Centralized training occurs when all the salespeople to be trained are brought to one central location—a plant, the home office, or a training facility. A major advantage of centralized training is the quality and consistency of training. Quality is enhanced through the use of specially trained instructors, custom-designed materials, and audiovisual equipment such as closed-circuit television systems. Furthermore, communications and coordination are enhanced when everyone receives the same training. It is also possible to give trainees exposure to top-level managers and other specialists, which can help boost morale and provide valuable insights into sales procedures and customers’ needs.
On the negative side, centralized training is very costly and time consuming. Because training facilities and equipment are expensive, and trainees have to be reimbursed for travel to the central site and for lodging, managers usually attempt to keep these sessions fairly short. Some companies are attempting to reduce the cost while preserving the advan¬tages of centralized facilities by broadcasting training sessions, either using the Internet or videoconferencing from headquarters’ facilities. Cisco Systems developed an internal on-line learning portal called Field E-Learning Connection. The portal provides salespeople access to thousands of different training modules without having to lose valuable time in the field. The system cut training-associated travel by 60 percent.22 We will discuss additional advantages and disadvantages of Internet-based training in the “Training Methods" section of this chapter