As part of the reorganization of its field sales force, Simon & Schuster has created a new telemarketing department while reducing the number of reps in the field. Sources said that the addition of telemarketing reps somewhat offset the cut of nine field reps, resulting in a net job loss under 10.
Under its new approach, S&S’s new field sales team “will focus on the geographic regions where our sales are strongest—urban areas with a large base of key independent retail, wholesale, and educational accounts,” S&S executive v-p for sales and marketing Michael Selleck said in a memo explaining the reorganization. The field group now has seven reps, who, depending on their territory, will call on regional wholesalers as well as large independent booksellers. Michael Croy, director of field sales, will oversee the field sales team.
The new telemarketing group will operate under the direction of Frank Fochetta, v-p and director, field and special sales, and will work with a core group of more than 400 independent booksellers, distributors, and educational wholesalers, Selleck wrote. The unit will “actively participate in the publishing process, proactively sell our list based on the best and latest information, and adopt a hands-on approach to managing and nurturing account relationships.” S&S hopes to have the team in place by February 15. The reorganization, Selleck wrote, “acknowledges the changing nature of the market place and provides us with a flexible, multi-faceted plan for addressing the needs of the Field bookselling channel.”
Several people also picked up new responsibilities under the reorganization. Brian Kelleher will now manage key educational wholesalers in Illinois, Missouri, Texas, and Kansas, including Hertzberg, the Booksource, and Southwest Book, while remaining the children’s and educational specialist for the entire field channel. Bobbi Schlatter-Cable will continue to manage Ingram while adding responsibilities for key CBA accounts. Lauren Rouleau will manage the Revelations commission rep group that sells into the CBA field accounts as well as other commission sales groups.
The reorg brings the field sales force full circle from earlier last decade when sales reps sold all books to all types of accounts. The new alignment puts renewed focus for each of S&S’s rep groups (field, telemarketing, telesales, specialty) on serving different types of accounts with distinct profiles.
