Page 167 - Marketing the Basics 2nd

TRAINING SALESPEOPLE
The third step in the model is to train the sales force. Training provides the salesperson with information that not only includes details about the products that they will be selling, but also facts regarding the habits of the target market and customer need.Training also includes an explanation of the salesperson’s responsibilities and duties, and the personal selling process, which we will explain in depth later in the chapter. Finally, a well-designed training programme will also include details on competitor strategies, the company’s mission, financial structure, organization and corporate objectives. For brand sales reps, training around the professional sales call as discussed shortly is critical.
Some firms are known as providing great sales training (Xerox for example), and young people wanting a career in sales are advised to start off with one of these firms to get the basics down right as a great foundation to a career in sales. Training salespeople must include tweaking their observation skills. Consumers are good observers. Simply by walking through a mall, they scan every individual that passes them, more specifically their attire. This, by the way, is more influential than an advertisement. People need to see ‘normal’, common individuals such as themselves, wearing the products that they will potentially purchase. This is all done through observation, and salespeople need to be on the lookout for these trends. They are the on the floor with the customers. They are the ones who are best able to identify the colours, styles and designs that are in style. Urban Outfitters, for example has its salespeople walk around the store’s floor, observing the customers. They have been taught to identify up-and-coming trends that their own customers may be sporting. The typical consumer at Urban Outfitters, is a bohemian type of individual usually with a unique sense of style. They are often ahead of the fashion world, in terms of figuring out what the next trend will be. The salespeople are there to identify these trends. Once again, observation though natural for any consumer is a skill that salespeople need to further develop during training.
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