![Dr Adeola calls for measures to address sales challenges in Africa](http://www.ghananewsagency.org/assets/images/dr-ogechi-adeola-book-launch.jpg)
By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Feb. 28, GNA - Dr Ogechi Adeola, Associate Professor of Marketing at Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria, on Thursday underscored the need to address the current and future sales challenges in Africa.
She noted that with increased globalisation, businesses in developing countries like Ghana and Nigeria, and across Africa, could not assume that providing quality services and commodities that would lead to success.
Perceiving sales to be merely buying and selling of goods and services was no longer enough, as such, to be competitive, there was a need to manage sales processes that created value for customers, Dr Adeola stated at the launch of a book in Accra.
The book titled: “Sales Management: A Primer For Frontier Markets” speaks to practitioners, agents, and scholars within the sales industry and students preparing to enter the field about what it takes to enhance sales, retain customers, build business relationship with customer, and compete in the global market.
It was authored by Dr Adeola, together with Professor Robert Ebo Hinson, Head of Department of Marketing, University of Ghana Business School (UGBS); and Prof Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, the Vice Chancellor of University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
The book was officially launched by Dr Gideon Ameyedor, Managing Director of J in G Insurance Brokers.
The launch was chaired by Prof Owusu Frimpong, Professor of Marketing at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Dr Adeola recounted that in their book, the solution to the current challenges experienced by business owners, marketers, and sales practitioners, was addressed in a way that would help businesses grow and look beyond setting goals for short-term profitability.
She was hopeful that today’s businesses would have a greater chance of success if they could build, and sustain, a brand image and sales strategy that would attract and retain quality sales personnel.
Dr Adeola, said the book offers important answers to sales challenges in Africa, added that “it will be a useful learning tool for students in their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, reference for practitioners of sales management following marketing trends in Africa”.
Dr Andrew Akolaa, Head of Marketing Department, UPSA, who reviewed the book, stated that the authors focused on key ingredients required in personal selling in chapter one and reflects on sales management in a business environment.
Dr Akolaa said that the authors also delved into the selling process and clearly and precisely take readers through various selling stages from prospecting, to making appointments, and delivering excellent sales presentations.
He said the authors again introduced readers to the concept of marketing and the marketing mix with its historical antecedents in marketing evolution and builds into integrated marketing communications and a step by step sales management process without complications.
He said the book touches on sales force planning, recruitment, selection and training follows in a logical and sequential manner.
He said it also highlights sales force compensation and rewards system, a critical ingredient in motivating and driving high performance sales team.
Dr Akolaa noted that the book concludes the ‘sales journey’ with sales force information system and relationship management to retain customers for long term value.
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