Continual Development of the Sales Force: Sales Training

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Continual Development of theSales Force Sales
Training

• Module Six

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Real World Sales TrainingAn Experts Viewpoint
Whirlpool developed a sales training program that
mirrored MTVs The Real World. National training
manager Jackie Seib helped come up with the idea
of putting a dozen or so strangers (new
salespeople) in a house full of Whirlpool
appliances. The new hires stay in the home for
two months, using the appliances and working with
engineers to learn how they work. Seib says We
really wanted them to understand the appliances
as a consumer would, so they can bring real-world
stories about the appliances to the sales floor.
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Real World Sales TrainingAn Experts Viewpoint
The programs impact on revenue has yet to be
determined, but it has had a positive effect on
employees. Of the first 40 salespeople to
complete the program, 8 have been promotedall
attributing their success to the knowledge and
confidence they received as a result of the
training. Even though the program costs a bit
more than the two-week classroom version,
Whirlpool believes that the investment is worth
it.
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Role of Sales Training inSales Force
Socialization
Sales training helps socialize the new hires,
providing them with a positive

• Initiation to Task The degree to which a sales
  trainee feels competent and accepted as a working
  partner
• Role Definition An understanding of what tasks
  are to be performed, what the priorities of the
  tasks are, and how time should be allocated among
  the tasks.

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Sales Training as a Crucial Investment

• Most organizations see a link between sales
  training and salesperson productivity (training
  pays off)
• U.S. companies spend approximately 8.7 billion
  annually on training
• The need for sales training is continual
• Sales managers play a crucial role in the
  training process

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Firms that train

• SalesInstitute
• www.salesinstitute.com
• STI has trained outside sales people and sales
  managers in a variety of industries for the past
  42 years. See Partial list of Clients. Our
  experienced trainers, with backgrounds in a wide
  variety of specialties, conduct the sessions. Our
  core training topics are listed under QUAD-TRAK
  Consultative Selling Program and Annual Sales
  Meetings. Pricing is based on the number of
  participants and the number of days. A typical
  training will cost 3,500 per day for up to 15
  participants, plus travel and customization
  expense.

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Managing the Sales Training Process
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Assess Training Needs

• Determine desired skill set and levels of
  performance
• Assess salespersons actual skill set and levels
  of performance
• Analyze gap between desired and actual to
  determine training needs

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Assess Training Needs Methods

• Sales Force Audit
• Performance Testing
• Observation
• Salesforce Survey
• Customer Survey
• Job analysis

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Typical Sales Training Needs

• Sales TechniquesSalespeople have an ongoing
  need to learn how to sell
• Product KnowledgeSalespeople must know their
  product benefits, applications, competitive
  strengths, and limitations

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Typical Sales Training Needs

• Customer KnowledgeSalespeople should know their
  customer needs, buying motives, buying
  procedures, and personalities.
• Competitive KnowledgeSalespeople must know
  competitive offerings in terms of strengths and
  weaknesses.

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Typical Sales Training Needs

• Time and Territory Management Salespeople should
  learn to maximum work efficiency.

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Common MistakesSales Training Addresses

• Ineffective listening and questioning
• Failure to build rapport and trust
• Poor job of prospecting for new accounts
• Lack of preplanning of sales calls
• Reluctance to make cold calls(without an
  appointment)

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Common MistakesSales Training Addresses

• Lack of sales strategies for different accounts
• Failure to match call frequency with account
  potential
• Spending too much time with old customers

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Common MistakesSales Training Addresses

• Over-controlling the sales call
• Failure to respond to customers needs with
  benefits
• Giving benefits before clarifying customers
  needs
• Ineffective handling of negative attitudes
• Failure to effectively confirm the sale

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Training Objectives

• Increase sales or profits
• Create positive attitudes and improve salesforce
  morale
• Assist in sales force socialization
• Reduce role conflict and ambiguity

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Training Objectives

• Introduce new products, markets, and promotional
  programs
• Develop salespeople for future management
  positions
• Ensure awareness of ethical and legal
  responsibilities

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Training Objectives

• Teach administrative procedures
• Ensure competence in the use of sales and sales
  support tools
• Minimize sales force turnover rate
• Prepare new salespeople for assignment to a sales
  territory
• Improve teamwork cooperative efforts

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Evaluate Training Alternatives

• Selecting Sales Trainers
• Internal
• External
• Selecting Sales Training Locations
• Decentralized (e.g., district or regional
  offices)
• Centralized (e.g., corporate headquarter)

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Evaluate Training Alternatives

• Selecting Sales Training Methods
• Classroom/Conference Training
• On-the-job Training (OJT)
• Mentoring
• Job rotation

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Evaluate Training Alternatives

• Selecting Sales Training Methods
• Behavioral Simulations
• Absorption Training
• Selecting Sales Training Media
• Internet
• Computer-Based (e.g., CD-ROM)
• Paper-Based

22
Design the Sales Training Program

• Finalize the Training Program
• Schedule Training Sessions
• Make Necessary Travel Arrangements
• Make Necessary Accommodation Arrangements

23
Perform Sales Training
As the training is being conducted, the sales
managers primary responsibility is to monitor
progress of the trainees and to ensure adequate
presentation of the training topics.
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Conduct Follow-Up and Evaluation
It is always difficult to measure the
effectiveness of sales training. Nevertheless, a
reasonable attempt must be made to assess whether
current training expenditures are worthwhile and
whether future modification is warranted.
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How to use email

• The insurance company I work for maintains an
  internal mailing list devoted to one of our
  customers. One day, one of our sales reps sent
  an e-mail to everyone in my group asking about a
  policy we were selling. I replied that we could
  easily convince the customer to buy it even
  though the customer didnt need it.
• Unfortunately, I clicked Reply All. Hiding in
  that massive list was the customers e-mail
  address. We didnt make the sale.