Acmee Model
Acmee Model
Acmee Model
SALES TRAINING
The purpose of sales training is to achieve improved job performance. Training substitutes for or supplements
experience, so sales personnel given training reach high job performance levels earlier. If sales training helps
new sales personnel to perform their jobs satisfactorily, the rate of sales personnel turnover declines,
recruitment and selection costs fall, and overall efficiency of the personal selling operation climb up.
Considerable opportunity exists for improving sales force effectiveness through training. The overall
efficiency of a company’s personal selling operation is influenced by the state of relations with customers and
prospects. The sales force plays a crucial role in moulding and maintaining these relations. Experienced sales
personnel maintain better continuing relations with established accounts and make better impressions on
prospects. Sales training contributes through accelerating the process of learning through experience.
There are several types of sales training programs. The most comprehensive and longest is the induction
training program for newly recruited sales personnel. More intensive and shorter programs on specialised
topics, as well as periodic refresher courses – collectively known as continuing sales training – are presented
for experienced sales personnel. In addition, many companies offer sales training programs for sales personnel
of their distributors and dealers. Some sales training programs are designed to develop individuals as sales
trainers or as junior level sales executives like district or branch sales managers. Each type of program serves
a different purpose, and its content reflects that purpose.
A-C-M-E-E Model
Building a sales training program requires five major decisions. Some sales training specialists refer to these
decisions as the A-C-M-E-E decisions – Aim, Content, Methods, Execution, and Evaluation. The specific
training aims must be defined, content decided, training methods selected, arrangements made for execution,
and procedures set up to evaluate the results.
The aims, contents and methods steps are the why, what, and how decisions, while the execution step is the
who, where and when decisions. The evaluation step is the appraisal of results, that is, the extent to which the
‘why-s’ were accomplished. Evaluation requires comparison with the program aims.
WHO?
WHEN?
WHY? WHAT? HOW? WHERE?
Sales Training
Methods
Execution Arrangements
Execution of sales training program is concerned with three questions – Who, When, and Where.
Who?
• Who will be the trainees: Identifying the trainees is more complex for continuing sales training programs
than initial trainings. In most companies the general practice is to select trainees based on the following
four criteria – Reward for good performance, Punishment for poor performance, Convenience of trainees
and trainers, and Seniority.
• Who will be the trainer: If the sales training program is considered as a line function, training
responsibilities are assigned to top most sales executives. If the training program is considered as a staff
function, training is done by the personnel director and the sales department has an advisory role.
When?
Newly recruited sales personnel should receive formal group training before starting to sell. Continuing
sales training programs may be scheduled at a regular interval or as and when need for training arises.
Where?
Some sales training programs are held at the branch offices, while some are held only at the head office.
Evaluate Results
The evaluation step focuses on measuring program effectiveness. A sales training program represents
investment of time, money, and effort. Sales management expects returns commensurate with the investments.
The starting point is to compare the program’s aim with the results – such as improved selling performance.
But, the core of the measurement difficulty is in determining the training results.