Why is Sales Training Important

8/8/2019 Why is Sales Training Important

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Sales Training ObjectivesSales Training Objectives

Increase productivityIncrease productivity

Improve moraleImprove morale

Lower turnoverLower turnover

Improve customer relationsImprove customer relations

Improve selling skillsImprove selling skills


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WellWell--Designed TrainingDesigned Training

ProgramProgram Analyzes sales force needsAnalyzes sales force needs

Sets specific, realistic, and measurable trainingSets specific, realistic, and measurable trainingobjectivesobjectives

Allows for adequate development and timely,Allows for adequate development and timely,effective implementationeffective implementation

Subjects itself to evaluation and reviewSubjects itself to evaluation and review

What do we want to measure?What do we want to measure?

When do we want to measure?When do we want to measure?

How do we do it? What measuring tools areHow do we do it? What measuring tools areavailable?available?

Modifies to achieve greater effectivenessModifies to achieve greater effectiveness


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Mark W. Johnston and Gary W.Marshall, Sales Force Management,McGraw Hill, 2006

Well

Well--DesignedDesigned

TrainingTraining

ProgramProgram


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Training Costs and DurationTraining Costs and Duration

Mark W. Johnston and Gary W. Marshall, Sales Force Management,McGraw Hill, 2006


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Sales Training TopicsSales Training Topics

Product or service knowledgeProduct or service knowledge

Market/Industry orientationMarket/Industry orientation

Company orientationCompany orientation Selling skillsSelling skills

Time and territory managementTime and territory management

Legal and ethical issuesLegal and ethical issues TechnologyTechnology

Specialized topicsSpecialized topics


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Product KnowledgeProduct Knowledge Enables a salesperson to provide prospects and customersEnables a salesperson to provide prospects and customers

with the critical information for rational decisionwith the critical information for rational decision--makingmaking

InvolvesInvolves

Knowing how the product is madeKnowing how the product is made

How the product is commonly used, andHow the product is commonly used, and How it should not be used.How it should not be used.

Customers often want to know how competitive productsCustomers often want to know how competitive productscompare oncompare on

priceprice

constructionconstruction performanceperformance

compatibility with each othercompatibility with each other

Companies that produce technical products spend a greaterCompanies that produce technical products spend a greateramount of time on product knowledgeamount of time on product knowledge


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Market/Industry OrientationMarket/Industry Orientation

TopicsTopics How a particular industry fits into the overallHow a particular industry fits into the overall

economyeconomy

Knowledge of the industry and the economyKnowledge of the industry and the economy

Economic fluctuations that affect buying behaviorEconomic fluctuations that affect buying behaviorand require adaptive selling techniquesand require adaptive selling techniques

Customers' buying policies, patterns andCustomers' buying policies, patterns andpreferences in light of competitionpreferences in light of competition

Customers' customers and what satisfies themCustomers' customers and what satisfies them

Needs of both wholesalers and retailersNeeds of both wholesalers and retailers


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Company Orientation TopicsCompany Orientation Topics

Company polices that affect their sellingCompany polices that affect their sellingactivitiesactivities

How to handle customer requests for priceHow to handle customer requests for price

adjustments, product modifications, fasteradjustments, product modifications, fasterdelivery and different credit termsdelivery and different credit terms

Sales manuals that cover product lineSales manuals that cover product lineinformation and company policesinformation and company polices

A wellA well--prepared sales manual gives aprepared sales manual gives asales representative quick answers to asales representative quick answers to acustomer's questionscustomer's questions


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Time and TerritoryTime and Territory

Management

Management

Sales trainees need to learn toSales trainees need to learn tomanage time and territoriesmanage time and territories

80/20 rule applies:80/20 rule applies:20% of the customers account for20% of the customers account for

80% of the business and80% of the business and

Require a direct proportion of time andRequire a direct proportion of time andattentionattention


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Legal/Ethical IssuesLegal/Ethical Issues

Federal law dictates corporate action orFederal law dictates corporate action oravoidance of action in areas of marketing,avoidance of action in areas of marketing,sales and pricingsales and pricing

Sales personnel need to understand theSales personnel need to understand thefederal, state and local laws that constrainfederal, state and local laws that constraintheir selling activitiestheir selling activities

Statements made by salespeople carryStatements made by salespeople carryboth legal and ethical implicationsboth legal and ethical implications

Lapses in ethical conduct often lead toLapses in ethical conduct often lead tolegal problemslegal problems


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TechnologyTechnology Notebook computersNotebook computers

PresentationsPresentations

connecting to company intranet or extranetconnecting to company intranet or extranet

delivering documentation quickly and accuratelydelivering documentation quickly and accurately

Home offices eliminate the need to go to anotherHome offices eliminate the need to go to anotherofficeoffice

Salesperson can be almost totally selfSalesperson can be almost totally self--sufficient withsufficient with

highhigh--speed network connectionspeed network connection

computercomputer

printerprinter

cell phonecell phone

Effective computer use affords sales personnel moreEffective computer use affords sales personnel more

faceface--toto--face customer contact timeface customer contact time


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Specialized Training TopicsSpecialized Training Topics

Overcoming price objectionsOvercoming price objections

Holding the line on priceHolding the line on price

Working the trade showWorking the trade showProblem solvingProblem solving


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Training MethodsTraining Methods -- HowHow



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Keys for Effective OJTKeys for Effective OJT TeamingTeaming -- Bringing together people with differentBringing together people with different

skills to address issues.skills to address issues.

MeetingsMeetings -- Setting aside times when employees atSetting aside times when employees atdifferent levels and positions can get together anddifferent levels and positions can get together and

share thoughts on various topics.share thoughts on various topics. Customer interactionCustomer interaction -- Including customer feedbackIncluding customer feedback

as part of the learning process.as part of the learning process.

MentoringMentoring -- Providing an informal mechanism forProviding an informal mechanism for

new salespeople to interact and learn from morenew salespeople to interact and learn from moreexperienced ones.experienced ones.

PeerPeer--toto--peer communicationpeer communication -- Creating opportunitiesCreating opportunitiesfor salespeople to interact together for mutualfor salespeople to interact together for mutuallearning.learning.

Source: The Education Development Center (www.edc.org)


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Classroom TrainingClassroom Training

Trainee receives standard briefings inTrainee receives standard briefings in

product knowledgeproduct knowledge

company policescompany polices

customer and market characteristicscustomer and market characteristics selling skillsselling skills

Formal training sessions avoid wastingFormal training sessions avoid wastingexecutive timeexecutive time

Classroom sessions permit use of audiovisualClassroom sessions permit use of audiovisualmaterials and technical resourcesmaterials and technical resources

Interaction between sales trainees buildsInteraction between sales trainees builds

camaraderiecamaraderie


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Measuring the Costs andMeasuring the Costs and

BenefitsBenefitsSales training consumes substantialSales training consumes substantial

time, budget and support resourcestime, budget and support resources

Relationship between sales trainingRelationship between sales trainingand revenue is difficult to measureand revenue is difficult to measure


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Broad BenefitsBroad Benefits

Improved moraleImproved morale

Lower turnoverLower turnover

Higher customer satisfactionHigher customer satisfaction

Managements commitment to quality andManagements commitment to quality andcontinuous improvementcontinuous improvement

Measuring changes in skills, reactions andMeasuring changes in skills, reactions and

learning assists both new and experiencedlearning assists both new and experiencedsales personnelsales personnel


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Training EvaluationTraining Evaluation



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Training EvaluationTraining Evaluation


Documents

Why is Sales Training Important