PepsiCo Sales Training Tracker
Supporting the people behind sales performance
Developing a sales force means understanding how each person is progressing and where they need support. For PepsiCo, with a direct and indirect sales force approaching 600 people, that required a clearer view of training and the time managers devoted to coaching.
Anatec designed and built Sales Training Tracker to make that information easier to record, see and use. Working with PepsiCo UK headquarters in Reading, we developed a system that supported individual development and gave management a wider view of training activity across the sales organisation.
“Tracker has been an excellent system – extremely reliable and user friendly – and Anatec has always been a pleasure to deal with.” — Maria Graham, PepsiCo UK & Ireland
Investing in the sales team
PepsiCo used a formal approach to sales training and regularly refreshed its programme. It wanted to make the most of that investment by understanding each individual’s development and ensuring managers had the information to make useful decisions.
Training was part of a wider commitment to developing the sales force. Knowing which modules someone had completed mattered, but so did understanding their progress over time, identifying gaps and seeing how managers were supporting them.
Moving beyond faxes and spreadsheets
Information was exchanged through monthly faxes, collated by department and territory, then entered into spreadsheets. The process was laborious, time-consuming and open to error. Historical information was difficult to see, making it hard to follow an individual’s progress.
There was also limited visibility of how much time sales managers spent coaching and developing their teams. PepsiCo regarded that support as important to individual development and motivation, and ultimately to the success of the business.
A system built around training and coaching
Anatec began with detailed requirements analysis and design. The resulting system covered two connected areas: sales training and sales managers’ time. It recorded training time, modules delivered, certifications achieved, and the time managers spent coaching and supporting team members.
Each month, the relevant part of the database was distributed to each sales manager for completion. Managers saw the information relating to their own department, keeping access aligned with their responsibilities. The system was designed to make recording information straightforward and turn it into reports that were easy to understand.
Seeing each person’s progress
Managers could see each team member's stage of development in a single view, with historical information alongside their current position. New information could be added quickly and reflected in clear graphical reports.
That made it easier to identify development needs and follow progress over time. Skills, qualifications and certifications formed part of the picture, alongside the training and support each person had received.
The system also recorded management activity, including time spent with individual team members and other work supporting the sales team. This gave PepsiCo visibility of coaching as well as formal training, helping managers understand how their effort was being used.
Straightforward to administer
PepsiCo's internal administrator could tailor reports to meet different requirements. Standard reports provided a consistent view, while queries and bespoke reporting allowed managers to explore particular questions.
The system needed little external intervention or ongoing maintenance. Maria Graham described its administration as simple and straightforward, with the flexibility to provide accurate visibility of sales training across the organisation. This made the tracker a practical management tool that PepsiCo could use and administer as part of its own work.
What became possible
Sales Training Tracker became an integral part of management reporting. It provided:
- A clearer view of development. Managers could see current progress, review training history and identify gaps for individuals and teams.
- Visibility of coaching and support. Information about managers’ activity complemented the record of formal training.
- Useful information across the organisation. Graphical reports helped managers and senior executives understand training activity and development needs.
The wider value lay in what that information supported. A system focused on training records helped managers pay attention to the development of their people—an important foundation for a capable sales force.
Could this help your business?
If development records are spread across files, progress is difficult to follow, or managers cannot see where support is needed, a focused custom system may help. The same principle applies wherever an important business activity depends on information that is difficult to collect and use.
Sales Training Tracker shows how improving one part of a business can support the people and capabilities on which the wider organisation depends.
