On-going training is an integral part of all Amherst sales representative and sales management careers. The company has a formal training program, which trains and mentors newly hired sales associates through their first year of performance, and provides training throughout a sales representative's career at Amherst. The Amherst training program for newly hired sales associate begins with four weeks of classroom training that concentrates on selling skills, computer software applications, business systems, and logistics. During their second and third months of development, the new sales associates work together in a group managed by development specialists as they sharpen the skills they have learned within this controlled environment. Associates return to the classroom after their second and third months for additional training on new applications or refresher classes that offer more advanced features of Amherst productivity tools.
Associates also receive mentoring and coaching on sales performance and selling skills.
As sales reps advance through their careers, ultimately to sales management, they are introduced to management training. Ongoing sales skill training, which occurs once a month, offers reps opportunities to focus on and improve their personal selling skills. In addition to sales skills training, all members of the sales team are provided with vendor training by Amherst vendor partners. Partners visit Amherst each month to present product and industry changes. These visits allow reps to absorb and provide the most current information possible.