This unit requires sales team members to identify key customer contacts, and service-specific customer needs and confirm trading terms with customer contacts to build and maintain sustainable relationships with business customers.

Nil

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1

Develop techniques to maintain close contact with business customers.

1.1

Confirm relevant contact personnel at each business or account customer.

1.2

Participate and contribute to team efforts to service business customers.

1.3

Build external relationships to improve supply chain efficiency, including product or service supply, account management, product management, supply arrangements, distribution systems, information and communication.

1.4

Maintain business customer contact consistent with business policy and procedures.

2

Identify business customer needs.

2.1

Confirm means to identify business customer needs.

2.2

Consult relevant customer contacts to review business needs.

2.3

Analyse current business and promotional activities and determine future directions.

2.4

Outline and confirm trading terms for specific customers.

2.5

Confirm pricing policy and procedures.

2.6

Process business reviews using latest forecasts of current and future trends.

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

identify and maintain key contact personnel at customer businesses

contribute to team service to specific customers

confirm trading terms, pricing policies and other relevant procedures to customers

process business forecasts for implementation

interpersonal skills

review business needs and basic forecasts

collect and organise information

effective use of technology

literacy skills to read, analyse and interpret a range of business policy and procedures documents and research information

flexibility when communicating within teams, and responding to customers.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

prioritising work schedule

business policy and procedures for building relationships with business customers

pricing policies

trading terms

information sources on product and supply arrangements for customers

OHS aspects of job

relevant consumer law, commercial law and legislation.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

builds sustainable relationships with business customers that deliver agreed business outcomes

identifies key contact personnel for businesses with a given territory or customer account

describes and utilises a range of means to accurately identify specific needs of business customers

confirms trading terms for customers according to business policy and procedures

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to:

a retail or wholesale work environment

relevant sources of product information

relevant documentation, such as policy and procedures manuals

forecasts for current and future market trends

a range of business customers with different requirements

an appropriate range of products or services

customer information.

Methods of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

observation of performance in the workplace

third-party reports from a supervisor

customer feedback

written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

Assessing employability skills

Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically in the context of the job role and with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Relevant contact personnel may include:

new or repeat contacts

internal and external contacts

people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities.

Team members may include:

full-time, part-time, casual or contract staff

people with varying degrees of language and literacy

people from a range of cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds

people with a range of responsibilities and job descriptions.

Business policy and procedures in relation to:

sale and distribution of products and services

interaction with customers

client relationship management

pricing arrangements

trading terms.

Methods to identify business customer needs may include:

verbal or non-verbal communication with:

customer contacts

staff

supervisors and management

suppliers

observation

appropriate questioning and active listening

review of sales records.

Promotional activities may include:

internal and external activities

corporate or locally based activities

dealing with advertising agencies and consultants

advertising

catalogues

newspapers

posters

radio or TV

suppliers

internet

website.

Trading terms may be influenced by:

due diligence requirements

value for money

risk sharing

market position

planning cycles and timing

terms and conditions agreed

intellectual property and technology rights

continuous improvement

supply chain management

infrastructural and capital outlay requirements

organisational systems integration and compatibility.

Sector

Cross-Sector

Client and Customer Service

The required outcomes described in this unit contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements.