Question

One expert contends that sales training is no tatall as complicated as some would claim. He predicts that regardless of the advances in communication, resources, technology, and training tools, the basic selling skills that trainers teach salespeople will change very little from those that have been successful during the past 50 years. What will change, according to the expert, is how salespeople are trained to use these skills effectively. Do you agree with this prediction?

Answer 1

Yes, I do agree with the prediction. The foundation of most of the marketing management activities have still remained the same though the way to approach it has drastically changed owing to the advent of the Internet media and technical revolution over the past 50 years. The basic motive of the Businesses is even now the same i.e. selling of the products or services with the view to earn profits. Of course, the only difference over these five decades have been the fact the Business Organizations are now concerned with coupling its selling activities with that of the Business Ethics that may include Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance activities as well. However, the core objective of the business is still to earn profits by increasing their sales figures. Further, the basic selling skills have also remained the same i.e. to attempt to convince the consumers to buy the products or avail the services of a particular Company. The manner in which the potential customer is to be convinced may have changed but not the motive.

Marketing is such an activity that comprises of creation of a product or a service to be offered in a market, communicating the same through various media of communications such as promotions and consecutively delivering the same to the consumers, patients or clients in a certain exchange for the offerings. The coverage of this activity needs to create value for the customers in exchange of these offerings. The concept largely takes into consideration the needs, wants and demands of the consumers and accordingly attempt to achieve the Organizational goals. Once this broad idea of marketing is formed, the next exercise comes into play is that of selling. The selling point of the Business needs to be highlighted to the public and make them convinced hence to avail a desirable action from the market, thus forming the basis of the selling skills that have not much changed over the years.