Expertise
Inexperience is a difficult thing for a young salesperson to overcome. Most recent college graduates will not have the expertise to be immediately successful, especially in industrial sales. Companies spend billions of dollars to train new recruits in the hope of speeding up the expertise variable. Training to gain knowledge on company products and programs, industry, competition, and general market conditions are typical subjects covered in most sales training programs. Young salespeople can shadow more experienced salespeople to learn what it takes to be successful. They must also go the extra yard to prove to their customers their dedication to service. For example, Missy Rust, of GlaxoSmithKline, had recently spent a few minutes with an anesthesiologist discussing a new product, a neuromuscular blocker. A few days later, the physician called her at 1 A.M. to discuss a patient whom he thought was good candidate for this drug. He was unsure of the correct dosage and needed Rust’s expertise in this matter. Rust immediately drove to the hospital and was in the operating room for more than four hours observing the surgery and answering the doctor’s questions about this new drug.