Training A Salesperson?
Training A Salesperson?
Many companies and sales managers remain blissfully unaware of the primary reason to train employees. The most common answer is to help them sell more. A very good answer but not the best answer. The best sales training works because it helps salespeople become continuously successful.
Sales managers believe that training their team will help the individual develop. They often overlook two other entities that benefit from personnel development.
Customers — Informed, professional salespeople continuously prepare to meet the service and product needs of customers. Training salespeople gives customers the assurance that you value and respect their time. Knowledgeable, educated sales people add value. Customers trust and view them as business partners. Customers feel their needs come first when trained salespeople work with them.
Company — Retention and morale is higher in companies that invest in the development of all employees. Price seldom becomes an issue for the trained sales professional. Therefore profit margins improve and predictability of earnings leads to job stability.
The trained sales force produces more with confidence. In addition, they’re aware of trends in the market, technology, industry and environment. This knowledge enhances their ability to sell and the reputation of your company.
Training programs should address knowledge, competencies, ability, capability and skills.
The factors affecting the development of a sales team include:
External — market and industry trends, customers, economy, government regulation, society, competition, and personal bias.
Internal — company strategy, culture of the sales team, product lines and life cycle, customer service support, etc.
Ideal Prospects — how do we define, locate, understand and prioritize prospective business partners?
Next, how do we assess and address their needs? Many events and occurrences trigger the need for additional training.
Have customers in your market become more demanding?
Has your product or service become a commodity?
Has de-regulation impacted the sales environment?
Does your company offer new, broader or more complex products?
Does your team need new skills to address mergers and acquisitions?
Are customers more demanding?
Has your industry experienced high turnover?
Does the Internet play a larger role in your business?
Does your selling process need evaluation and re-engineering to serve the market?
Do star performers leave your company?
All of these reasons motivate progressive companies to implement training programs designed to ensure continuous success.
Companies that emphasize training and career development reflect positive corporate cultures. They understand that investing in training generates long-term revenue. Successful companies realize that training is not an easy fix. This does not inhibit them from training. They never wait for the “perfect” program.
Elite companies know that individual training (potentially more costly) provides a greater ROI (Return on Investment) than group training. Training as a group is more efficient, however.
The Internet, compact discs, and videos used in training programs are efficient due to ease of implementation. These training tools are not as effective as other training methods since we learn more by listening, doing, seeing and saying than by listening and reading alone. Sales training is highly effective when sales managers are active and play a significant role in the program.
Self-study and external seminars are the least effective form of training. Classroom study is slightly more beneficial. Nothing is more successful than participating, observing and applying the skills on the job and in the field.
Good training programs consist of three integral components:
Content - related to knowledge, skills, corporate culture and miscellaneous factors such as internal customers and other departments.
Methods — the best training programs utilize more than one methodology. Self-study, classroom exercises, external seminars and on the job training are beneficial elements of good programs. Mentoring is often over-looked. The salesperson shadows other professionals in roles related to theirs. Facility tours, days in the field with other sales representatives or spent in the office of customers can provide great training opportunities.
Participants — active participants. Sales managers, trainers, representatives, mentors and other department heads should participate. Attendance helps them understand the sales culture and challenges faced. They will also reinforce positive habits and behavior.
Training should be viewed as an investment in your team, company and customers. The ROI is immediate and positive.
What is worse than training a salesperson and having them leave?
Not training them and having them stay.
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
Confucius
Training A Salesperson - To learn more about this author, visit Dan Schoepf's Website.
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What is worse than training a salesperson and having them leave?
Many companies and sales managers remain blissfully unaware of the primary reason to train employees. The most common answer is to help them sell more. A very good answer but not the best answer. The best sales training works because it helps salespeople become continuously successful.
Sales managers believe that training their team will help the individual develop. They often overlook two other entities that benefit from personnel development.
Customers — Informed, professional salespeople continuously prepare to meet the service and product needs of customers. Training salespeople gives customers the assurance that you value and respect their time. Knowledgeable, educated sales people add value. Customers trust and view them as business partners. Customers feel their needs come first when trained salespeople work with them.
Company — Retention and morale is higher in companies that invest in the development of all employees. Price seldom becomes an issue for the trained sales professional. Therefore profit margins improve and predictability of earnings leads to job stability.
The trained sales force produces more with confidence. In addition, they’re aware of trends in the market, technology, industry and environment. This knowledge enhances their ability to sell and the reputation of your company.
Training programs should address knowledge, competencies, ability, capability and skills.
The factors affecting the development of a sales team include:
External — market and industry trends, customers, economy, government regulation, society, competition, and personal bias.
Internal — company strategy, culture of the sales team, product lines and life cycle, customer service support, etc.
Ideal Prospects — how do we define, locate, understand and prioritize prospective business partners?
Next, how do we assess and address their needs? Many events and occurrences trigger the need for additional training.
Have customers in your market become more demanding?
Has your product or service become a commodity?
Has de-regulation impacted the sales environment?
Does your company offer new, broader or more complex products?
Does your team need new skills to address mergers and acquisitions?
Are customers more demanding?
Has your industry experienced high turnover?
Does the Internet play a larger role in your business?
Does your selling process need evaluation and re-engineering to serve the market?
Do star performers leave your company?
All of these reasons motivate progressive companies to implement training programs designed to ensure continuous success.
Companies that emphasize training and career development reflect positive corporate cultures. They understand that investing in training generates long-term revenue. Successful companies realize that training is not an easy fix. This does not inhibit them from training. They never wait for the “perfect” program.
Elite companies know that individual training (potentially more costly) provides a greater ROI (Return on Investment) than group training. Training as a group is more efficient, however.
The Internet, compact discs, and videos used in training programs are efficient due to ease of implementation. These training tools are not as effective as other training methods since we learn more by listening, doing, seeing and saying than by listening and reading alone. Sales training is highly effective when sales managers are active and play a significant role in the program.
Self-study and external seminars are the least effective form of training. Classroom study is slightly more beneficial. Nothing is more successful than participating, observing and applying the skills on the job and in the field.
Good training programs consist of three integral components:
Content - related to knowledge, skills, corporate culture and miscellaneous factors such as internal customers and other departments.
Methods — the best training programs utilize more than one methodology. Self-study, classroom exercises, external seminars and on the job training are beneficial elements of good programs. Mentoring is often over-looked. The salesperson shadows other professionals in roles related to theirs. Facility tours, days in the field with other sales representatives or spent in the office of customers can provide great training opportunities.
Participants — active participants. Sales managers, trainers, representatives, mentors and other department heads should participate. Attendance helps them understand the sales culture and challenges faced. They will also reinforce positive habits and behavior.
Training should be viewed as an investment in your team, company and customers. The ROI is immediate and positive.
What is worse than training a salesperson and having them leave?
Not training them and having them stay.
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
Confucius
Training A Salesperson - To learn more about this author, visit Dan Schoepf's Website.
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Dr. John OdaJohn Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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 Dan Schoepf (Visit Dan's Website) Dan Schoepf is the founder and President of Prospects… to Partners a sales and business development consulting firm based in Kansas as well as contributing author to www.adastrabusinesssolutions.com . He built the company by leveraging many years of sales success in the public and private sector. As Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing he directed the growth of a public company from annual revenue of $50 million to over $225 million in less than four years. He was responsible for sales and recruiting for a technical staffing company that was recognized as one of the ten fastest growing companies in the United States.
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