Sales Training Emphasizes Service And Quality

In the sales career market, there now is considerably less emphasis on generic formulas on how to sell and a greater emphasis on listening, knowledge-based selling, and empowerment to change the rules. In knowledge-based selling, sophisticated customers are likely to look to the salesperson for information that will help their bottom line. The emerging concept of partnership between the customer and the supplier is a direct result of an emphasis on quality. In meeting the standards of quality management, salespersons must learn about standard deviation, process capability, and other industrial statistics. At some companies, nonselling personnel are taking selling and technique workshops where they play sales roles; the actions are played back on videotape and critiqued. After exposure to these older techniques for sales training, nonselling personnel have a better understanding of what they can do to support the sales staff.