Developing graduate sales professionals through co‐operative education and work placements: a relationship marketing approach

Examines issues within sales training and stresses the importance of work experience as part of undergraduate business degree programmes, both for those individuals wanting to develop many of the key capabilities of sales professionals and for companies seeking sales recruits. Issues of recruitment are addressed and an explanation is offered of how student placements can benefit organisations in their search for and development of sales professionals. Observations are drawn from an extensive review of selling and placement literature, and from data gathered via the author’s substantial experience as a placement manager for a large UK university’s business school. In the light of comments in the wide‐ranging evaluation of higher education in the UK conducted by Dearing, the article stresses the need for careful management of work placement programmes, and makes suggestions for improved employer and education links in order to optimise skills and knowledge development.