Organized by the Sales and Marketing Executives (SME) Club of The Hong Kong Management Association, the results of the 32nd Distinguished Salesperson Award (DSA) were announced on Friday, 9 June 2000 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Ms Dona Chan of Hutchison Telecommunications (HK) Limited and Ms Ellen Wong of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited were crowned the Best Presentation Award by The Honourable Mrs Rita Fan, President of the Legislative Council, at the Distinguished Salesperson Award Presentation Ceremony.

Besides, a record of 93 local professional salespersons were awarded the Distinguished Salesperson Awards (DSA) and the Outstanding Young Salesperson Awards (OYSA) this year.

Originally launched in the United States in 1950, the DSA Programme has been recognized worldwide by sales professionals as the standard of excellence in selling.

The local version of the DSA Programme is divided into two categories, the Distinguished Salesperson Award (DSA), and the Outstanding Young Salesperson Award (OYSA) for promising young salespersons aged under 25. The Award has been sponsored by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited since 1995.

"Those entering this demanding programme first submit a 500-word write-up, detailing their road to success and personal ambitions. After an initial interview by the Organizing Committee, they are then further examined by our Panel of Judges," according to Ms Cheryl Yue, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the 32nd Distinguished Salesperson Award Programme.

"At this final stage, they have to show their product knowledge, market knowledge, presentation technique, ability to convince, ability to build up customer relations and ability to handle sales resistance." stressed Ms Yue.

Ms Dona Chan and Ms Ellen Wong, the co-winners of the Best Presentation Award should therefore be considered the best of the best, especially in a year when the number of DSA and OYS awardees reached a record of 93 in total.

The panel of judges this year comprised Professor Andrew Chan, Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) of Faculty of Business Administration of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Dr Cyril Chow, Chairman of Hong Kong Institute of Marketing; Mr Paul Chow, Chairman of the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association; Mr Michael Fan, Chairman of the Hong Kong & Kowloon Electrical Appliances Merchants Association Limited; Mr Daniel Lai, President of the Hong Kong Computer Society; Mr Lee Wai Tong, Chairman of Hong Kong International Courier Association; Mr Wilson Mok, Immediate Past Chairman of The Motors Traders Association of Hong Kong; Mr Robert Siu, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry; Ms Louisa Sum, Immediate Past President of Society of Hong Kong Real Estate Agents; Mr Tony Tse, General Manager of Marketing Communications of the Hong Kong Tourist Association; Mr Terence Yee, Immediate Past President of The Life Underwriter!|s Association of Hong Kong Limited; and Mr P D Yip, MBE, JP, Senior Executive, Service & Sales, Personal Banking of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.

The SME Club is one of the nine specialist clubs under the auspices of The Hong Kong Management Association.

For enquiry on the Distinguished Salesperson Award (DSA) Programme, please contact Ms Jennifer Au on 2526-6516, or visit the website: www.hkma.org.hk.

Issued by the Hong Kong Management Association on 9 June 2000.
For press inquiries, please contact Ms Titania Woo on 2526-2516/7392-3505.