Marines inspire Toshiba TEC’s development focus

7th April 2015 |   Journal Of Sales Transformation

In the crowded UK office equipment market, what are the chances a manufacturer could double sales through its dealer channel within five years? Not only is it a tough goal but it’s one that Toshiba Tec UK expects to achieve a year ahead of schedule, according to the Indirect Division’s sales director Carl Day.

Day attributes much of the success to the organisation’s focus on learning and development, including time spent with the dealers training with the Royal Marine Commandos in Devon. “That’s where I learnt that you can really do a lot by developing people, no matter what age they are,” he tells the Journal.

That experience inspired a strategy, which now sees dealer principals engaged in a Masters in Sales Transformation programme. Further plans include introducing a one-year certificate and two-year diploma for dealer sales teams, open to salespeople with a minimum of five years’ experience.

Day adds: “We’ve released a lot of energy back into the channel. They feel supported; they know we’re a partner they can trust.”

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