The client is a U.S owned manufacturing company operating globally with 45,000 employees. They supply a wide range of customers in a vast range of markets including the automotive, aeronautical, and manufacturing sectors. We have been working with this client for the last four years, primarily in the UK and France.

There are two key elements to their sales strategy:

(1) To develop an Account Management approach to the most significant direct customers

The sales organisation has historically been product division based. The move to account management will provide in a single point of contact for the customer, with the account managers having a resource management role, providing the right resources to the customer as required.

(2) Developing the distributor network to service the non direct accounts

This third party channel will be increasingly important in getting our clients products and services to the mass market.

Key elements of the programme are:

• Core selling skills - this provides the foundation training
• Account Management, for people moving from a territory based role to working with major accounts
• Working with Distributors, for people who move into the distribution channel rather than key accounts
• Negotiation, as this is a core skill for the whole sales team

Specific programmes are also available on presentation skills, understanding finance, and a programme specific to the office based sales team who support the field operation.

Each programme takes a blended learning approach, which involves participants in self study work as well as attending short duration practically based workshops. Finally, sales managers attend a coaching programme, to enable them to develop their coaching kills back in the field - this is a key activity in enabling the salespeople to implement what they have learned during the programmes.