Master the Basics of Consultative Sales in Retail! Joint Training Seminar for New and Junior HQ Staff 2026, August Event by Marketing Research Association, Trade Marketing Department

Joint Training for New and Junior HQ Staff 2026 – August 2026 Event

This seminar enables participants to systematically learn, over two days, the foundational skills needed to launch consultative sales initiatives. Topics include understanding HQ roles, semi-annual PDCA cycles, insights into retail clients and end consumers, data utilization basics, and how to build compelling sales proposals. As an in-person group seminar, it brings together participants from various categories of consumer goods manufacturers, fostering cross-industry learning and networking.

What You Will Learn

- Fundamentals of manufacturer sales and role clarity: Understanding the responsibilities and daily activities of HQ sales personnel - Semi-annual PDCA for sales activities: How HQ staff should manage operations on a six-month cycle - Understanding retail, clients, consumers, and store environments: Deepen knowledge of client companies, customer behavior, and in-store dynamics - Data utilization and proposal storytelling: Practical frameworks to build persuasive, data-backed sales narratives

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This program addresses common corporate challenges in training new and junior sales staff, such as:

- "We don’t have enough new hires to justify internal group training" - "Our company lacks systematic know-how to teach consultative sales to retail" - "OJT-based training leads to inconsistent skill levels across staff"

Participants can register individually, and a key benefit is the opportunity to exchange insights and build professional networks with sales staff from other companies.

Previous Seminar Highlights

The seminar will be led by Kazuyuki Tsukamoto, Director and Head of the Trade Marketing Department at Marketing Research Association Inc., who brings extensive hands-on experience in manufacturer sales and client support.

Instructor: Kazuyuki Tsukamoto Director, Marketing Research Association Inc. Head of Trade Marketing Department

After graduating from university, Mr. Tsukamoto joined what is now Kao Group Customer Marketing Co., Ltd.

As a sales representative, he managed relationships with Japan’s largest drugstore chains, practicing consultative sales aimed at solving retailers’ business challenges. He gained firsthand experience in category management tailored to individual store characteristics, learning from both successes and failures.

He later joined Marketing Research Association Inc., where he supports consumer goods manufacturers in developing account strategies and executing sales initiatives, while also focusing on cultivating the next generation of sales leaders.

Publications: Co-author of "Practical Guidebook for Customer-Centric Proposals: For Consumer Goods Manufacturers, Wholesalers, and Retailers" (Gakujutsu Kenkyusha)

Selected Client Experience:

[Manufacturers] Cosmetics, daily necessities, processed foods, confectionery, beverages, alcoholic drinks, stationery, toys, etc. [Others] Advertising agencies, sales promotion agencies, etc.

Seminar Program:

Day 1

1. What is Sales? What is Consultative Sales for Manufacturers?

- The difference between product introduction and true proposal - The essence of sales is solving the client’s problems - Problem-solving starts with decomposing sales structure - The 3-step process for consultative selling [Workshop] Exploring consultative sales through cross-industry case studies

2. Semi-Annual PDCA for Manufacturer HQ Staff

- What decisions are made on a semi-annual vs. monthly basis - Setting clear milestones: defining how much progress to achieve at each proposal stage

- Aligning semi-annual proposals with monthly/regular business meetings

3. Understanding Retail and Client Companies

- Current trends shaping the retail industry

- Retailers’ expectations of manufacturer sales teams (based on interviews and surveys)

- How to deepen understanding of your assigned client companies

- Key points for information gathering and understanding retail decision-making processes [Workshop] Interpreting corporate and category strategies

Day 2

1. Scientifically Analyzing Stores and Customers

- Foundational knowledge for scientific store observation and in-store merchandising - Space management, promotions, and consumer psychology

- How store layouts are strategically designed [Workshop] Analyzing standard store setups / What makes a store effective?

2. Building Data-Driven Sales Conversations

- The fundamentals of data analysis every salesperson should master

- The most critical question: "Why did this data pattern emerge?" [Workshop] Reporting sales data insights to a buyer

3. Structuring Proposals and Sales Meeting Flow

- General flow of a sales meeting - Building a proposal story before creating a formal proposal document - Best practices when using internal proposal templates

- Fundamentals of internal and external communication [Workshop] Evaluating effective vs. ineffective proposals

Event Overview:

Dates: August 24 (Mon) – 25 (Tue), 2026 | Both days: 10:00 – 16:30

Format: In-person seminar

Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho Building (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Fee: 90,000 JPY per person (excluding tax), including lunch and beverages

Special Offers: 1) Group Discount: 5,000 JPY off per person for 2 or more registrants 2) Early Bird Discount: 10,000 JPY off per person for registrations by June 30 (Tue) * Discounts 1) and 2) can be combined

For inquiries, please contact us anytime!

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Marketing Research Association Inc.

About Marketing Research Association Inc.

Since its founding in 1960, Marketing Research Association has been dedicated to developing marketing-oriented talent and organizations, and building systems that ensure lasting customer preference. We support clients through public seminars, in-house training, and consulting services, focusing on four core areas: "Marketing Support," "Sales Force Effectiveness in Retail (Trade Marketing)," "In-Store Sales Capability Enhancement," and "B2B Sales Capability Strengthening."

The above seminar is also available as in-house training. Please feel free to contact us for details.

[Company Overview]

Marketing Research Association Inc.

COSMIC BLDG 2F, 1-2-8 Shibadaimon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0012

Representative Director: Shingo Hirabayashi

Business Activities: Education & training, marketing research, consulting, public seminars, planning & production

Founded: 1962

https://www.marken.co.jp/ Keywords: