details are finalized, the order is sent to the customer, and financial processes are initiated.
How is XtraCRM adapted to your company’s way of working?
Each wholesale company has different customer groups, product structure, pricing method, and order approval process. In XtraCRM, custom fields, sales stages, tasks, and workflows can be configured according to your company’s current arrangement.
You can structure your sales process with stages such as “New Request, Pricing, Preparing Quotation, Quotation Presented, Customer Approval, Stock Check, Order Created, Preparing, Ready for Delivery, Delivered, and Invoiced.”
You can define different processes and custom fields for dealer sales, corporate customers, export orders, project sales, or regular product supply.
Customer and dealer custom fields you can use
Customer or dealer type
Region and sales channel
Responsible sales representative
Tax and invoice information
Delivery addresses
Customer group
Currency
Payment method and term
Discount or pricing group
Risk or credit limit
Shipment method
Preferred warehouse or delivery point
Contract start and end date
Last order and last communication date
Customer status
Special product or brand preferences
Multiple authorized persons, invoice addresses, and delivery addresses belonging to a customer can be managed under the same account.
Manage your products in an organized structure
Products can be recorded with code, name, category, unit, and other commercial information. Brand, model, color, size, package content, or similar information required by your company can be added to the product card with custom fields.
Documents, images, and descriptions related to products can be linked to relevant records. This allows sales teams to provide customers with updated and consistent product information.
Custom fields can be defined for different product groups to display only the necessary information.
Turn customer requests into sales opportunities
Requests received via phone, email, website, advertisement, or WhatsApp can be associated with the relevant customer in the CRM.
Requested products, quantities, budget, decision date, and delivery expectations can be recorded. New opportunities can be assigned to the related sales representative and tasks can be created for the next meeting.
Reminders can be set for opportunities with no activity for a long time. When sales are not completed, reasons for loss such as price, stock, payment terms, delivery, or competitor preference can be recorded.
Manage proposal processes
Proposals can be created based on the products and quantities requested by the customer. Product items, prices, taxes, discounts, currency, and payment terms can be tracked on the proposal.
The stages of preparing, presenting to the customer, revising, and approving the proposal can be recorded. When changes are made to the proposal, the current work can be monitored along with the customer history.
You can create an approval process according to your company’s authorization structure for proposals exceeding a certain amount or discount rate.
Track sales orders
Approved proposals can be converted into sales orders. Information such as customer, product items, quantities, prices, order date, delivery date, and shipping method can be recorded in the order.
The statuses of the order such as preparing, partially ready, ready for delivery, completed, or cancelled can be tracked. Tasks related to the order can be assigned to sales, warehouse, and finance teams.
A customer’s past proposals and orders can be viewed under the same account. This allows the sales team to evaluate which products, quantities, and periods the customer has previously purchased.
Monitor stock and warehouse status
Current stock and warehouse movements of products can be tracked. The stock status of products in sales orders can be assessed to see quantities required for preparation.
If different warehouses are used, it can be monitored which stock area the products are located in. Stock entries, exits, and transfer operations can be recorded.
Products approaching critical levels or becoming insufficient can be identified and relevant personnel can be assigned tasks for the purchasing process.
Manage purchasing and supply processes
Purchase orders can be created for products not in stock or requiring replenishment. Supplier, product, quantity, price, currency, and expected delivery date can be tracked.
Purchasing operations made to fulfill a sales order can be evaluated together with related product and operation records.
The supplier's delivery status, delayed products, and quantities received can be monitored. Thus, the sales team can provide more realistic delivery information to the customer.
Keep supplier records in a single center
Suppliers can be managed as company records. Contact details, authorized persons, purchased products, orders, quotes, and documents can be associated with the same account.
Supplier contracts, price quotations, and other documents can be stored in the related company record. Tasks and reminders can be created for contract or document expiration dates.
Purchasing decisions can be supported by evaluating information such as lead time, price, and delivery history.
Organize the order preparation and delivery process
When a sales order is approved, a preparation task can be assigned to the warehouse or operations team. The steps of preparing, checking, and dispatching products for delivery can be tracked as separate work steps.
The planned delivery date, delivery address, and transportation method can be recorded for the order. If partial deliveries or pending products exist, explanations and follow-up tasks can be created.
When delivery is completed, the order status can be updated and relevant documents can be added to the record.
XtraCRM does not operate on its own as an automatic route optimization or live vehicle tracking system; it can be used to manage the commercial process, tasks, and records of delivery.
Structure dealer and regional management
Dealers can be classified by region, customer group, sales representative, contract status, and other specific information.
Document, contract, and identification procedures required for dealer opening can be tracked with a checklist. Dealer-specific meetings, quotes, orders, and tasks can be viewed under the same account.
Customer and order reports can be generated based on region or sales representative. Dealers who are inactive or have not ordered for a long time can be added to follow-up lists.
View recurring sales opportunities
Accounts with upcoming reorder periods can be identified by evaluating the customer's past orders and last purchase date.
A follow-up task can be assigned to the sales representative for regularly purchased products. Recovery efforts can be planned for customers who have not ordered for a long time.
Complementary product and cross-selling opportunities can be created based on the customer's existing product groups.
Track billing and collection processes
Completed sales orders can be linked to the billing process. Invoice date, due date, currency, and payment status can be monitored through financial records.
Tasks can be assigned to finance or the customer responsible for receivables that are due or overdue. Discussions and payment information provided by the customer can be recorded in the customer history.
Thus, the sales team can view not only orders but also the ongoing financial process of the customer within their authority.
Consolidate customer communication into a single history
Phone calls, emails, WhatsApp messages, notes, offers, and tasks can be viewed in the customer history within authorized limits.
When the customer contacts again, ongoing offers, open orders, recent communications, and planned follow-ups can be seen. This prevents different employees from providing conflicting information to the same customer.
Post-sales requests such as complaints, returns, or missing deliveries can be linked to the corresponding order and assigned to the responsible team.
Target sales and marketing activities
Customers can be classified by region, sector, purchased products, order frequency, or customer group.
Campaigns can be planned via email, WhatsApp, or other permitted communication channels for appropriate customer groups. Sending and communication processes can be conducted according to the customer's preferences and company policies.
Demands generated after campaigns can be assigned as new sales opportunities to the relevant sales representatives.
Define authorities according to task distribution
Different access and action permissions can be defined for sales, warehouse, purchasing, finance, and management teams.
For example, sales representatives can manage their own customers and offers, the warehouse team can access product and stock operations, the purchasing team can manage suppliers and purchase orders, and the finance team can manage invoice and collection processes.
Approval steps compatible with your company's authority structure can be created for discounts, expenses, or specific commercial transactions.
Create a measurable structure for management
Management screens can monitor new sales opportunities, pending offers, open sales orders, stock status, overdue purchases, upcoming deliveries, and collection processes.
The following information can be evaluated based on customer, dealer, product, category, region, sales representative, or period:
Incoming requests and sales opportunities
Conversion rate of quotes to orders
Status of sales orders
Sales based on customer and product
Customers who have not placed orders for a long time
Lost sales reasons
Current and critical stocks
Pending purchase orders
Supplier deliveries
Planned deliveries
Invoicing and collection status
Tasks and follow-ups of the sales team
XtraCRM does not force your company into a fixed sales model. By configuring customer and dealer records, sales stages, custom fields, quotes, orders, stocks, purchases, and financial processes according to your own commercial order, you can make the entire process from the initial customer request to delivery and collection more organized, measurable, and trackable.