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Training cabin crews to sell onboard duty-free can be demanding. One of the greatest challenges is to ensure that trainees retain the skills they have learned once training is over. [...]

A discussion of the undergraduate personal sales course is presented, focusing on currency. Topics include redesigning course content, course structure, and an analysis of 400 senior sales executives surveys.

Issues concerning the hiring and training of international sales personnel by global companies are examined, focusing on the experience of over 100 companies in China and Slovakia. Topics include business concerns for countries that have abandoned state-planned economies, differences in selection and training procedures for companies operating in China and Slovakia, and the difference between sales training for global and domestic companies.

An investigation was conducted that examined the satisfaction national account managers (NAMs) have with current sales training programs and how adequately the programs address required skills/abilities. Findings suggest that NAMs are not satisfied with current national account management sales training programs. The NAMs also reported they do not believe firms are addressing 13 out of 21 skills/abilities which are associated with the NAM role. Implications are offered regarding the findings and recommendations are given for practitioners to move toward strengthening national account management sales training programs. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

An operational audit provides a firm with an organized framework to logically, systematically, and comprehensively examine its sales training program. When performed periodically by an objective and knowledgeable source, an audit can help identify and correct actual and potential sales training shortcomings. However, audits do have limitations, which must be taken into account. This article accounts a detailed audit, which can be used by sales and marketing managers to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the firm's sales training program. Suggestions for future research are also discussed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

This study examines the roles played by sales managers and sales trainers in the sales training process. Findings confirm that joint participation by sales managers and trainers in the sales training is higher today than in the past, yet several problem areas still exist. Sales trainers claimed to be primarily responsible for sales training in large companies, but did not seek inputs from field sales managers when planning, conducting, and evaluating training programs. In smaller firms, sales managers are almost totally responsible for sales training. However, they conduct little evaluation and follow-up activities. The implications of these findings are discussed, and suggestions for managerial actions are provided. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

An investigation was conducted that examined the extent to which sales training objectives are used in conducting sales training programs. Findings suggest that specific training objectives are utilized by a proportion of companies to plan and manage sales training activities. However, the systematic setting of training objectives is not practiced by many firms. These firms allow one individual or functional area to set goals, fail to seek input from experienced sales people, set general objectives, and possess differing perceptions regarding what should be taught. Implications of these findings are discussed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

A survey of industrial firms confirmed the notion that buyers and sellers evaluate salespeople differently. Sales and purchasing managers agreed that buyers evaluate the salesperson and the selling company before selecting a supplier. However, a large number of industrial firms reported that they do not train their salespeople. This article presents the implications of these findings in order to enable sales managers to justify sales training programs at their firms and to determine ways in which to incorporate buyers' views in the sales training programs. This investigation was limited to participating industrial firms located in one geographical area representing a broad spectrum of manufacturing industries. These limitations must be taken into account for the findings to go beyond broad generalization. The study must be repeated covering a large geographical area involving a larger sample to achieve external validity. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

One of the nost critical issues facing today's sales manager is cost-effective sales training. Many firms are substantially increasing investment in sales training; however, little research has studied the usage and effectiveness of various sales training methods. This article compares and contrasts the usage and perceived effectiveness of high-tech and traditional approaches to sales training. Findings suggest that despite optimistic predictions, high-tech training methods have not been widely adopted and use of these methods is expected to increase only modestly in the next several years. Traditional sales training methods, such as role playing, continue to be widely used. In terms of perceived effectiveness, managers rated methods high in participant involvement and trainer interaction as the most effective in achieving selected training objectives. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

This article proposes the concept of a vendor's selling center to market effectively to industrial firms. A selling center provides vendors with a vehicle first to understand and then meet their customers' needs and requirements. Suggestions are offered for how marketing managers can manage the selling center by improving interfunctional communications as well as sales training programs at their firms. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

The noted behavioural psychologist BF Skinner demonstrated in his laboratories that any behaviour which is rewarded will tend to be repeated. That scientific finding represents the absolute foundation of motivational [...]

While most assets tend to depreciate over time, there is one vital asset that actually grows in value over the years--salespeople. Given the right training and development, salespeople will increase [...]

Indegene Lifesystems has tied up with Team Computers Limited (TCL) to offer Enterprise Mobility Solutions (EMS) to the pharmaceutical industry for effective marketing of medicines. TCL is an information technology [...]

Print companies 'do not train their sales force' and are not realising the shift towards a service-led industry as a result, a printer has warned. Eaveswood Colour managing director Simon [...]

By Chris Bennett chris.bennett@rbi.co.uk Contact lens manufacturers are exploring ways in which the knowledge and quality of sales and technical staff can be measured through the introduction of third-party accreditation. [...]

As sales compensation is increasingly up for discussion, Jeff Gardner gives some tips on the best ways to keep your sales team satisfied and motivated. Whenever I meet with dealer [...]

A study examining managerial perceptions of the impact, sales training has on sales force performance among multinational and national firms in Malaysia is presented. The results demonstrate that unlike their national counterparts, multinational firm sales managers perceived greater improvement in the hypothesized measures of performance of sales presentation and communication skills, sales objectives, product information and technical skills and customer relation skills.

Sales training practices of small and medium sized companies in southern European and northern European countries are analyzed. The regional cultures lead to differences in training methods than in actual training content.

The value of high tech training practices of sales staff in Malaysian firms is discussed.

Better sales training is implemented through better preparation methods. These methods decrease training time and costs.

Think of a number between one and ten. You can stick with that number or change it to another as long as it's between one and ten. Now multiply the [...]

Michael Keech was looking for a dynamic and challenging job. He certainly got it at L'Oreal National account managers at L'Oreal are expected to hit the ground running. A place [...]

Field marketing sees improved training For its personnel as the key to winning better door-to-door business. When the utilities first started deregulating, there was a rash of stories telling of [...]