Inadequate Funding: An Impediment to Sales Training Among the Big Pharmas in Nigeria

Abstract

Most, if not all, sales managers agree that sales’ training is very important not only for new recruits but for experienced sales people as well. Of the new recruits entering the sales force, some have no previous sales experience while others may have considerable sales experience in both related and nonrelated industries. Sales managers, for the most part, are not willing to send new recruits into the field armed with only product descriptions, an order book, and the instructions to ‘go and sell’. Henced, this study was undertaken to determine the adequacy of sales training funding among the big pharmas in Nigeria. Taylor (1911) theory guided the study. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used. Questionnaire was the principal source of the primary data, while interview was complimentary. Taro Yamane formula was used to determine the sample size of 244 out of population of 624. Data from the study was analyzed using descriptive and inferential approaches. Simple descriptive tables and NPar tests (Kruskal – Wallis test) ranks of mean were employed as descriptive tools. For hypothesis testing, Kruskal Wallis test statistics was used to judge the significance of the obtained result, that gave a chi-square value of 3.631, which is less than the critical value of 16.919 (x² cal = 3.631 < x² critical = 16.919), showing that sales training programs among the Big Pharmas in Nigeria are not adequately funded.

Keywords

Inadequate Funding, Sales Training, Big Pharmas, Increase Productivity, On-the-job Training, Sales Managers.