Training and Development

Training is another important part of channel management. The primary purpose of training is to improve the performance of the channel members through a sharpening of their sales skills and product knowledge. Upon the channel members rests the responsibility of sensing, serving and satisfying the needs of the customers. The intermediary cannot fulfill this role unless they are equipped with the requisite knowledge, skills, techniques and attitudes. Any progressive firm will, therefore, make training an integral part of its channel management Endeavour

The content and methodology of training should be framed so as to suit the back- ground of the channel member and the contextual requirements. The prime purpose of the training is to impart to the channel member knowledge about customers, about products, about competition, and about merchandising and sales techniques. In addition, essentials of inventory management, credit management and sales promotion can also form part of the training content. When competing companies match each other in the marketplace in every aspect, it is the training provided to the channel member that makes them different. And that’s why most companies are now concentrating their energies on training. They now consider it a necessary investment.

Hyundai Motors India, for example, took all its 70 dealers to Korea a before the launch of its Accent model. Daewoo and Hyundai both conduct regular in-house training programmers for their dealers. Concorde, a Telco-Jardine Matheson JV; created for setting up the dealer network for Indica, conducts in-house training for Indica dealers. And, Maruti has tied up with National Institute of Sales for training its dealers.