Sales Training Tips For You
In the old days, a company would decide to embark on a sales training program and it would go a little something like this: book a hotel conference room, reserve a block of rooms, email sales reps and tell them they have to go to sales training, hire a company to design a training curriculum and materials, pay to have the materials printed, and then have someone on site to make sure the sales reps are in attendance and that everybody does what they are supposed to. For a large company, this was very costly. For a small company, practically impossible, even in a good economy. All we can say is thank goodness for the internet.
Even now, companies spend little to no time training their sales reps. The sales reps have goals, and if the goals are not met the sales reps are reprimanded or fired, but nothing is done to increase their skills, address their questions, and to teach them best practices.
Nowadays, a company can take the old route of getting salespeople together for training, they can hire someone to come to the office to conduct a trainings session, or they can buy software that the sales reps can use at their own pace. The odds a sales rep is going to do this? Not good. Sales reps, regardless of their age, are notoriously resistant to new technology and methodology.
Assigning books for Sales Reps to read is almost as futile as presenting them with software they must install on their computer and use in their "free time." While many books about superior service modeled after successful companies are read independently by sales rep, assigned reading usually does not go over that well.
The best chance a company has of training its sales reps is to get actual feedback from those reps on things that would help them to do their jobs better. If you identify the resources they need, they are more likely to show up for/download the software for/read the book about the sales tactic they actually want to learn about.
Another good option is to host an event that rewards sales reps for their performance, at the same time incorporating a short training program that teaches them something new while inspiring them to keep doing the good things they do. Rather than spending the money to host a dry, curriculum-based sales training session, why not reward your sales reps with a special dinner, or, better yet, a trip to a great location, where you have a keynote speaker from a known successful organization speak to the group? Usually, in this scenario, the cost of presentation materials comes along with the keynote speaker, and wouldn't it be better to spend hotel costs on someplace people want to go, rather than some place near the Newark Airport?
If your sales are in the dumps, your sales reps are not motivated, and you can't afford a reward trip, offering some sort of incentive-based reward that costs less than a vacation often does the trick. When it comes to your sales reps, remember that they are who they are and they do what they do because of who they are. Work with them and you are likely to get better results.
Even now, companies spend little to no time training their sales reps. The sales reps have goals, and if the goals are not met the sales reps are reprimanded or fired, but nothing is done to increase their skills, address their questions, and to teach them best practices.
Nowadays, a company can take the old route of getting salespeople together for training, they can hire someone to come to the office to conduct a trainings session, or they can buy software that the sales reps can use at their own pace. The odds a sales rep is going to do this? Not good. Sales reps, regardless of their age, are notoriously resistant to new technology and methodology.
Assigning books for Sales Reps to read is almost as futile as presenting them with software they must install on their computer and use in their "free time." While many books about superior service modeled after successful companies are read independently by sales rep, assigned reading usually does not go over that well.
The best chance a company has of training its sales reps is to get actual feedback from those reps on things that would help them to do their jobs better. If you identify the resources they need, they are more likely to show up for/download the software for/read the book about the sales tactic they actually want to learn about.
Another good option is to host an event that rewards sales reps for their performance, at the same time incorporating a short training program that teaches them something new while inspiring them to keep doing the good things they do. Rather than spending the money to host a dry, curriculum-based sales training session, why not reward your sales reps with a special dinner, or, better yet, a trip to a great location, where you have a keynote speaker from a known successful organization speak to the group? Usually, in this scenario, the cost of presentation materials comes along with the keynote speaker, and wouldn't it be better to spend hotel costs on someplace people want to go, rather than some place near the Newark Airport?
If your sales are in the dumps, your sales reps are not motivated, and you can't afford a reward trip, offering some sort of incentive-based reward that costs less than a vacation often does the trick. When it comes to your sales reps, remember that they are who they are and they do what they do because of who they are. Work with them and you are likely to get better results.
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