Midwest Insurance Company

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorUniversity, Master's February 2008

download word file, 3 pages 0.0

3 First, Midwest should institute a 1-day orientation program for new employees. This program should make the employee feel welcome, familiarize him with the organization's background, and provide information on company policies, benefits and regulations. Ideally, this should be done with a group of new agents. Beyond the administrative presentations on benefits and policies, HR should provide a lively presentation on the company's rich history, common vision, and dynamic culture. The purpose is to build goodwill and morale from the outset, i.e...that Midwest is excited to have them aboard, and firmly believe that they (new agents) are vital to the company's future success.

Sales and product knowledge training should follow immediately after the orientation. This should be a 2-week, classroom environment with the same group from orientation. The objective of the first week should be sales training. It should focus on specific sales techniques needed for prospecting new customers, including networking, advertising, cold calls, and community involvement.

These sales techniques should be combined with training on company-specific procedures, such as completing and sending applications online, and obtaining real-time sales data via laptops. The objective of the second week should focus on in-depth knowledge of the firm's core products. The trainees need to understand the differentiators for Midwest products, and why it has a competitive advantage. The more convinced the agent is of the product, the more convincing he will be in selling it. Utilize scenarios to integrate product knowledge and sales techniques. The instructional design should include objectives, methods, media, examples, exercises, and activities Following sales and product knowledge, there should be periodic training when the agents are in the field. This can be accomplished through the use of CBTs, web-based training, or videotapes. The objective is to ensure agents are informed on the latest product updates and the use...