any with a sales force of about 50. Management of this sales force is centralized in the main office, and to date, sales are limited to the Western states. Much of this sales force has been hired within the last two years, and prior to that, the emphasis was less on retail outlets and more on computer equipment catalogs, which could be accomplished by fewer people. The company has grown to a total work force of about 150, charged with developing and implementing a marketing plan, developing a distribution network, taking orders, and delivering the product.
Most of the employees are young, between 20 and 40, and this applies to the sales force in particular. Most of these young people have some business experience, and many have worked in sales elsewhere, though not necessarily selling computers. This has necessitated a training program in aspects of the computer business in order for these sales people to understand the problems and needs of computer users and retailers of computer equipment. The sales manager hires young people who show initiative but who may not have experience, for he believes such people can learn quickly and will prove valuable. In any case, these young people are mixed in with more experienced sales people who are given the role of managers of sales groups within the company. The sales force is approximately 70 percent male and 30 percent female. The average sales worker is a college graduate who has worked in some aspect of sales at another company before coming to this one.
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