| Every year, companies invest millions of pounds in | | | | technique. Instead of speaking, participants write |
| the training and development of their salespeople, | | | | down a question on a flipchart. The customer does |
| and with good reason, 74 - 84% of company | | | | the same with their replies, thus forcing the |
| revenue came directly from salesforce activity. The | | | | salesperson to think about the nature and |
| total number of employed salespeople in the UK is in | | | | construction of each question. This activity is best |
| the area of 400,000. Any resource that produces | | | | used with experienced salespeople, as those with |
| three quarters of organisational revenue, and with | | | | little experience may be fazed by the public nature of |
| the attendant costs, must be cared for and nurtured. | | | | the event. Secondly, case studies are extremely |
| The starting point when considering a sales training | | | | beneficial, especially when a company wants to |
| event has to be the people involved. Training which is | | | | concentrate on a specific issue such as a price |
| suitable for a twenty two year old graduate should | | | | change. Delegates are provided with information |
| differ considerably from that provided for a fifty five | | | | pertinent to the topic, together with some |
| year old with many years experience. | | | | instructions that constitute a learning activity. |
| In the instance of the former, training should be | | | | Frequently used in combination with role -play, it |
| geared to the mechanics of the sales process. | | | | provides various answers and results if syndicated |
| Traditionally, this has based on the AIDA approach: | | | | among a number of groups. This in itself can be |
| Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. However, | | | | useful to a company, as it generates ideas, which |
| there is a shortfall here, in that it is assumed the | | | | may challenge the way certain things are done. |
| salesperson has already found someone to sell to, | | | | Perhaps more so than in any other form of |
| and also set up a meeting with them so that a | | | | management training, the credibility of the trainer is |
| quality call could be executed. | | | | crucial in sales training. The nature of the sales job |
| The experience of prospecting can be daunting to | | | | can produce a certain macho dynamic among |
| anyone. If you're considering a sales training course | | | | salespeople. They feel that they've gone out there, |
| that looks at the total process, from start to finish, | | | | taken the world on, and succeeded. Any trainer that |
| make doubly sure that it covers the areas of | | | | stands in front of such a group must, therefore, |
| prospecting and appointment making, if it applies to | | | | have been through the same experience, as much |
| your business. It is these two skill areas which prove | | | | for their own benefit as the participants. Being faced |
| to be the graveyard of more sales careers than any | | | | with a question such as, What do you say when a |
| others, assuming that there is no lack of purposeful | | | | customer says that they're happy with their present |
| effort on the individual's part. | | | | supplier? demands a speed of thought and |
| Training experienced salespeople requires special care | | | | commercial acumen that can only really be gained |
| and attention. Many have gone through the early | | | | from having done the job. If the trainer can't answer |
| learning stages, and have now reverted to the state | | | | such a question, then their credibility is immediately |
| often referred to as unconscious incompetence, they | | | | called into question. |
| are incompetent, but are not aware of it. Somebody | | | | The measure of sales training transfer to the |
| at this stage of development does not take kindly to | | | | workplace is not easy. There are so many variables |
| going over the basics, they need something more | | | | that enter into the scenario. The most important of |
| sophisticated to capture their imagination. Personality | | | | these is the willingness of the delegates to change |
| styles, Transactional Analysis, and even basic business | | | | the way they do things as a result of the course. |
| finance are more likely to produce an improvement in | | | | The saying goes that if you do what you always did, |
| performance. | | | | you'll get what you always got. Participants can leave |
| One thing must be stressed, however, if the trainer | | | | a sales training event highly motivated, and |
| adopts too strident an approach, the experienced | | | | determined to apply their new found knowledge and |
| professional may react against it. Flexibility is the key: | | | | skill, but this is soon forgotten when they hit the first |
| if a delegate insists that they have tried the | | | | problem of the week. It is here that the role of the |
| approach being advocated, and it did not work, the | | | | Sales Manager can be seen to be of paramount |
| trainer should point out that there is always someone | | | | importance. If the new found skills are not managed |
| with a different experience. At the end of the day, | | | | into place, there is a possibility that they will get lost |
| even the most hard hearted cynic can be won over | | | | in the chaos of the marketplace. A programme of |
| with some patience and persistence. There are two | | | | regular field visits should be planned, when progress |
| training techniques, which are particularly suitable | | | | can be checked and the application of techniques |
| when training salespeople. Firstly, role-play is an | | | | monitored. Training for salespeople is essential if a |
| excellent opportunity to practice skills development, | | | | company wants to stay ahead of the game. |
| and to do so in an atmosphere where mistakes do | | | | Products and services are similar if not identical, real |
| not mean lost business. | | | | growth is slow, and customer loyalty is rapidly |
| Many salespeople recoil at the word, some say it is | | | | becoming a thing of the past. |
| not realistic, people are merely play acting. This can | | | | More than ever, the ability to persuade a prospect or |
| occur if the activity is not introduced properly. | | | | customer to go with a particular proposal is vital. That |
| Delegates should be told to stay in character, to be | | | | is the role of the sales team today - creating orders |
| natural, and to regard the whole thing as practice. | | | | and wealth. The payback from effective sales |
| Perhaps a better word to use than role-play. An | | | | training can be quick, and manifold. Ignore it at your |
| excellent variation is the silent role-play. This is | | | | peril! |
| especially useful when concentrating on questioning | | | | |