Sales Training
Whether for newly-hired salespeople or seasoned sales veterans, sales training constitutes a major investment for most companies.
Sales training works and despite periodic claims that "great salespeople are born, not made," the demands placed on salespeople to achieve corporate objectives and anticipate the needs of customers are reasons why sales training is an essential component of management. And, though there always will be those who grumble about the instruction, for the vast majority of salespeople, training provides their initiation into the world of selling and is likely to recur at critical points throughout their career.
Companies that get the best results are those that work hard at designing training programs which are grounded in conditions that trainees find in the marketplace. Most corporate and outside trainers agree that it's not how much a company spends on training that's important but that the curriculum be tied to specific goals in line with the company's business strategy.
Most of the time, sales training falls into one of two categories: product training or sale skills training.
Product training allows a company to indoctrinate their sales staff in the qualities of the products and services they will be presenting to customers. Product training is usually handled by the corporation and can include topics such as:
- Product knowledge
- Consumer knowledge
- Competitor knowledge
- Industry knowledge
- Internal operational knowledge
Selling skills training is typically outsourced to companies that specialize in teaching the techniques and strategies for becoming better salespeople. The following are examples of sales skills training:
- Listening skills
- Presentation skills
- Probing and questioning skills
- Prospecting and qualifying skills
- Handling objections skills
- Closing techniques
- Time and territory management skills
The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) estimates that 30 percent of U.S. companies regularly use outside training vendors, but there's more to the picture. Other sources suggest that 70 percent of all companies use outside trainers or send salespeople to outside training seminars on at least an occasional basis.
When choosing to outsource sales training objectives to another firm, be sure to follow the following tips to selecting a sales training company:
- Review the credentials of the individual who will provide the training.
- Ask for a client list and references whom you can call to ask about the trainer's communication style, interpersonal skills, and expertise.
- Ask to look at the trainer's instructional materials and, if possible, sit in on a training session.
- Assess the trainer's ability to understand your company's problems, needs, and resources.