In many organizations, sales managers and experienced producers have training responsibilities for which they are ill-prepared and, in some cases, barely qualified. If that’s you, the following may just be a lifesaver.
“Training must not be controlled, but instead be completely free play…in a simulated environment in which [agents] can discover for themselves that [selling] is not a series of canned problems with a limited range of responses, but a human encounter where the unexpected always happens and flexibility is the key.” – Col. David H. Hackworth, U. S. Army (Ret.)
“KASH”
The objective of sales training is to help salespeople develop the Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills and Habits-KASH– they need to meet their production goals.
To put it simply – Knowledge is what they need to know; Attitudes are their outlook about the career and themselves; Skills are what they need to do, and Habits are the behavior patterns they must develop to meet their performance standards. As the philosopher Roethke, observed, “I learn by going where I have to go.” So sales training must be a practical, hands-on learning experience, not an academic exercise. Salespeople, especially new producers and those in pre-contract training, must learn by doing; and they should be taught by demonstration, not just out of a book.
That’s why the best sales trainers and sales managers are former producers who can show how it’s done; who know what they’re looking at when they observe trainees in action; who have solid opinions, and who can give meaningful feedback.
Sales training requires considerable versatility. You have to be an effective teacher, mentor and coach, ace communicator, public speaker, AV specialist, computer guru. But, that’s not all. In many organizations, trainers are expected to bring a lot more to the table…
Trainers are in a position to support the company’s HR objectives. They do this by assessing and addressing individual career development needs, as well as by administering Company training programs. The point is: make training count; never train just to have something to do.
Trainers can also produce measurable results. Sales training attempts to bring out the best in people. It should deal in reality and include ways to monitor activity and assess performance based on measurable outcomes, while accounting for individual variables.
But training, cannot make sales happen. While training can contribute to sales results, it cannot determine sales results. The only result for which training can be absolutely accountable is the delivery of training that meets pre-established organizational goals.
One of the exciting things about sales training, however, is that if effective, the rewards are immediate. The company, the producers and the clients are all winners, right away!
The Training Process
The most effective training programs are:
1. Goal-oriented. People are expected to move toward measurable performance standards, along a predetermined path of well-defined goals.
2. Activity-based. The end-result will be the ability to apply knowledge and demonstrate proficiency with career skills.
3. Self-directed. The trainer makes training resources, guidance and coaching available, but it is up to the trainee to make the most of them.
4. Individualized. Training can be geared as much as possible to the interests, needs, experiences, strengths and duties of the trainee, and conducted in a positive learning environment.
Bill Willard has been writing high-impact
marketing and sales training for over 30 yearsbut as Will
Rogers put it: “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get
run over if you just sit there. Through interactive, Web-based
“Do-While-Learning” programs, e-Newsletters and
straight-talking articles, Bill helps small-business owners and
independent professionals get the job done.
