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Saturday, 8 January 2011 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited (CCBSL) put a smile on the faces of their employees by revealing a benevolent initiative that absorbed 25 of their best Sales Representatives into their permanent cadre. The move truly opened happiness for many employees as it proved that Coca-Cola takes an active interest in furthering and enhancing the careers of those who give their best to the brand.
What makes this initiative truly impressive is that the company ensured that the sales representatives would be worthy of such an important opportunity. Most of them started off as executives within the Coca-Cola system, working with distributors.
After one year, the company selected those who were impeccable in following the proper systems and processes. Each executive was evaluated in terms of performance, attitude, skills, trainability and promotability.
Janaka Sampath from Maradana says that “My life has really turned around. I come from a family of seven, with my father being the sole earner. Now I will be able to help him because of this amazing opportunity. I have a job that provides me with recognition now. The job has become so much easier now that I am an employee of Coca-Cola. There really is no better place to learn than Coca-Cola.”
He adds with a smile on his face that “I am actually building a house now which is a dream come true. I cannot thank Coca-Cola enough for enriching my life like this.”
Gishantha Fernando from Wennappuwa added that “I have a very young family, with a young child. This opportunity that Coca-Cola has provided me with has given my family a lot more stability and development. Most importantly it has given me a sense of permanency that I have not had for many years. My family and I finally feel like we will be taken care of and recognised in the long run.”
Patrick Pech, Country Manager Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited, observed that “Generally, many companies employ sales executives who work with distributors.
A commonly cited industry setback is that these executives may not feel a sense of belonging to the brand.
We have successfully cracked the problem by getting our best executives on-board as Sales Representatives who work directly as a part of Coca-Cola.
This gives them a genuine feeling of ownership over the brand, motivating and inspiring them. It is very heartwarming for us to offer them this opportunity.”