LV Thạc sỹ_Training need assessment for sales staff at Daimatsu

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 RATIONALE The training need assessment at Daimatsu is important to the company In the case of sales activities is not efficient enough to bring good business to the company, the leader of the company should know what the root of the problem is In many case, training is not the tool to solve the problem Thus, in order to make sure about the case to avoid the waste (in time, expense…), the assessment is necessary Daimatsu Travel is a tourism firm acting in both inbound and outbound tour Tourism market in Vietnam is now increasing Tour is the main products of Daimatsu Travel To get in to the market, Daimatsu Travel needs to design their competitive strength to create income A company that pay attention to training matter, they will have good workforce The good workforce, especially the sales force who is always the representative of the company, is the competitive strength in the market Sales person is recognized a very important workforce in a firm They help attain organisational income For a tourism company, sales person is the representative of the company and the service they are selling For an intangible product as tours, the tourists buy the tour mostly by the belief in the company and the sales person The practical status at Daimatsu shows that the staff knowledge in tourism at the company is good but they lack of skill and attitude for the job This causes the ineffectiveness in work result A training needs assessment need to carry out to clarify the required standard for sales staff at the company, to identify the current situation and to propose a training program to fulfil the lack of skill, attitude and knowledge of the staff Finally, the author of this research is working at Daimatsu company limited, Human resource department This research directly support to author’s job at the company The data for the study also can be reached easily Author also can be convenient to interview leaders or running the survey to sales staff and can have the support from sales staff themselves to conduct the survey to the customers With all above reason, “training need assessment for sales staff at Daimatsu Co., Ltd.” is chosen for the thesis of Master of business administraion 1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The objectives of the thesis are: - To clarify the required skill, knowledge and attitude for sales staff at Daimatsu Travel - To determine the current situation of skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff in order to indicate the training needs for this work force - To propose suitable training programme for sales staff at the company 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION This research has to answer the following questions: What are the required skill, knowledge and attitude for sales staff at Daimatsu Travel? How is current situation of skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff at Daimatsu Travel? What is the gap between requirement and current situation of staff skill, knowledge and attitude at the company? What is suitable training program for sales staff at Daimatsu? 1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1.4.1 Research process: Secondary data: - Job description Primary data: Requirement on skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff at Daimatsu - Interview leaders Primary data: Proposed training program GAP - Survey to 50 customers Current status Primary data: - Questionnaire with sales staff on skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff at Daimatsu (Source: developed by author) 1.4.2 Data collection To meet the above objective of my research, I used both qualitative and quantitative research method I collect the data for the research from two sources: secondary data and primary data The secondary data was collected from the company database such as the job description of sales staff from the human resource department I take analysis the job description of sales staff to clarify the requirement on skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff This will show the competency that the sales staffs need to reach to adapt the job demand The primary data was collected through conducting in-depth interview, survey to some groups: company leaders, target customers, sales staff at Daimatsu, and professional trainers at Travel Trainer Club I conducted in-depth interview with three (03) managers in the company who closely work with the sales staff They are one (01) director of the company, one (01) sales manager and one (01) human resource manager working in Daimatsu I also conducted survey to fifty (50) target customers of the company I determined that, this group opinion is very important to the company They are the one who contribute for sales volume Hence, I conducted survey to them both to identify their needs on the sales performance to contribute to clarifying the required skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff and to collect their comment on current situation of staff competence The survey was also implemented to the sales staff in the company The survey is designed to ask the sales staff to assess their current status in skill, knowledge and attitude at work 1.4.3 Data analysis After collecting the data from the above sources, I used Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word‘s diagram) to analyze the number and information collected The secondary data of job description is analysed to clarify the required skill, knowledge and attitude of the sales staff at Daimatsu (This result called: J1) The primary data collected from in-depth interview with three (03) managers in the company: director, sales manager, human resource manager of company is analysed to clarify not only the required skill, knowledge and attitude of the sales staff at Daimatsu to adapt the manager expectation (This result called: M1) but also the assessment on the current situation of the staff competence (This result called: M2) and the opinion of the necessary training program (This result called: M3) The data collected from the customer survey is used to collect their comment on current situation of staff skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff (This result called: C2) The survey to sales staff helps to assess their current status in skill, knowledge and attitude at work (This result called: S2) From J1and M1: I could clarify the required skill, knowledge and attitude for sales staff at Daimatsu Travel The first question was answered From M2, C2 and S2: I could identify the current situation of skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff at Daimatsu Travel The second question was answered When the first and second question was answered, I could indicate the gap between requirement and current situation of staff skill, knowledge and attitude at the company The third question was answered From M3 and author’s analysis: I could propose a suitable and reliable training program for sales staff to the company The last question is answered From above results, all the research questions are answered and it means that the objective of the research is reached 1.5 RESEARCH SCOPE Content The research took place at Daimatsu Company Limited which situates in Hanoi City The research worked on assessing the training needs for sales staff the company The research will be carried out with the sales staff However, the research also worked on some groups that involve or influence the training needs assessment of Daimatsu They are leaders in the company who work closely with sales They are customers with whom sales staff works directly in their job Location The research will be carry out in Daimatsu Company with the case of sales staff skill, knowledge and attitude However, the research will work on some groups that involve or influence the training activities of Daimatsu They are: International and Vietnamese tourists who are potential customer for tour, sales person at Daimatsu Time Secondary data is collect form the company set of job description which is firstly made in 2008 The time limit for this research is from 2008 till present Primary data of this study was collected in 2010, the year of this research take place 1.6 RESEARCH STRUCTURE The thesis will include following parts: Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION Chapter 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ON TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT Chapter 3: OVERVIEW OF DAIMATSU AND COMPANY’S SALES STAFF Chapter 4: TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR SALES STAFF Chapter 5: PROPOSED TRAINING PROGRAM CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 Nature of training needs and training needs assessment * Definition of training Training refers to organized activity aimed at imparting information and/or instructions to improve the recipient's performance or to help him or her attain a required level of knowledge or skill (http://www.businessdictionary.com) Training including types: on-the-job training and off-the-job training On-the-job training refers to the training method that the trainee works in the actual work setting, usually under the guidance of an experienced worker, supervisor or trainer On-the–job training contains three forms: Job rotation allows employee to gain experience in different kinds of narrow define jobs in the organization It is often used to give future manager a broad background Apprenticeships typically associated with the skilled trader, derive from the medieval practice of having the young learn a trade from an experienced worker Internships are a route to white-collar or managerial job in variety of fields Internships are opportunities for student to gain real world job experience, often during summer vacation from school Although, most internship offer a very low or no pay, student interns can gain college credit and possibly, the offer of a full-time job after graduation Off-the-job training is an effective alternative to on-the-job training Common examples of off-the-job training are formal course, stimulations and role playing exercises in a classroom setting * Definition of training needs Training needs is a shortage of skills or abilities which could be reduced or eliminated by means of training and development Training needs hinder employees in the fulfillment of their job responsibilities and prevent an organization from achieving its objectives They may be caused by a lack of skills, knowledge, or understanding, or arise from changes in the workplace Training needs are identified through training needs analysis (Source: http://www.bnet.com) * Definition of training needs assessment Training needs assessment is the process to analyze the training requirements of a target group in terms of number of trainees, their educational and professional background, their present level of competence, and the desired behaviour or skill level acquired at the completion of training (Source: http://www.businessdictionary.com) The overall purpose of the needs assessment is to determine if training is needed and if so, to provide the information required to design the training program * Roles of training need assessment Performance problem can come from numerous sources, many of which would not be affected by training The only performance problem that training can address is deficiency that is under the trainee’s control For example, sales training will improve sales only if poor sales techniques are the source of the problem If declining sales are due to a poor product, high prices or a faltering economy, sales training is not going to help Training is not the only option available for responding to a worker deficiency For example, if decision makers determine that the training needed would be too costly, transferring or terminating the deficient workers may be the more cost-effective course Strict competence requirements can then be used to select new employees and eliminate the performance gap The obvious drawbacks of terminating or replacing employ deemed deficient is that these options are likely to harm commitment and morale in the workforce Trained effectively will be a success key for every travel companies Studies show that the majority of the sales staffs who work effectively and finish tasks perfectly have been trained appropriately They always contribute significantly to the success of the companies In an ideal world, travel companies can recruit salesman who are full ownership of skills most needed But it is in theory, it is easy to get sales staffs with such fully skills in actual That's why training has become one of the most important tasks today Training not only equip the companies’ staffs with the needed professional skills and careers but it also shows that the companies is investing for their sales staffs and concern for the general successes of both parties in the future Therefore, training is also an art motivation which increases the sales staffs engaging with companies In many companies, training programs have become important in business management because according to them the qualities of the staff will directly affect the labor productivity of the entire organization For those businesses that employee is a direct collision with customers such as hospitality, tourism retail the expertise and attitude of the staff will directly affect business reputation Not only Daimatsu any business that needs a dynamic, persistent and enthusiastic sale team and how to build and maintain a team like that is always a top concern * The levels of training needs assessment Training needs assessment consists of three levels of analysis: organizational, task, and personal based Organizational analysis Organizational analysis examine broad factors such as the organization’s culture, mission, business climate, long and short term goals and structure Its purpose is to identify both overall organizational needs and the level of supporting for training Some of the key issues to be addressed at the organizational level of analysis are external environment and the organizational goals and value An analysis of the external environment may indicate a shortage of skilled workers and changes in technology Training can help the organization to meet the challenges The goals of an organization are targets it is trying to achieve - perhaps increased market share or expansion into a new market Training may be needed to give employees the skills to achieve the organizational goals Similarly, values can be core of how an organization operates Employees should understand these values and have skills to work within them In sum, the organizational level of needs assessment looks at external influences and the directions and principles of the organization to determine whether training is needed Task analysis Task analysis is an examination of the job to be performed A recent and carefully conducted job analysis should provide all the information needed to understand job requirements The duties and tasks are used to identify the knowledge, skills, attitude required to perform the job adequately Then, the knowledge, skill and attitude are used to determine the kinds of training needed for the job Personal analysis Person analysis determines which employees need training by examining how well employees are carrying out the tasks that make up their jobs Training is often necessary when there is a discrepancy between a worker’s performance and the organization’s expectations of standards Often a person analysis entails examining worker performance ratings and then identifying individual worker or group of workers who are weak in certain skills The source of most performance ratings is the supervisor, but a more complete picture of worker’s strengths and weaknesses may be obtained by including other sources of appraisal when one asks a question such as, 'How much is …? It is also valuable to extend the transaction to add-on sales or to begin to build a long-term relationship – to help the customer become a loyal customer In this training activity, trainee will focus participants on the very beginning of the sales process by asking how long it takes to lose a sale – not time at all if the selling never starts Seller asks for examples of how sales are lost in this way and then go on to dealing with a customer enquiry An enquiry can often be developed into a sales conversation Remind those who are familiar with the AIDDA buying sequence (see 'How customers buy') that they will be exploring the first two steps Seller provides example so customer enquiries and ask participants for additional examples Participants work in syndicate groups to provide responses to those enquiries that lead to a sales conversation Participants practice their responses in syndicates ready for whole-group feedback discussion This discussion enables seller to pinpoint the real skill of responding well These techniques are then reinforced by participants considering how to use them to spot additional sales opportunities and to begin a sales conversation that should lead to additional purchases Participants complete this exercise in the same syndicate groups They, again, practice their conversation techniques ready for whole-group review The training activity closed with a summary of key learning points provided by the participants and a commitment by each to use a personally selected 2-second hook in their dealings with customers as soon as they return to the workplace 5.2.3 Recommendatory training program for improving the attitude All sales skills, all the art on sale are applicable only when a sale knows how to nurture the human values on their own A sales staff needs a real strength of spirit, will, confidence and passion for winning He should know that customers choose him before choosing his product Inside a successful salesman would be solid spirit Training methods: Applying the most modern training techniques relies on understanding of trainee’s psychology and needs The methods support: - Lively speech, many practical examples - Metaphorical stories to help deal with problems in tourism sales - Illustrative music and film - Skills and comments practices, the direct adjustment - Interactive groups for discussion and a sense of teamwork - Solutions to specific problems of each sales staff in tourism - Comfortable environment for learner to express themselves Training programs: Pride and love for sale - Desire of success and happiness - Professionalism needed in the profession - Sale is an opportunity for success for anyone - Future development of the sales and advertising sales - Redefine the purpose of engaging sale - Change in attitude for the job, the result changes - Everything happens only when there is a "transaction" sale Characteristics of excellent sales people - Live with clear objectives - Desire of success and happiness - Confidence in self-worth - Take responsibility for what they - Ready to bid to achieve results - Persisting make a difference - Study and improve sales day by day - Stand up after the defeat and rejected Mind of sales staff: - Aspirations and dreams of winning success - Thoughts and attitudes determine the outcome of the action - Live in the present - Perseverance makes the difference - Consciousness about the greatness of the self - Welcomes the new day with love in heart - Learn and improve himself everyday - Smile and the world will laugh with salesman - Only action can change lives - Live and work with love Serve from heart • Services in the enterprises: to create competitive advantage, make a difference • External and internal customers’ psychology • Practice serving with love o True Stories about the great servants o Sense of anger and rage transformation o Keep calm and practice patience o The exercises required in the service: - Exercises to relax when speaking phone - Exercises to relax to protest against stress - Practice serene smile from the heart - Practice letting go of negative emotions - Practice re-establishing relations • Changing perceptions: Building the spirit of service from the heart o The law of giving and receiving: the magic of planting seeds o What is the service from the heart? - Serve humbly - Serve unconditionally - Serve silently - To serve with love o When a seller helps others he is helping himself o Sympathetic relationship anxiety, the pain of others o Mental training service: - Everyone makes a difference and influence on others - Success bases on the quality of relationships - Continuously and constantly create better value for customers - Improve their own every day 5.2.4 Compound course: Becoming sales manager: Module 1: Road to become Sales Manager Synopsis: The program is a vocational course and focus on the skills and necessary preparation to strive for a Sales Manager in learner’s career This module is thinking sales management in globalization, the portrait of a Sales Manager and the essential skills to become a talented salesman In addition, content development and sales team development is the most focused content for the capacity of Sales Manager Content of lectures: • Sales manager roles and portraits • How to become the great salesman • Building tour skill • Communication and Written skill • Debt management in sale professional • Improvement targeting skill • Leadership in sale management • Negotiation in sale professional • Building sales team professional • Time management skill in selling • Motivation skill in sale management Module 2: Business strategy and sales strategy Synopsis: This module helps trainees have overview of business environment, competition effecting sales ability and delivery This course also aims to provide the ability to forecast sales from trends The content is analysis tools of business strategy with models, distribution strategy, sales and forecasting models for the Sales manager Content: • Trends and challenges in sale strategy • Business strategy and case study • Sales strategy for sales manager • Global competition and challenges of Vietnam enterprise • Strategic thinking in distribution and selling • Sales and marketing management Module 3: Distribution strategy for sales manager Delivery decides the success of every effort in sales Distribution system also shows the ability of a competitive brand in the holding of the product coverage across the channel Managing delivery effectively is the foundation of every media promotion campaign This content designs theories in all sales channels from traditional retail, B2B, Wholesale, Retail Modern (Modern trade), a franchise network and sales channel… Content of lectures: • Distribution channels design and strategy • Wholesaling management • Wholesaling policies • Wholesaler selection and recruitment • Retailing strategy • Retailer policies • How to approach new retailer • MT strategy and management • B-2-B selling system • Direct sale and Internet sale Module 4: Sales management Synopsis This module is complement course and has high tendency and skills The content focuses on the tools, management approaches to these problems successfully supported the organization of the sales distribution of a Sales Manager This course is designed to help Sales manager enhance maximum and flexible capacity of using tools the sales manager has Besides, the students are vocational to use their most flexible knowledge, skills in their condition Content: • Sales information system • Sales supervisor management • Psychology management in selling • Sales fore organization • Sales force Training • Sales force recruitment • Customer service management • Logistic strategy and planning • Sales Admin for Sales manager • Key account management in selling • Supply chain management 4.3 Advantages of training programme to the company: After training, participants will: • Love and proud to work • Interest and pride of sales jobs • Be tolerant and willing to help others • Commit to self-motivate their own every day, always study to improve themselves and knowledge • Have specific goals and implement it enthusiastically • Coordinate and share work with colleagues and have responsibility for the common work in travel agency • Be creative in planning new tourism product and marketing plan to the company • Understand and overcome the obstacles and difficulties in the service job, know how to avoid the pressure or stress at sales work in tourism, adapt and be persistent finish jobs in any different circumstances • Be beautiful image of Daimatsu • Know how to reach target customers, impress customers at the first contract and establish relationships, be confident in communicating with travelers and introducing tourism products • Promote creativity, calm in handling the situation, solve problems flexibly and persuade customers to purchase tourism products • Listen to travelers and sympathize with them • Understand the liking and psychology of the customer and care customers effectively • Be professional in work • Understand sales processes and apply them to reality • Have sales skills directly or on phone or representation • Avoid mistake and failure in sales CONCLUSION Daimatsu Travel is a tourism firm acting in both inbound and outbound tour Tourism market in Vietnam is now increasing Tour is the main products of Daimatsu Travel To get in to the market, Daimatsu Travel needs to design their competitive strength to create income A company that pay attention to training matter, they will have good workforce The good workforce, especially the sales force who is always the representative of the company, is the competitive strength in the market Sales person is recognized a very important workforce in a firm They help attain organisational income For a tourism company, sales person is the representative of the company and the service they are selling For an intangible product as tours, the tourists buy the tour mostly by the belief in the company and the sales person The practical status at Daimatsu shows that the staff knowledge in tourism at the company is good but they lack of skill and attitude for the job This causes the ineffectiveness in work result A training needs assessment need to carry out to clarify the required standard for sales staff at the company, to identify the current situation and to propose a training program to fulfil the lack of skill, attitude and knowledge of the staff Competency analysis is a useful tool for human resources in assessing and planning At minimum, there are means to identify capabilities, attitudes and attributes needed to meet current and future staffing needs as organizational priorities and strategies shift It also focuses on employee’s development efforts to eliminate the gap between capabilities needed and those available The in-depth interview to the leaders of company and survey to customers and sales staff are made to gain the review on staff performance and to assess the current situation on staff competence Analyzing the required and current status of staff competence, the difference is the gap that needs to be fulfilled The study indicated the training needs for sales staff at Daimatsu According to the competency gaps analysis, the assessment indicate that there is training needs for sales staff at Daimatsu company The training needs refer to the lack of knowledge, skill and attitude of sales staff to improve their ability to sell Understanding the essential need, Daimatsu has organized some courses for their sales staffs They are courses of presentation skills, how to win agreement … together with the organized courses, there are some useful recommendations which can help improve the quality of sales force in Daimatsu BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES (1) Bernard Wynne & David Tringer (1997) A Competency Based Approach to Training and Development Financial Times, Management Briefings, PITMAN Publishing (2) Boyatzis’s (1982), The Competent Manager, p72 (3) Collin, A (1989) Manager’s competence: Rethoric, reality and Research,Personnel Review (4) David Dubois and William Rothwell (2004), Competence based or traditional approach to training? (5) Hager, P; Gonczi, A - “Competence-based Standards: A Boon for Continuing Professional Education?” [1992] LegEdDig 6; (1992) 1(1) Legal Education Digest (6) Jan Kochanski, Competence-based management, Training & Development; Oct 1997; 51,10 ABI/INFORM Research, pg 40 (7) Lyn Reid (2003) Competence Based Training and Assessment – Fundamental Concepts Lecture (http://management.canberra.edu.au/lectures/adminstudies/sem927/units3488/Unit34 88+HRM2_lecture_3-2_competency.txt) (8) Michel Eraut, Developing Professional Knowledge and Competence, Falmer, London (1994) (9) Raven, D & Stephenson J, Peter Lang, 2001, Competence in the learning society, (10) Safeworld Group (2002) (http://www.mpowerworld.com/what_is_training.htm) (11) Scott B Parry, The quest for competency, Training; Jul 1996; 33,7 ABI/INFORM Glbal pg.48 (12) Terrance Hoffman, (1999) The meaning of competency, Journal of European Industrial Training 23/6 (1999) 275 – 285 (13) Tobias Ley &Dietrich Albert & Stefanie N.Linstaedt, Know Center, Austria, Connecting competency and performance in competency management: modeling, assessment, validation and use ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my gratitude to all those who gave me possibility to complete this thesis I want to thank Daimatsu Co., Ltd for giving me permission to commence this thesis in first instance, to the necessary research work and to use the company data I have furthermore to thank all my colleagues, especially, Mr … Finally, my gratitude is for NEU Business School professors and staff who have provided great assistance for me to complete the thesis TABLE OF CONTENT 2.2.2.1 Job analyzing to identify required competency .14 In this step, job description is used to analyze the required competency of sales staff in the company Job description is a list of the general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position It can be useful source of information, assuming that they are up to date and supplement with some data from interviews or questionnaire .14 (Sourse: Company structure) .20 Director .20 Human Resources and Admin department 22 Accounting Department 25 The duties of the department: 25 LIST OF TABLE 2.2.2.1 Job analyzing to identify required competency .14 In this step, job description is used to analyze the required competency of sales staff in the company Job description is a list of the general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position It can be useful source of information, assuming that they are up to date and supplement with some data from interviews or questionnaire .14 Figure 3.1 Organizational structure of Daimatsu .20 (Sourse: Company structure) .20 Director .20 Human Resources and Admin department 22 Accounting Department 25 The duties of the department: 25 LIST OF FIGURE 2.2.2.1 Job analyzing to identify required competency .14 In this step, job description is used to analyze the required competency of sales staff in the company Job description is a list of the general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position It can be useful source of information, assuming that they are up to date and supplement with some data from interviews or questionnaire .14 Figure 3.1 Organizational structure of Daimatsu .20 (Sourse: Company structure) .20 Director .20 Human Resources and Admin department 22 Accounting Department 25 The duties of the department: 25 ... and attitude for sales staff at Daimatsu Travel - To determine the current situation of skill, knowledge and attitude of sales staff in order to indicate the training needs for this work force... recommendations which can help improve the quality of sales force in Daimatsu According to the competency gaps analysis, the assessment indicate that there is training needs for sales staff at Daimatsu. .. Daimatsu low and unsatisfactory Therefore, the realities of sales staffs in the company demonstrate it is crucial that the sales staffs should be trained 4.2.2 Summary for training needs at Daimatsu: