Sales & Marketing Executives International
Encyclopedia
Sales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI) is a worldwide organization dedicated to ethical standards, continuing professional development, knowledge sharing, mentoring students and advancing free enterprise
. Founded in 1935 in the U.S. as the National Federation of Sales Executives, the organization grew to become the largest in the world for sales and marketing managers by the late 1940s.
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From them emerged SMEI. In 1935, IBM Founder Thomas Watson, Sr.
; Raymond Bill, founder of Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, and other visionaries invited the presidents of many Sales Managers’ Clubs to New York City
to discuss forming a network of sales and marketing executives. The result was the National Federation of Sales Executives, the first of several names for SMEI.
The federation grew quickly, especially after World War II when member CEOs dedicated it to helping Europe and other war-battered areas rebuild their economies. By the late 1940s, the association included more than 40 countries and was the largest in the world for sales and marketing managers. In 1949 it became National Sales Executives (NSE)-International and in 1961 became SMEI.
SMEI continues to be the leading worldwide association of sales and marketing management. Its members are CEOs and heads of marketing or sales departments for some of the world’s leading companies. Members benefit from a weekly e-newsletter with sales and marketing news headlines, speeches from marketing leaders, access to a comprehensive online library on sales and marketing, as well as local meetings that provide insight into new and effective strategies.
Sales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI) is the worldwide organization dedicated to ethical standards, continuing professional development, knowledge sharing, mentoring students and advancing free enterprise.
Vision
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. Founded in 1935 in the U.S. as the National Federation of Sales Executives, the organization grew to become the largest in the world for sales and marketing managers by the late 1940s.
History
In the late 1880s, sales and marketing was not popularly considered to be an attractive career or a profession. But many in the business, seeing the need for professional recognition based on sound standards and ethical practices, created Sales Managers’ Clubs. First started in the 1880s in North America, they gradually spread throughout Europe, Australian, South American and the Pacific RimPacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
.
From them emerged SMEI. In 1935, IBM Founder Thomas Watson, Sr.
Thomas J. Watson
Thomas John Watson, Sr. was president of International Business Machines , who oversaw that company's growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956...
; Raymond Bill, founder of Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, and other visionaries invited the presidents of many Sales Managers’ Clubs to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to discuss forming a network of sales and marketing executives. The result was the National Federation of Sales Executives, the first of several names for SMEI.
The federation grew quickly, especially after World War II when member CEOs dedicated it to helping Europe and other war-battered areas rebuild their economies. By the late 1940s, the association included more than 40 countries and was the largest in the world for sales and marketing managers. In 1949 it became National Sales Executives (NSE)-International and in 1961 became SMEI.
SMEI continues to be the leading worldwide association of sales and marketing management. Its members are CEOs and heads of marketing or sales departments for some of the world’s leading companies. Members benefit from a weekly e-newsletter with sales and marketing news headlines, speeches from marketing leaders, access to a comprehensive online library on sales and marketing, as well as local meetings that provide insight into new and effective strategies.
Mission and Vision
MissionSales & Marketing Executives International (SMEI) is the worldwide organization dedicated to ethical standards, continuing professional development, knowledge sharing, mentoring students and advancing free enterprise.
Vision
- The Profession: SMEI is the acknowledged thought leader that advances the contribution of the sales and marketing profession to the success of organizations worldwide.
- The Member: SMEI is respected by its members, their companies and the business community for dedication to, and practice of its Five Founding Principles.
- The Community: SMEI embodies ethical sales and marketing professionals who contribute to their community
Founding Principles
ALL of SMEI’s activities are guided by five founding principles, designed to strengthen principles and practice of the profession.- Professional Standards and Identification: The improvement of the standards for professional selling, sales management and marketing, in order to establish sales and marketing as a recognized profession.
- Continuing Education: The planning and implementation of monthly meetings of the membership to enable members to keep up-to-date with changes in the marketplace and to grow as professionals. The planning and implementation of organized training programs for professional selling, sales management, and marketing.
- Sharing Knowledge: The establishment of discussion forums, for example, shirt sleeve seminars, and roundtable meetings which enable members to share sales and marketing experiences and knowledge.
- Assist Students: The establishment of programs to work with students at the high school and college levels to enable them to understand the excellent career opportunities in the sales and marketing profession. This objective ultimately led to the current SMEI sponsored programs with Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA)DECA (organization)DECA, also known as Collegiate DECA on the college level) is an international association of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service . DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing,...
, and Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE)Pi Sigma Epsilon'ΠΣΕ ' is the only national, professional fraternal organization in sales, marketing, and management in the United States. The fraternity was developed by four members of the Sales and Marketing Executives association of Atlanta, Georgia...
. - Support the Free Enterprise System. In recognizing that sales and marketing is the energizing force that drives the competitive marketplace, SMEI has always been committed to supporting the free enterprise concept.