Samsung is challenged to capture the largest market share in the Home Appliances, Audio, and TV product categories in the Benelux. They also want to inspire store associates to boost sales of their products. Samsung has engaged Smollan (formerly Hamilton Bright) to address this dual challenge.

The result? Significant sales growth thanks to strong strategic planning, the deployment of an experienced Field Force team, and intensive training!

Samsung, primarily known for its electronics, including smartphones, televisions, audio, and home appliances, has become a global leader in technology and innovation. Since 2005, Smollan has had a strong field marketing partnership with Samsung, and we are incredibly proud of that!

Samsung aims to capture the largest market share in the Home Appliances, Audio, and TV product categories in the Benelux. Given our Benelux approach and expertise in field teams, they engaged Smollan for this. The goal? Not only to increase sales figures but also to get store associates excited about Samsung products. This dual approach will significantly boost Samsung’s market share in stores.

We started working with a Field Force team of 50 employees for Samsung. The Field Force team is present on the sales floor of MediaMarkt to stimulate sales of Samsung products. This team, consisting of full-time employees, temporary employees, and Live Online Advisors, worked in 25 different MediaMarkt locations. Live Online Advisors are brand ambassadors who focus on your brand, targeting online shoppers. The only difference from our offline Brand Ambassadors is that they are equipped with a phone and headset and are trained to assist online shoppers at MediaMarkt. Multiple employees are deployed per MediaMarkt location, ensuring that the various Samsung product groups are represented on the sales floor.

Employees maintain close contact with Samsung Field Managers, Account Managers, and Ambassadors, as well as with the Smollan Project Manager and Project Coordinator. Combined with regular training and the right tools, these employees can achieve their targets.

Our permanent Field Force team is active in MediaMarkt stores year-round. During peak periods, such as VAT holidays, holiday bonus weeks, and Black Friday, we provide extra staff to manage these busy sales periods. Our employees receive extensive product training, often provided by a Samsung master trainer. Besides product knowledge, they also learn the skills needed for effective sales conversations.

Our training programs are specifically tailored to the various product groups: Home Appliances, Audio, and TV. For the JET team, responsible for selling the JET stick vacuum cleaner, we organized a team day with in-depth product training. These training sessions focused on product knowledge and conducting successful sales conversations.

The Field Force team and the Live Online Advisors receive training twice a year, focusing on personal development and sales skills, in addition to the regular product training sessions. Our team of Live Online Advisors offers customers advice and product information from home via a live video connection from the store.

The results achieved are impressive. Thanks to our Field Force Team, Samsung has significantly increased market share in stores where they operate, compared to stores without a Field Force team. Samsung has adopted the JET team’s success in the Benelux as a best practice for all of Europe, leading other countries to consider our approach.

Our weekly meetings with Samsung to discuss the progress of various projects are a key component of this success. Reports and input are shared between us, allowing us to continuously adapt and improve. A key element of our recruitment process is selecting people with experience in the MediaMarkt environment. This allows employees to quickly find their feet and start working effectively in the store.

With this collaboration, Smollan and Samsung prove that by deploying the right people, providing sufficient attention, and consistently delivering high-quality results, Samsung can achieve exceptional results. This makes us a model for other European markets.

Thanks to a pool of (temporary) employees, internal coaches for training opportunities, and our experience in field marketing, Smollan can adapt quickly and establish a Field Force team within a few weeks.