The characteristics of lifelong learners for salesperson in retail business

Abstract

         This research aims to present the characteristics of lifelong learners for salespersons in the retail business to serve as information for the development of lifelong learning for salespersons. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with informants consisting of employees and customers from specialty stores in department stores listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The informants included one top executive, five human resource managers, and fourteen sales staff, chosen through purposive selection, and twenty-three customers selected via convenience sampling. The data were analyzed using content analysis and analytical induction. The study found that the essential characteristics of being a lifelong learner for retail salespersons include the continuous development of sales-related knowledge. The areas of sales knowledge that salespersons need to develop continuously include 1) knowledge about themselves as salespersons, 2) knowledge about customers, 3) selling skills, and 4) product knowledge.