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Guest post by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith Become an Author

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Sales are a continual process of acquiring knowledge (learning) and applying knowledge (performance). I realized this once again as I was reading a variety of posts as seasoned sales professionals shared their thoughts about how to help a new sales representative. As I glanced through the numerous top three to five recommendations to improve the sales approach or increase sales, I saw each could be placed in one of four buckets.

1. Knowledge
2. Skills
3. Attitudes
4. Habits

Years ago one of my coaches (David Herdlinger) put together a simple quadrant diagram that he called the KASH Box to show why so many efforts to improve individual behaviors (a.k.a. performance) fail. Research suggests up to 90% or even more of any training intervention fails to deliver positive return on investment.

Take a piece of paper, draw a large square and separate it into 4 quadrants. In the upper left one, place the letter K for Knowledge. Below that in the lower left quadrant, write the letter S. On the right side, in the lower corner, place the letter H and in the upper right hand quadrant write the letter A.

After his presentation, I recognized the purpose of training was to hold sustainable change as was the purpose of the original cash boxes. So I modified his box by including a rectangle directly below the bottom two quadrants. I labeled this rectangle the Sustainable Change KASH Drawer.

What I know to be true as an experienced sales professional, trainer and a trained and degreed instructional designer (someone who knows how to write training programs and curriculum) is the real question to be asked is not if the participants know something, but rather do they want to do it?

For example, research suggests almost 50% of all sales leads are not followed up and left to wither on the vine. Additionally, 80% of all sales are earned (a.k.a. closed) between the 5th and 12th contacts. Most salespersons know that leads are the beginning of the sales process and that follow-up is critical to earning the sale. So the issue here is not more training to hone existing sales skills, but rather a focus on developing the necessary attitudes (beliefs) and habits (behaviors). Yet, most sales training is based upon knowledge and skills with very little emphasis on attitudes and habits.

If you want your sales training to deliver more bang for the buck, so to speak, then reassess your curriculum. Include how to develop positive attitudes and habits as you look to improve specific sales skills. Again, remember to ask yourself this simple, but important question specific to what buckets you are placing your efforts:

Is the inability to increase sales due to a lack of knowledge and skills (Do they know it?) or because of poor attitudes and habits (Do they want to do it?)?

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