SALES AND DISTRIBUTION

MANAGEMENT FOR LAWYERS

PSDA 2 – Analyse, appreciate and prepare a project on the sales

training of any organization.

SUBMITTED BY- SUBMITTED TO-

SANYA SUHANE. DR. ABHILASHA RAJ.
A3221519264
BBA LLB (HONS)
SECTION-E
SEMESTER-4
BATCH-2019-2024.
INTRODUCTION

Training refers to importing of specific skills, abilities and knowledge to an

employee or it is any attempt to improve present or future, employee performance
by increasing an employee ability to perform, through learning, usually by
changing the attitude or increasing his/her skills and knowledge.
A sales training or sales training program is designed to help sales professionals
achieve sales success for themselves or their organization. Most sales training
programs help develop sales skills and techniques needed to approach cold leads,
create new sales opportunities, close deals, and build rapport with clients and
customers. Training and Development nowadays constitute an ongoing process
in any organization. Training is a tool for increasing individual performance and
overall organizational growth. The objective of the training is to enable the
employees to grow acquire knowledge of thought and action.
TYPES OF TRAINING METHOD

(a) Lecture Method: An expert speaks to trainee-salesmen in a group about the

various aspects of selling. This is a class-room training. Visual aids,
demonstration and overhead projectors may be used for imparting effective
training. The executive or management development is a long-term educational
process utilizing a systematic and organized procedure by which executives
learn theoretical and conceptual (i.e., problems identification and solving skill)
knowledge. Lecture method is known as on-the-job method in which an expert
or a superior manager imparts job knowledge to subordinates.

(b) Audio-Visual Method: In order to supplement the lecture method, training

programmes include the use of visual aids, such as films, making them more
interesting.

(c) Discussion Method / Case Study Method: In this method of executive

development, the trainees may be given a problem to discuss which is more or
less related to the principles already taught. The trainees are encouraged to
apply knowledge for the solution of realistic problems. An actual case is given
as a problem to be solved by the group. The members in the group are asked to
understand the problem and draw a conclusion.

(d) Conference Method: Sales conferences and sales meetings are organized
time to time and thoughts of various persons are pooled in the conference. Such
conferences have motivating effects for the participants.
(e) Role Playing Method: The sales trainees have chance to see and understand
the ideas in different situation. Role playing techniques are used for human
relations and leadership training. A conflict situation is artificially created to
allow trainees to take up different parts of play. Through this techniques, they
learn human relations skills through practice.

(f) Brain Storming Method: Under this method, persons assemble together
and the manager starts discussions. The trainees have to understand the
problems and find solutions. The solutions are analyzed by the manager.

(g) On-the-Job Training: Under this method, a new salesman is placed under
an experienced salesman who explain the sales techniques. He also takes the
trainee along with him on his rounds and gives him chances to observe the
dealings with customers. In course of time, the sales trainee becomes a trained
and independent salesman.

(h) Sales Manual: It contains details of the firm and products, job description,
sales policies etc. It contains problems with suggestive solution. A copy of the
Manual is given to each salesman to go through and understand the ideas.

TRAINING PROCESS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STEPS-

Step 1- Identifying Training Needs: This is the starting point for designing an
effective training programme. Identifying the training needs refer to determine
the weaknesses of new as well as existing employees that affect the
performance negatively and to find out the gap between the actual and the
desired performance of the current employees. It aims to identify the specific
knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviour that are lacking amongst employees,
particularly at the entry point. Identifying training needs, therefore, entails
analyzing the latches amongst employees that prevent the organization to attain
its goals.

Step 2 - Setting Sales Training Objectives: Assessment of training needs is

the starting point of setting the training objectives. Training objectives are
formulated on the basis of the types of product or service to sell nature of
selling jobs, types of salespeople that undergo training, types of customers to
deal with, and environmental conditions that the salespeople will confront.
Sales training objectives are laid down to make salespeople comfortable with
different selling situations. Indeed, they should gear up to make customers feel
that they are getting value for money by taking purchase decisions. Moreover,
they are also expected to put a positive image of the company in front of the
customers. And hence, it is important that the salespeople should learn the
company’s core missions, values, philosophies, and goals during training so
that during practical selling, they can raise the company’s image high by
popularizing the company’s cherished image. Training objectives should be
goal-directed and performance-oriented. Successful accomplishments of
training objectives allude the generation of a well- trained salespeople who
require no major supervision or management control to perform their jobs.

Step 3 - Deciding on the Training Methods: Once the company has decided
on the objectives of the training, they need to evolve appropriate training
methods to fulfil them. A suitably devised training method also entails how
the training will be conducted. For example, for imparting knowledge about a
product or service, lecture methods are most useful. To understand the
applications of a product, demonstration is an ideal method. Places where
salespeople work as team, methods such as – group discussion or role playing
are quite useful.

Step 4 - Designing the Training Programme: After analyzing the training

needs, determining objectives of training, and suggesting training methods,
designing the training programme is a critical step for the success of training.
The benefits of sales training cannot be achieved, if there is a flaw in its
programme or is not correctly laid down to satisfy any one of the training
needs.

Step 5 - Career Cycle: Planning a training programme is preceded by

accurately analyzing the training needs. This is required, both, for newly
recruited salespeople and employees already working at different stages of
their career cycles. Apart from this, it is important for sales managers to track
the movements of their employees along their career cycles. A career cycle is
a stepwise progression of the career of a salesperson covering four stages.
These stages are initial training or grooming, development, maturity, and
diminution.

Step 6 - Evaluating Training Effectiveness: Unless, a person evaluates the

training process, it is difficult for anyone to judge the effectiveness of the
programme. Also, this helps in coming up with a more comprehensive
programme for the next time.
For the project activity, I have chosen Pizza Hut as an organization to analyse
and appreciate the sales training of the employees.

COMPANY BACKGROUND

Pizza Hut is owned by the American Group Yums Inc, which is one of the
largest pizza restaurant companies in the world in terms of both the number of
outlets and the percentage of market share that it holds. The company oversees
more than 11,000 pizza restaurants and delivery outlets in 90 countries
worldwide. Britain’s first Pizza Hut started taking orders 30 years ago in
Islington, north London, and is now the leading pizza restaurant and delivery
chain in the UK. The company has over 600 outlets, including over 370 dine-
in restaurants and over 170 home delivery units, and it employs almost 20,000
people in the UK.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES

Barham (et al 1988) identified three different training and development

approaches which are the following:

Fragmented approach – where training is not linked to organisation goals,

and also be perceived as a luxury or a waste of time.

Formalised approach -training is gradually being linked human resource

needs.

Focused approach – training is regarded as ‘competitive weapon’ and is

linked to organisation strategy and goals.

In Pizza Hut, all new recruits joining the restaurant are sent on an initial
induction programme, in which the company introduce new recruits to their
job position, their team and the workplace and the organisational background
i.e. business values. Secondly, it helps them establish positive relationships
between the employees by building their commitment to its visions and goals
i.e., ‘Being the most loved restaurant brand’ and providing great service for
customers. Furthermore, Pizza Hut emphasises the importance restaurant
quality assurance system known as ‘CHAMPS’ which is based on customer
expectations of cleanliness, hospitality, accuracy, maintenance, product
quality and speed of service.
 Menu knowledge -i.e. listing the toppings on BBQ deluxe pizza.

 Salad station – setting temperature, shelf life of certain goods when opened,
how often certain items needs replenishing etc.

 System & cash handling – how to cater for customer needs i.e. changing
toppings on the server till. Procedures for processing credit card and cash
transactions especially since each member is responsible for cash shortages.

 Health and Safety – handling hazardous substances, sharp objects,

eliminating obstruction in the restaurant floor. Operating machinery i.e.
oven in a safe manner and so on.

In Pizza Hut employees go through a three hour on the job training and are
partnered with a recognised expert trainer. Mentoring has been defined by
Garvey, as a process in which a person carries out a councillor and a ‘friend’ to
help support them in the workplace by familiarising with its customs and
processes. The focus is centred on the individuals and raises business
awareness like hospitality service, reducing speed etc.

When the restaurant manager is satisfied with the progress, the employee will
be assigned to an ongoing personal Host Training Workbook’ which is an
educational material aimed to enhanced level of professional knowledge and
broadening the restaurants awareness i.e. hospitality service in a fast moving
environment. The training workbook introduces the following vital aspects of
key competences:

 Communication skills – importance of excellent communications skills for

customer interaction as well with management and team members.

 Interacting with all types of customers, generating a personal conversation

with customers at the door.

 Communications with other team members and management to ensure

accurate wait times are quoted and ensure effective table turnover.

 Keeping up to date with team room communications, awareness of

CHAMPS and ‘Customer Mania’.
 Knowledge –informing customers of deals that are appropriate i.e. family
deals and also being able to describe whole menu be able to manage queues
using the restaurant utilisation tools using service recovery to customer
issues at the door are effectively resolved or communicated to the deputy
manage.

 Attitudes/Behaviour –Building rapport with customers, communicating

effectively to establish customer needs, demonstration passion when
explaining meal deals, prioritising effectively, getting most important task
done first and being proactive when problems on shifts are identified.

From the information given we can see that Pizza Hut have adopted a focused
approach to training and development, as training is an ongoing process in the
organisation and is a requirement for the organisations survival in a
competitive and ever changing environment. The focused approach is also
linked to individual needs as well as the organisations. Pizza Huts approach to
training and development is also competitive as it operates in a demanding
market and needs to provide a service to its customers which equals or
surpasses its competitor’s level of service. This could help the organisation to
gain the upper hand in its market, by providing outstanding customer service
and high quality products.

HORIZONTALLY INTEGRATED- PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

In addition, value added is also linked to HR practices of Performance

management of Pizza Hut Hayes, the business is horizontally integrated. For
example, CHAMPS, Customer Mania and HWWT criterions are integrated in
all aspect of employee management and also identify what members of the
restaurants are doing well and how they can improve to make sure the business
succeeds. Ways in which this is done by:

 Induction – all employees are made aware of performance requirements

established in the framework i.e. Speed, Hospitality, Product quality etc.

 Job related training – the RGM will agree on the support required for the
individual to achieve performance levels i.e. improve interaction with
customers so they feel welcomed, taking additional responsibilities i.e.
handling telephone orders for multi-tasking, improving selling skills by up
selling desserts and so on.
 Appraisal- feedback is given by the RGM on how employees perform to
Pizza Hut ‘CHAMPS’ and ‘Customer Mania’ standards. Secondly both the
RGM and employee agree on key targets to help improve development
areas i.e. further opportunities for improvement.

 Personal development – employees are consistently working towards the

core competence framework, this helps employees expand performance i.e.
speed of service, product quality, good hospitality service and creating
good relations with customers and employee members. This helps the
business and keeps employees committed and motivated.

Recognition and rewards- all employees are recognised for their efforts for
achieving CHAMPS standards, this because with mystery shopping programme
individual employees are scored against the CHAMPS criterion and moreover
RGM will use feedback from other senior members, and reward employees by
giving them certificates, vouchers etc. Whereas customers have also
traditionally rewarded employees by giving them tips for delivering excellent
service in which the restaurant does not profit from. This is used as a personal
motivation and incentive to follow the CHAMPS standards. This satisfies
restaurant because customers will repeat business and employees will remain
committed to the core competence framework.
THANK YOU.