One such program introduce d recently we call "Your Right to Know. "This program keeps our employees tuned in on the company's activities and financial developments:  The program includes meetings with all employees at which each employee has a chance to be heard by management.

Sales meetings, too, are extremely important for good, open, two- way communications.   They give management the chance to communicate with the sales force frequently. This type of communication eliminates some of the need for written correspondence. Meetings are ideal for getting immediate feedback on how the sales force feels about the plans and programs that are presented.

In addition to frequent local meetings, annual meetings are held toward the end of each year, at which we present the plans, programs, and materials that the sales force will have to work with in the upcoming year. Many of these programs and materials are the result of suggestions from the field, and they are made aware of this. So, our sales force knows that what they do does count,  thus adding strength to the feeling, "I am responsible  for what  does  and what  does  not  happen."   

We actually have two classifications of sales personnel.  The first we call "sales representative."  Most sales representatives work primarily at store level and do not have the responsibility of account headquarters and account warehouses.       

In the retail food industry, products essentially move from manufacturing plants to customer warehouses.  From here they are distributed to the individual stores. 

Products are ordered into these warehouses by buyers at account headquarters. Calling on these headquarters for Kraft are our "major account representatives," the next step up from sales representative.  Several times during the year our local management will meet with the top management of these major accounts to discuss mutual problems and to set mutual goals.  Once a year they hold "perspective" meetings with those accounts. Here, our management will present sales and marketing plans and programs for the coming year. These contacts reinforce the feeling in our account representatives that their managers are kept alerted to the problems in the field and that they understand the challenges of the sales job.