In an age of increased online purchasing, it would be reasonable to wonder how relevant trusted sales people are. What we can be sure of is that customer expectations are changing and excellent sales people are becoming increasingly vital. Customers value their time, expect to be well understood quickly and in line with this, company representatives must add value effectively.
At NHP our sales team are committed to adding this value. By getting in our customer’s world and understanding their business needs, we are able to tailor solutions that match perfectly. Long gone are the days of ‘coffee reps’ or ‘product pushers’ and the new challenge of time poor and savvy consumers with increased choice is one we are taking on with enthusiasm. As part of this approach we are working toward highly flexible sales people that are equipped with the communication and leadership skills to adapt to the many varied personal styles of our valued customer base. We are clearly here to serve our customers, and by going beyond the accepted norm and asking challenging questions to help them think about new ways to solve problems is just one of the ways we can be of service.
With that said, we have recently embarked on a large scale skills development program across our entire sales force that leads the industry and places the focus on our customers businesses. Our team can do what online sites can’t, and that is really understand our customer’s needs and offer solutions to help their business grow. Starting with our Executive Leadership and Sales Management team then continuing the program through the balance of the sales force, the impact of the training has been phenomenal in a short time with both staff and customers. With plans in place to include other internal customer facing roles we’re excited to continue the momentum.
When I asked Darren Besanko, our Learning & Development Partner what made this training so special he said “within our team we have strong elements of emotional intelligence, leadership, wellbeing and mindfulness practice, and the training continued development of those qualities.” Further, it is the cutting edge philosophy behind this program as well as the embrace of adult learning principles that really make it stand out in practice.
In addition to the business benefits we have experienced, the influence of this training on individuals and their families is extremely rewarding and it makes it so meaningful to know that we are making a difference for the people who work so hard for us. We have stories impacting husbands, wives and children, about how the changes in communication have been transformative and in some cases improved the way the whole family communicates with each other. These stories just keep on coming!
When it came to launching this training, as well as identifying the opportunity from a business perspective, we also listened to our staff and empowered them to identify their needs for specific training. In turn, the impact of the current program is really enhancing our customer experience whilst at the same time increasing employee engagement. We can hear that word is starting to get out and that this level of intense training makes NHP an even more attractive place to work.
The challenge and standards we hold ourselves to are exemplary and people are relishing the opportunities for their own professional and personal growth. We are on a winner which is making a real paradigm shift in the electrical industry.