Optimizing Sales Excellence in Steel Product Markets through Targeted Employee Training Program

Effective sales management practices are essential for driving organizational competitiveness and achieving sales excellence. In industrial contexts, strategic alignment in planning, organizing, guiding, and controlling plays a critical role in enhancing sales performance. This study examined the relationship between sales management styles and their effectiveness in achieving sales excellence in a large manufacturing company in Eastern, China. Adopting a descriptive–correlational design, data were gathered from 310 purposively selected staff, supervisors, and managers using a researcher-constructed questionnaire. Results showed that among the sales management styles, planning had the highest rating (M = 3.45, SD = 0.52), particularly in sales territory and account planning, while guiding had the lowest (M = 3.21, SD = 0.57). In terms of effectiveness, sales strategies ranked highest (M = 3.47, SD = 0.54), followed by sales objectives (M = 3.39, SD = 0.56) and sales actions (M = 3.34, SD = 0.55). Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between sales management styles and effectiveness (r = 0.682, p < .001). These findings underscore the importance of targeted training and systematic performance monitoring to optimize sales outcomes, providing valuable insights for corporate education, organizational development, and managerial practice.