MGT-303 Final Exam

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Signature Assignment: Training Program Implementation
Introduction to Adult Novelty Wholesale Sales
Stacey Troup
Training & Development in Business/MGT-303
February 22, 2017
Dr. Michael Minaudo

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Signature Assignment: Training Program Implementation
In this Signature Assignment for the final week of the aforementioned class, I will plan,
design, deliver and evaluate a training program designed to train individuals new to the world of
B2B novelty sales, predominantly done over the phone. I will discuss specific deliverables as
well as the importance of feedback, fun, and teamwork as I wrap up this training program while
delivering the training in an environment conducive to success.
Environment and Set Up of Training Program
As employees enter the training environment, they will be seated at their choice of
positions at round tables with numbers in the center resembling wedding seating. There will be a
packet at each seat which contains a set of catalogs, a schedule of training events and some
surprise team building envelopes labeled “do not open until instructed” within the packets.
These “surprise packets are designed for surprise quizzes, team exercises and other giveaways
which will be planned and executed throughout the training. Under each of the participant's
seats, a number will be taped and they will be unaware of this until the trainer executes team
assignment with these surprise numbers later in the program. The concept of our layout of the
room is key to both the learning styles of the participants as well as the need for an interactive
learning environment which will engage the participants in the much-needed training through a
team culture (Hackett, 2012).
Step One – Team Assignments
As the trainer begins the session, she will introduce herself as well as explain the packets
on each of the participant's desks. Once everyone has their packet of catalogs, schedule and
other handouts in hand, the trainer will explain that each of the tables will be working in teams to
answer given problems or quizzes that will be administered during the training. In an effort to

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avoid “cliques” between staff members new and old, the trainer will then announce that everyone
will reach under their chairs for the envelopes there and reveal their team number. Five minutes
will be given for the participants to move from their chairs to their assigned tables with their new
teammates and resettle before the training begins. This seemingly random selection of team
members is anything but random. In fact, information on the senior staff members was drawn
from the company prior to the establishment of teams as well as the learning styles of these
participants in an effort to match them with a diversified pool of new employees.
Step Two - Interactive Training
In a rotating course, product specialists from the top five manufacturers will present their
training to the rooms of participants at team tables. These presenters will cover best sellers,
product categories, catalog construction (layout), and packaging specifics to help participants
understand how and where certain products fit into demographics of stores (products will be
passed around for review). At the end of the presentations by these manufacturers, the
participants should have a plethora of knowledge on the basics of product knowledge. In an
attempt to see how they are grasping the information, a pop quiz will be given (Silver, 2015).
Participants will be instructed to open “envelope 1” and complete their pop quizzes with the help
of their teammates. After five minutes, a “pencils down” instruction will be given and the
presenters will ask questions based on a “first answer” basis of the tables. Their questions will
be centered around what they just learned and prizes will be awarded to the tables of teams
correctly answering the questions. This reward-driven training environment ensures that people
are being engaged during their training process and are also grasping the material presented
(Hackett, 2012). Research has proven that when we adapt our training to specific learning styles,

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we have a greater likeliness of success and retention of the information provided (Learning
Styles, N.D.).
Great consideration has been given to how our training is delivered and we are able to
provide for learning style teaching for all but the aural only learner (How to Teach Different
Learning Styles, 2013). Because these learners retain information from music or sounds and this
training is based on hard goods, the aural style of learning is not suited to this training model
(Learning Styles, N.D.).
Step Three – Company Overview
Because knowing how the company works and how it impacts your ability to do your job
every day, we will incorporate a 2 hours company overview (including interactive elements and
a tour) of marketing, purchasing, accounting and the warehouse operations.
The marketing department will review the website search and ordering capability that is
one of the major selling points to customers and eases their transition for reorders. Additionally,
they will point out resources for additional training materials which are video demonstrations
available within the website for the use of you as well as your customers.
Purchasing, the department responsible for replenishment and stock levels within the
company, will provide an overview of the specific buyer's responsibilities as well as reorder
cycles and new item acquisition teams which are in place. Specifics of how the department
works will directly impact how you communicate to customers when replenishment is estimated
to arrive.
Accounting, the department responsible for the financial health of the organization, will
review with incoming employees, the credit application process, when credit is declined and
why, terms of credit, and collection processes. This department is also responsible for holds

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(order holds) for nonpayment, collections, and credit for returns (damage/defective). All of the
areas this department is responsible for will be reviewed with the trainees so that they understand
this key part of the company structure and daily business.
Warehouse operations, the group responsible for fulfillment of orders as well as safe
packing of orders going out to customers, will review their operations as well as provide a tour of
the warehouse, its structure, how orders are pulled and how special orders are handled. Because
the company prides itself on a 100% order release provided that the online order is received by
the warehouse before 2 pm (local time), it is key to understand how this department truly
supports the sales department.
While all of these departments have key responsibilities within the company and directly
impact the ability to fill orders for your customers, it is up to you to understand (in full) how they
work. At the conclusion of training from these departments, a representative from each of the
departments will be giving a quiz of 5 questions to the trainees. The correct team answering the
questions will be given prizes (product prizes) for their efforts (Hackett, 2012). Concluding this
training from department heads, you will be given a hand out of the company organizational
chart, mission statement, vision statement, and company handbook (Understanding
Organizational Structure, N.D.).
Step Four – Conclusion Part I Training
As this first leg of training is wrapped up, trainees should now have a firm grasp of
beginning stages of products offered, policy and procedure requirements, and an idea of how to
market and sell the company based on the website ordering system. Trainees will be instructed
to open a specific envelope in their packet which will provide a training feedback evaluation

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form for this first part of training. These evaluations will be turned into the Sales Director for
review and additional training needs in the second part of our training program (Silver, 2015).
Part II Training – Hands On Experience
The conclusion of our Part I training program gave specific team building requirements
necessary to forge professional relationships with coworkers while allowing trainees to learn
about the company and its product offerings. In this second phase of the training, we take a more
one-on-one, hands-on approach to specific training objectives. In this phase of training, we will
approach the “shadowing” technique as well as specific Sales Director training which will
prepare trainees for their first phone call to perspective customers as well as provide them with
the procedural information for handling damages, returns, and customer complaints.
Part II – Step 1 – “Shadowing”
At this stage of training, employees will be given a “partner” at both the junior and senior
level within the sales department. They will start out with junior sales people, shadowing their
day to day activities including taking existing customer complaints, damage claims, missing item
claims from orders, and calling prospective clients who come in through the lead system
(Heathfield, 2017).
Junior salespeople will be guiding new employees utilizing the conference bridge system
so that these new employees can listen to the phone calls and how to handle specific issues.
They will listen only to phone calls made by these reps so that they can see how their day is
structured and how they are building their book of business daily.
Senior sales people will be the next group to welcome these trainees to the shadowing
process. Their focus is more on pitching new items to their customers to enhance their product
offering through the new releases we receive weekly, to handle any issues with recent orders and

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to set up meetings for upcoming trade show attendance. These more seasoned representatives do
not receive leads but search for leads on their own accord. Some specialize in international sales
and will be happy to guide you on specific customs paperwork after one year of service as a
junior sales person. It is at this stage that participants will see how the partnership between
salespeople and their clients is maintained for customer loyalty purposes amidst a very
competitive market.
At the conclusion of this shadowing period, each of the reps at different levels will ask
for questions from the participant as well as try to answer specific questions which may arise
during the day to day review process. Some of their survey questions will consist of what they
learned, what skills were acquired from the shadowing and their belief in the ability to adapt
these skills to their everyday job process. They will then both be given a post-training survey to
complete which will assist the sales director in the identification of training strengths and
weaknesses of both her existing and newly acquired staff, providing her with an ROI (return on
investment) evaluation of the recently completed training (McNamara, MBA, PhD., N.D.).
Part II – Step 2 – Sales Director Training
By now, the sales director will have received all of the evaluations from other members
of the team as well as the trainee, which will help her evaluate next steps of training. She will
have a clear picture of your concerns as well as the concerns in grasping the job requirements
from your colleagues which will help her guide you further into your needed training.
This training period with the Director will take a few days and may be done in groups.
These groups, if completed in this fashion, will be lumped together according to weaknesses and
additional training needed so that everyone can bounce ideas off of each other who hold the same
questions or concerns. Conducted in either the Sales Director’s office (one-on-one) or the

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conference room (larger groups), you will be introduced to the call plan sheet and script for new
client calls. These script sheets are designed to give you a basic format to open the conversation
to perspective clients. The call plan will guide you through how to follow up with new clients
during your weekly meetings with the Sales Director so that she has a clear picture of your plan
and discussion points for these calls.
During the first stage of this review, you will be given a lead sheet to call on during a
tandem call with the Sales Director. She will review your comfort, knowledge learned to this
point, how you handle questions relating to the stock we offer, and how you attempt to introduce
yourself as well as try to close a new customer with a sale following these initial calls. These
calls are designed to acclimate you to your own comfort zone when calling people to solicit
business as well as to self-test yourself on the procedures for establishing a new account
(Heathfield, 2017). As your comfort grows, the Sales Director will release you into your new
space once she feels you are experiencing a full understanding of operations as well as have a
solid base of comfort when calling new clients.
These checks and balances are needed for proper ROI of the training program to be
evaluated for upper management on behalf of the Director. She needs to advise of any
procedural changes to be made to ensure the best possible training for the future.
You are now a junior salesperson with a stack of lead generation sheets to call, catalogs
to send out, appropriate login information to establish for new customers and are armed with
basic product knowledge to get you started. Welcome to the world of wholesale sales in the
adult novelty business. Keep in mind that the bosses office is always open for questions or
concerns and you should take advantage of that through scheduled times in order to ensure full
attention to your issues and the appropriate resolution of same are met (Knight, 2016).

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Conclusion
This training program was designed to both introduce newly acquired employees to the
world of telephone wholesale sales as well as to acclimate you to the product offering.
Our approach to training encompassed a variety of learning tools designed to help
everyone grasp the material in a fun atmosphere. Due to the various learning styles people
possess, we are able to offer this variable training for learners who learn in all but the auditory-
only style as our products are hard goods and not available for any sort of musical learning
experience.
Through the use of prizes, games and pop quizzes, we engaged you through the learning
process while you took notes to help yourself while building relationships through team building
exercises. The relationships with your team members will be key to your communication of
problem-solving as you progress in your career. They will help you with more advanced features
of your position such as trade show sales, store resetting, and international sales guidelines once
you are ready for that challenge. The surveys and questionnaires you are presented with will
help guide your training through the initial stages while building telephone confidence as well as
opening doors of communication with other departments.
You should now have a good understanding of the product offering, company structure
and organizational structure. We strive for a positive corporate culture and welcome feedback
from everyone at this organization to help us, help you, in the future.
We hope that you have enjoyed this fun learning environment and we encourage you to
address any specific issues, suggestions, or corrections to the training program directly to your
supervisor for consideration. Through this communication and feedback, we are able to hone our
training to better suit newcomers to this career path going forward.

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References
Hackett, M. (2012, 02 07). Fun & Games: Keep Training Lively. Retrieved from LogiGear
Magazine: http://www.logigear.com/magazine/issue/cover-story/fun-games-keep-
training-lively/
Heathfield, S. (2017, 02 15). Job Shadowing is a Good Way to Do On The Job Training.
Retrieved from the Balance: https://www.thebalance.com/job-shadowing-is-effective-on-
the-job-training-1919285
How to Teach Different Learning Styles. (2013, 07 23). Retrieved from Get Administrate:
http://www.getadministrate.com/blog/how-to-teach-to-different-learning-styles/
Knight, R. (2016, 08 08). How to Make Your One-on-Ones with Employees More Productive.
Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2016/08/how-to-make-your-
one-on-ones-with-employees-more-productive
Learning Styles. (N.D.). Retrieved from Learning Styles Online: http://www.learning-styles-
online.com/overview/
McNamara, MBA, PhD., C. (N.D.). Evaluation Training and Results (ROI of Training).
Retrieved from Management Help: http://managementhelp.org/training/systematic/ROI-
evaluating-training.htm
Silver, J. (2015, 06 17). 5 Effective Employee Trianing Techniques That Work. Retrieved from
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-effective-employee-training-techniques-
work-jason-silver
Understanding Organizational Structure. (N.D.). Retrieved from Talent Sprint:
https://www.talentsprint.com/insights/understanding-organizational-structure