Training of Sales Force: Meaning and Methods

 Q. What do you mean by training of Sales force? Explain the various methods of training the sales force. 

Ans. Meaning of training of sales force: Industrial sales force training is a process of providing the sales force with specific skills for performing their task better and helping them to correct deficiencies in their sales personnel.

In modern industrial organization, the need of training of sales personnel is widely recognized so as to keep the sales personnel in touch with the new technological developments. Every company must have a systematic training program for the growth and development of employees. Training is one of the most important activities of management. The technological developments are taking place at much faster rate. Individual needs training to match him with the requirements of new changes. After recruitment and selection, the next step is training, which is required for all types of jobs in the organisation. New jobs require some sort of special training. Training is also valuable for sales personnel and the organization. It helps to reduce the cost. Training is thus no more a luxury but now it is considered as a necessity.

According to Jucius, “The term training is used here to indicate only process by which the aptitudes, skill and abilities of employees to perform specific jobs are increased.”

Methods of training the sales force: The various training methods adopted for the training of sales personnel are as follows: 

1. Orientation and Induction Training: This training is given to help new entrants for adapting themselves with the new environment. In this method, the new comer is taken around the organisation and informed about the location of various departments and offices. The employees are given a full description of the job they are expected to perform. Orientation training helps the new employees to acquaint themselves with their immediate boss and the persons who will work under their command. They are also informed about the policies, procedures and rules which are related to their assigned work. 

2. Refresher Training: Refresher training is helpful in acquainting personnel with latest improvements in their work. The changing technological methods require fresh training to existing employees even if they are well trained and qualified. Everybody requires attending refresher courses to know the the latest techniques of doing the work. Such training also helps in refreshing the memory of the sales personnel. The introduction of new products may also necessitate fresh training of sales personnel.

3. Case Study: In this method, the case is assigned to the trainees. The trainees learn analytical thinking and reasoning ability by discussing the case. This method improves the ability to evaluate facts and appreciate other’s view point. The trainees come to understand more than one way to analyze the problem.

4. Coaching: In this method, the immediate superior guides and instructs his subordinates as a coach. It is learning through on the job experience because a manager can learn when he is a put on a specific job. The immediate superior briefs the trainees what is expected from them and guides how to effectively achieve them. The coach or immediate superior watches the performance of their trainees and directs them in correcting their mistakes.

5. Special Projects Assignment: In this method a trainee is assigned a project which is closely related to his job. Further, sometimes the number of trainee executive is provided with the project assignment which is related to their functional area. This group of trainees is called project team. The trainee studies the assigned problem and formulates recommendation on it. These recommendations are submitted in the written form by the trainee to his superior.

6. Role Playing: In role playing, the conflicting situation is created and two or more trainees are assigned different roles to play on the spot. They are provided with the written or oral description of the situation and roles to play. The trainees are then provided with the sufficient time, they then have to perform their assigned roles spontaneously before the class. This technique is generally used for human relations and the leadership training. This method is used as a supplement to other methods.

7. Syndicate Method: Syndicate refers to the group of trainees and involves the analysis of the problem by different groups. Thus, in this method, 5 or 6 groups consisting of 10 members are formed. Each group works on the problem on the basis of the briefs and the backgrounds provided by the resource persons. Each group presents its view on the involved issues along with the other groups. After the presentation, these views are evaluated by the resource persons along with the group members. Such exercise is repeated to help the members to look into the right perspective of the problem. This method helps in the development of the analytical and the interpersonal skills of the managers.

8. Demonstration: In this method, the trainees are given the demonstration of the product. This method is appropriate for imparting training for technical and complex products. It demonstrates the features of the product, its uses, method of using it, its superiority over the competitirs’ product. The purpose of the training is to make the salesmen fully aware of the product so that they can effectively demonstrate the product to the prospective customer.

9. Sales Conference Method: In sales conference method, training is given in both formal and informal ways. These conferences are addressed by an expert or group of experts. Salesmen of the organization attend these conferences as participants. The experts give knowledge of new sales techniques to the participants. These conferences discuss specific sales related problems like how to redress consumer complaints, how to maximize consumer satisfaction, etc. The group discussion between the experts and the participants is organized at the end of the conference, thereby making it a two way communication.

Meaning of Sales Organisation. Steps in setting up Sales Organisation.

Q. What do you mean by Sales Organisation? Explain the various steps in setting up Sales Organisation. 

Ans. MEANING OF SALES ORGANISATION: Whenever two or more persons perform activities for the purpose of achieving any objective together, a necessity to distribute the work among them arises and the coordination between the different activities is made. The organising element is required to fulfill this necessity. Thus, organization is a coordinated effort of different individuals working in an enterprise to achieve its goals. Industrial marketing organisation in an enterprise means the integration and coordination of individual marketing efforts to achieve the cherished goals of the business enterprise. Industrial marketing organisation is a time tested mechanism that enables people to live and work together. With the help of industrial marketing, organizing the task is allocated among the employees according to their specialization. Each employee gets the work of his own interest and therefore, they perform their work efficiently. This leads to the expansion and growth of the business enterprise.

DEFINITIONS OF INDUSTRIAL MARKETING ORGANIZATION

According to C.L. Bolling. “An industrial marketing organization is one where functions of marketing department have been carefully planned and coordinated towards the objective of selling the product to the customers, the whole efforts being effectively supervised and managed so that each function is carried out in the desired manner.”

According to H.R. Tosdal, “An industrial marketing organization consists of human beings working together for the marketing of products manufactured by the firm or marketing of commodities which have been purchased for resale.”

STEPS IN SETTING UP SALES ORGANISATION: 

1. Setting the Objectives: The first step in the process of setting industrial marketing organization is to set its objectives. Top management defines the long term objectives for the enterprise like profit maximization, improving reputation, increasing size of enterprise, etc. Marketing department sets specific objectives for achieving the long term objectives set by the top management. These objectives can be: (a) To increase sales, (b) To control selling expenses, (c) To increase market share, (d) To increase profit through customer satisfaction.

2. Defining Necessary Marketing Activities: After having learnt about the objectives of the marketing organization, necessary functions are required to be performed to achieve the determined objectives. The necessary marketing activities can be personal selling. sales promotion, publicity, advertising, marketing research, distribution of goods and services, etc.

3. Grouping Marketing Activities into Jobs, Positions: After identifying various marketing activities to be performed to achieve marketing objectives, the next step is to classify and group the similar and related tasks into various jobs or positions. Some of the marketing activities are crucial in nature; these are classified as high level jobs. Others are of routine nature and are classified as lower level jobs. For proper coordination and control, jobs of similar nature are brought together to form departments.

4. Assignment of Duties: After dividing the various activities into different positions, various persons are assigned the charge of these positions. The jobs are is assigned to the marketing personnel according to their capabilities and specialization. While assignment of job, the principle of 'right man on right job' is followed. The work to be performed by every individual is clearly defined and made known to him. In order to avoid misunderstandings, duplication or overlapping in the work, every one should know what he is required to do.

5. Establishing Reporting Relationship: In this step, every individual is given the authority required to carry out the responsibility assigned to him. A hierarchical structure, i.e., a chain of command is created through successive delegation of authority. Reasonable powers are delegated to heads and supervisory staff to enable them to do their task with ease and efficiency.

What do you mean by Sales Organisation? Explain the various steps in setting up Sales Organisation.