The Sales Representative Journey is a comprehensive, multi-phase training and development program designed to onboard, develop, and elevate sales professionals at wholesaler/distributor Kimball Midwest. The program emphasizes Customer-Centric Selling, focusing on value-added services, continuous discovery, and materials management systems to strengthen customer relationships.
All regional sales divisions across the U.S. participated in the program, encompassing 10-plus business units, including field sales, account development, and sales operations.
Program Details
The program offers Integrated Career Pathing, which outlines a clear journey from onboarding to veteran status, complete with defined milestones and earnings potential. A comprehensive Sales Tools Ecosystem supports representatives with real-time data dashboards that help track performance, identify growth opportunities, and plan territory development.
The journey begins with Initial Training and the Score Card, which includes a four-week onboarding plan with daily call, demo, and order targets, supported by manager ride-alongs and structured training days.
Following this, Building Blocks I through IV provide a progressive development path over the first year, with each block introducing increasing sales quotas, account development goals, and e-commerce targets.
After completing the Building Blocks, representatives enter the Earn What You Are Worth (EWYAW) program, which focuses on account penetration, retention, and commission enhancement through strategic planning and self-assessment tools. The EWYAW Guidebook is a self-coaching resource that combines personal goal setting with business analytics.
The Sales Representative Journey is delivered through a combination of online learning modules; in-person workshops such as Account Development Workshop (ADW), Materials Management System (MMS), and Fluid Flow; virtual workshops such as Initial Rep Workshop (IRW) and PIVOT; field-based coaching and ride-alongs, and self-paced guidebooks and planning tools.
Evaluation of the program includes weekly performance tracking via the Score Card, monthly sales and commission benchmarks, Sales Tools Reports such as Account Penetration and Cornerstone Ranking, and manager-led business reviews and EWYAW action plans.
In the short term (up to six months), managers conduct weekly check-ins and ride-alongs to provide support and observe progress. The Score Card system ensures accountability and creates regular feedback loops. Division trainers lead structured training days to reinforce key concepts and skills. Additionally, progress is reviewed and recognized through milestone evaluations within the Building Block program.
In the long term (after six months), training is reinforced through EWYAW Business Reviews and Action Plans, which help guide continued growth and goal alignment. Sales representatives utilize Sales Tools Reports for ongoing performance analysis to stay on track and identify areas for improvement. Promotions and incentive programs are directly tied to key sales behaviors, encouraging consistent execution.
Results
According to Sales Tools Reports, 78 percent of representatives who completed Building Block IV adopted Continuous Discovery and MMS selling techniques, compared to 42 percent of those who did not complete the program. Additionally, representatives who used the EWYAW planning tools increased their customers’ average lines per order by 15 percent and grew their e-commerce sales with customers by 20 percent within six months.
The number of sales representatives achieving $30,000 in monthly sales within their first year increased by 28 percent, and the number of $40,000-plus writers grew by 17 percent year-over-year—both surpassing their targets. Overall, the program contributed to a 22 percent increase in revenue from new accounts.
