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At the beginning of 2014, after nearly
two years of research and planning,
Toshiba TEC UK Imaging Systems
launched its transformational education
programme – the Toshiba Masters.
Available exclusively to the company’s
resellers, the Toshiba Masters programme
is delivered in partnership with global
sales performance improvement company
Consalia and is validated by Middlesex
University.
The programme provides Toshiba’s
channel partners with the first opportunity
to offer academic recognition to their
sales leaders and salespeople, for their
sales experience and excellence in a work
environment. It is totally focused on sales
roles and based on proven practices for
performance improvement and real-world
learning.
During the planning stages, Toshiba
looked at lots of options and spoke to
a number of providers but according to
Carl Day, Sales Director Toshiba Indirect
Division, once he met Consalia founder
Phillip Squire, it was quickly evident that
they would be Toshiba’s partner of choice.
Consalia has extensive experience
working with a number of organisations
wishing to educate their internal staff, but
this was their first venture working with
the channel, something that they were very
keen to do. “Consalia worked extremely
hard getting to grips with our industry
and its sales culture in order to provide us
with a programme that unlocks change in
thought that in turn creates a platform for
sales transformation,” said Day.
Middlesex University, one of the world’s
top work-based learning centres, adds the
academic rigour and flexible assessment
that is pivotal to the success of these
programmes.
Toshiba has made a significant financial
investment in the transformational
education programme, which will lead to
an MSc in Leading Sales Transformation.
According to Day, it has done so because
it views the initiative as a highly effective
way of delivering tangible business
benefits to Toshiba partners. “This launch
was driven by our commitment to invest
in initiatives that support our channel
partners’ business growth objectives.
“Whilst incentive trips, golf days
and the like play an important part in
us forging strong relationships with our
dealers, we wanted to offer something
that was both relevant to and which would
play a pivotal role in driving their business
growth,” he said.
Prior to launch, Toshiba spoke to its
partners to gauge initial interest, which,
according to Day, was really positive.
Partners were invited to the official
unveiling – an event co-hosted with
Consalia – where the course content,
benefits, opportunity and profit potential
were outlined. Interested parties were then
invited to sign up.
“There was no sales pitch,” said Day.
“It was purely on an opt-in basis. If we
had to sell it hard to get buy-in, then the
chances are we’d get the wrong people on
board.”
The course kicked off in mid-January
with thirteen enrolees – Carl Day and
top-performing salespeople from Arena,
Stratus, Copiermate, NCS, Premier,
Cloudsmart, Sharples and TOS Ireland.
United Carlton also joined the course more
recently.
One year in and all thirteen are as
committed as ever. They have a further 12
months of study ahead and are expected
to complete a dissertation by June 2016,
before graduating. All of the group have
passed every module to date and are
already reaping the rewards within their
respective businesses.
Day said that the opportunity for
channel partners to achieve a Masters in
Leading Sales Transformation represents a
fresh and unique approach to innovation
and sales growth. “It is a truly unique
way of effecting change and collaboration
through our channel, whilst simultaneously
offering a huge value-add to our dealers
and their people for the long-term.”
He added: “The purpose is to improve
the professional status of salespeople,
which is all too often overlooked, and
to provide organisations with important
research and innovation on sales practices.
We’re not in this simply to achieve an
academic qualification; everything we do
has to impact on our business. There is no
magic fairy dust – we all still have to put
in lots of effort – but the academic rigour
is enabling us to look at things in different
and fresh ways and to innovate for positive
change.”
Toshiba Masters
Toshiba’s
transformational
education programme
Editor’s Choice:
Print IT Reseller
What we liked:
• totally focused on sales roles
• based on proven practices for
performance improvement and
real-world learning
• Middlesex University adds
academic rigour
• highly effective way of
delivering tangible business
benefits
• unique way of effecting change
and collaboration
Middlesex
University,
one of the
world’s top
work-based
learning
centres, adds
academic
rigour
– 01732 759725
Editor’s Choice Awards
TOSHIBA MASTERS
Carl Day, Sales
Director Toshiba
Indirect Division
