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June 9, 2003

Agribusiness seminar focuses on challenges of sales managers

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University will offer an agribusiness sales seminar June 25-26 that will focus on ways to strengthen and improve company sales teams.

The agribusiness seminar, titled "Charge! Leading Your Team, Maximizing Sales Opportunities," is sponsored by the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue. During the seminar, managers can attend various breakout sessions such as "Setting the Stage for Culture," "Meeting the Challenge of Managing Your Sales Team" and "Coaching to Excellence."

The two-day seminar targets agribusiness managers who hope to improve the overall effectiveness of their sales teams.

"Sales managers in agribusiness walk a difficult path," said Scott Downey, associate director for the center and a co-facilitator of the seminar. "They must balance the needs of customers and sales professionals with the strategic marketing direction of the company. We will discuss such challenges during our seminar."

There also will be a forum in which sales managers can interact with one another and other experts. The forum will provide participants with the opportunity to learn new management and coaching techniques.

"The forum approach to learning allows for a great degree of facilitated interaction between participants," said Downey, who has 15 years of experience in selling and sales management.

Another co-facilitator of the two-day seminar is Dave Downey, professor of agribusiness marketing and executive director of the Center for Food and Agricultural Business. As a specialist in agrimarketing and sales, Dave Downey has taught agrimarketing seminars in the United States. Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Cost for the seminar is $995 and includes several breakout sessions, two lunches, a dinner session and a continental breakfast.

To register online for the agribusiness sales management seminar, go to https://www.agecon.purdue.edu/cab/programs/sales_mgmt or contact Linda Heckman at (765) 494-7678, heckamal@purdue.edu.

Writer: Meggie Issler, (765) 494-8402, agnews-stories@purdue.edu

Source: Scott Downey (765) 494-4325; downeyws@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu; https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgComm/public/agnews/


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