Academy
- Confessions
of an Inductee!
From Kevin O’Connor, Sales
Consultant at Gillingham
“I have been
in the furniture business for three years working for ‘Harveys’
furniture, before uprooting and joining MFI two months ago. In
the
wake of the company development over the last year, I was
enthused about taking the leap and coming aboard at such a
definitive time in the company’s history.
Performing out of Gillingham branch and training in Dartford
under ‘the mancunnian maestro’ John Foster (it’s a tenner a
mention John…wink wink), I am pleased to announce that after my
initial reservations the induction process is both very
informative and above all,
motivational.
The pace and structure of each of
the induction days have not only led me to dismiss my initial
reservations and provide me with accurate
product details and
knowledge, but also instil me with confidence right off the bat!
This in turn of course has
enabled me, and I suspect many others involved in the induction
process at the moment, to hit the ground running
and provide me
with the correct and efficient skills to approach all customers
in a professional manner.
I for one can
justify my precious time spent off the sales floor to not only
learn about the products, materials etc, including the much
loved
FGC (furniture grade chipboard…I remembered John!) but to
refresh and hone my own personal sales skills. The Induction
process is
giving me time to take a step back from the sales
floor environment and discard the blinkers we as sales
consultants at times find ourselves
with. The more panoramic the
view and ability to see the bigger picture of the business will
allow us all to work more efficiently and therefore
achieve the goals set for us and more importantly, the ones we dream of
hitting.
I have managed to take in progressively most, if not all, of
which is presented in each of the induction day agendas due to
the way in which
the training is delivered (…and of course the
talents of said academy coach John Foster…that’s 20 quid now!).
And there is lots more of the taking such as exchanging sales
ideas with colleagues, ways in which we can all be closing with
the customer
from the first “Good Morning”, to swapping ideas
and techniques on selling protection. All of this is to be had
from attending and expanding
on the agendas at hand during the
course of each day. These and many other benefits we obtain for
free by simply…turning up!...tuning in!...and taking part!” |
