Companies have been urged to invest in the skills development of sales personnel to help the profession to grow in Zimbabwe. Local business development firm 3BL says sales professionals need to continuously sharpen their selling skills to match the demands of a rapidly changing environment.
“We have noted over the years that although sales are the life-blood of every business, not enough investment is made to develop the selling skills of the salesperson. More often than not companies hire marketing graduates, hoping that they come fully equipped for the job of selling,” said the firm’s executive director, Ms Thandi Miranda.
She also noted how universities are churning out marketing graduates most of whom are not ready to be sales professionals.
“There is selling and then there is professional selling — there is a difference,” she said.
Meanwhile, 3BL will be hosting a sales marketing seminar in Harare tomorrow that seeks to impart principles to sales professionals which will equip them to become more effective in their selling efforts.
Topics to be discussed at the seminar include prospecting, qualification, negotiation, presentation, delivery, relationship and closing the deal.
The keynote speaker for the day will be Dr Mark Keating from South Africa, who is a leading sales expert who has addressed sales audiences cross the biggest blue-chip companies. He is the owner of SalesGuru, a publishing company of his magazines. His incisive and practical approach will instruct, challenge and energise sales professionals to operate in new levels of effectiveness.
Other speakers include Mr Zwelibanzi Ndlovu, a renowned business coach and mentor to chief executives of large corporations across East and Central Africa.
He is also the president and founder of Stop to Start International, a transformation management company. He will be presenting on how to develop competencies for selling services.
Mr Itai Masimirembwa will be presenting the topic “Practical Steps for Successful selling in the Public Sector”. He is the CEO of e- Learning Solutions.
The consulting firm will present its own real-life examples of successful sales professionals who have achieved success in East and Central Africa. They will be sharing valuable principles that they have gleaned over the decades that they have been in business.
This seminar is the first sales seminar 3BL has hosted although it hosted other events under various themes which have always been successful and well received
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