How to enhance communication skills of salespeople at curewel international company in Viet Nam

Abstract

Curewel International (Vietnam) Co., Ltd in Vietnam (CIV) established in 2004 and is one of eight subsidiary companies of Curewel International Group. CIV represents for many manufacturers from many countries and delivers healthcare products from four segments such as Pharmaceutical, Orthopedic, Dentals and Pharma-Cosmetic to customers. In Orthopedic, Dentals and Pharma-Cosmetic, the customers are the distributing companies while in pharmaceutical, the customers are the hospitals, clinics and pharmacy shops in whole of Vietnam. The main channel of CIV is to approach such customers by introducing and selling products directly through the sales force. So far, CIV mainly bases on the brand name of the manufacturers or the quality of product to push the business in local. The segments of Orthopedic, Dentals and Pharma-Cosmetic are developing sustainably, but the developing rate of Pharmaceuticals is reducing recently. Nevertheless, in recent years, sales revenue has been decreased; sales time for completing any business is longer comparing previously; number of exploited customers dropped down and the rate of new customers is less increasing which having influence on the sales revenue of the foreign manufacturers to Curewel International in general and CIV in particular. Withdrawn from the failed business and feedback from customers and sales force, we recognized that sales force of CIV have poor communication skills. The purpose of this thesis is to find out the roof of problem that make CIV have those bad symptoms. After researching the real situation at CIV, we found that CIV had a problem at communication skills of their salespersons to the customers, comparing with competitors. Because CIV’s concentration is in B2B, so almost business of CIV is through the sales force, iii but the sales force when approached new customers or take care of old customers, they either not convey sufficient products’ information to customers, or listen to the customers properly, or understand the customers, or build CIV brand awareness to customers to persuade customers to buy products through their communication skill. To solve problem of low communication skills of sales force of CIV, researcher discussed in-depth with the Board of Directors and found three alternative solutions: Training, Teamwork, and Dismissal & Recruitment to solve the problem. Comparing these three solutions each other, we found that training brings more benefit and less time and cost than the two remained solutions, so we selected training as a best solution for the problem. It takes two and half months for this solution. The Admin-Sales Department will take one week for preparing documents for training information about CIV including introduction about CIV in general, products categories of CIV, the partners of CIV, the role as well as the high responsibility of CIV to sales people. The Board of Directors and Products Directors will be responsible for training products knowledge like types of products, dosage, indication, contraindication, side effects, products category and training skill of listening, understanding, empathy customers and training behavior for the sales force in one month and three weeks. Also, the company will invite the expertize trainers to equip solid foundation in effective communication for sales force in the aim of branding for CIV in two weeks. Training programs will apply on sales force in 2017 to enable CIV to increase business effectively.