Sales training always seems like it brings dread to the people hiring the sales trainer and the sales reps that are going to receive the training. It really shouldn’t be this way. As with all forms of training and development, sales training should be a constant and continual process of improvement built into the employee and the organization.
Here are 3 ways that you, as a leader in your organization, can make the sales training easier on your team:
1. Use Process Based Training: Too often when you are leading a sales team, you are focused on the bottom line because that bottom line really drives the rest of the company. No sales, no business…pretty simple. But when you are trying to improve the performance of your sales team, you can’t just say go out and get more sales…it is self defeating. Instead, you need to work with your trainer and your team to come up with sales processes that focus on things that will lead you to long term success. Things like qualified prospects, meetings with targeted clients, networking events, or whatever you think makes the most sense for your company.
2. Step Away From the Tired Mantras: A lot of people know the “ABCs of Selling” and a lot more people think that these “rules” of selling suck. Here is a dirty little secret, they do suck and they are total B.S. As leader, you need to do away with these things. Sales isn’t some sort of torture to be inflicted on the sales person and prospect, it is a process of uncovering needs, building relationships, and providing solutions. That’s it. So move away from the mantras, cliches, and crap.
3. Be Realistic: Too often when I am dealing with clients, I find that they are in a bad situation because they have been entirely unrealistic and focused on things that they can’t control or that they feel they should be focused on. This is a clear recipe for poor performance. If you are going to make your sales training worth the investment of time and energy, you need to be realistic and not make the training a make or break situation for your team. It isn’t and it can’t be. Even if you have God come in and train your team, it is not likely that they are going increase their sales 1000% tomorrow. Instead, you need to be realistic about what you can expect from the training and your team.