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Sales Training Should Cost You Nothing, Nada, Zip

Written by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Article Overview: Are you researching the cost of sales training? What would you say if I told you that your efforts are in vain because sales training should cost you nothing? Interested? Read on about this different perspective.

Sales Training Should Cost You Nothing, Nada, Zip

Many who wish to improve the quality of their sales training start down the wrong path when they think first of cost. They are busy researching the costs of sales training and usually this is rendered into a cost per participant.

Why this is the wrong path is that your sales people and related staff are your greatest asset that being human capital. Of course, your human capital does not appear on your financial statement as an asset, but usually as a liability. So, you have been conditioned to walk down the wrong path. However, now after reading this statement, you are now aware and that awareness is the first step necessary to affect positive change.

Sales training should cost you nothing because this is action is an investment in your greatest asset. Now when you think of investment, this may also require you to think differently about the outcomes. What are the results that you desire from this investment? In results driven solution, this is called return on investment.

For example, most folks who sell waste 12 minutes each day. This equals 1 hour a week or 50 hours a year. At an average salary only, excluding benefits, of $35,000, this lost productivity negatively drains the bottom line by approximately $750. If the solution can turn this waste time around and generate additional sales, then an investment of $750 in a sales training program would yield a 1 to 1 or 2 to 1 return. In other words, for each dollar the company would see that dollar returned or even realize two dollars for every dollar invested.

Possibly, this is why executive coaching including sales coaching has been widely received by corporate America. Depending upon the survey and the company, the average return is $5.00 for every dollar invested. (Metrix-Global, LLC).

Of course, to take the cost out of training demands that the results have been pre-determined and this is the real 800# gorilla in the room. Training (regardless of why type), for the most part, in corporate America is a directly tied to the K-16 educational experience. The focus is on knowledge and skills with little focus on attitudes and habits. However when investigating sales performance failure, the question that needs to be answered is “Not do they know it?” but “Do they want to do it?”

Sales research suggests that almost 50% of all sales leads are ignored, not followed up. (National Sales Executives Association) People who make a living selling know that they need to follow up on leads, so the issue is not more sales training about the knowledge or skills of how to follow-up. The issue is that these individuals have some bad attitudes and habits that result in poor results. There also may be some management issues in that the sales managers are demonstrating inconsistent behaviors from personal accountability to time management.

If you want to improve your sales force, stop thinking of costs and start thinking of investment. Take the time to identify your desired results and the behaviors that will achieve those results. You will probably need to add a lot more attitude and habit development than you ever thought necessary.

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  Sales Training - Make sure you choose one that understands the stages of learning
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  Sales Training - short term or long term success?
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Article Tags: average salary, bottom line, corporate america, executive coaching, financial statement, gorilla, participant, productivity, return on investment, sales coaching, sales training program, two dollars, waste time



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