UPS trio gain edge through enthusiasm and drive
United Parcel Service (UPS), the world's largest package delivery company, has three Distinguished Salesperson Award winners this year.
They are Nelson Kot, Lily Hung Yim-fei and Marco Tsang.
UPS Hong Kong senior business development manager Peter Proft says the enthusiasm, commitment and integrity that the winners bring to their jobs every day has given them the edge.
'Our winners are outstanding salespeople in their own right,' he says. 'UPS has enhanced that basic building block with training.'
The UPS training programme includes product training and sales training to ensure that its frontline people have the necessary tools to be effective in the field, he says.
'We are continuously upgrading and refreshing our sales resource knowledge.'
Since the beginning of the year, the firm has completed training on core products, Exchange Collect (a company electronic payment service), the upgrade of its WorldShip automated shipping solutions and its Web site.
'It does not stop at that,' Mr Proft says.
UPS salespeople are assessed every quarter to ensure they are up to date with the latest information and offerings in the express industry, he says.
Ms Hung, an accounts manager, has been working at UPS for more than two years.
'Not everyone can understand sales and not everyone can enjoy it. I love being a salesperson, challenging myself while enjoying the process at the same time,' she says.
Ms Hung says the DSA's theme, 'Heart for Excellence', is appropriate.
'I do believe the modern way of 'heart selling' is more effective [than previous approaches],' she says, arguing that a lack of trust in today's business world, makes hard-selling inappropriate.
Mr Tsang, a major account manager who has been at UPS for 10 years, agrees that having a heart for excellence is an important quality.
'Winning the award has given me the recognition and confidence to be a successful salesperson,' he says.
Mr Kot, strategic accounts manager for Asia Pacific, says an ability to 'understand and articulate a customers' needs' is an effective attribute of the job.
Mr Kot, who has been with UPS for about 11 years, says creative selling is all about selling an idea.
No product or service is bought solely on the basis of quality, he says, adding that it is important to sell first an idea, then utility and, finally, quality.
UPS is a leading global provider of specialised transportation and logistics services.
