Selling and sales management in action: Sales force effectiveness research reveals new insights and reward-penalty patterns in sales force training

Training accurately predicted sales forces' performance nearly 50% of the time in a national research study of paper and plastics merchant wholesalers' sales force effectiveness. The top performing sales forces front-load the length of training for new salespeople and broaden its methods, sources, and contents. Managerial recommendations are to: (a) reallocate training budgets that balance new and experienced salespersons' training, (b) re-focus on training content to balance strategy-oriented training with knowledge and interpersonal communication skill areas of training content, (c) diversify training sources and methods for new salespersons' training, and (d) involve suppliers and customers in merchant sales force training.