Unlock Sales Training and Development With These 8 Dynamic Learning & Sales Coaching Keys

Sales training will be one of the few training and development areas that will experience an increase in expenditures according to a recent report. With the global market place becoming ever increasingly crowded, learning how to increase sales and building customer loyalty simultaneously is now more important than ever before.

If you, your business or organization is seeking to expand its sales training and development, here are some key suggestions to ensure that you are doing this education the right way meaning you are getting "more bang for the buck."

First, begin with the end in mind. What results do you want from the sales training specific to your sales force? By taking this approach, you can quickly determine the return on investment for your efforts.

Second, construct the learning experience to not only focus on skills and knowledge, but on attitudes and habits. Most performance failure is as much if not more do to bad attitudes and habits than a lack of knowledge and skills. Sales research suggests that almost half of all leads are not followed up on. Sales people know that following up on leads is critical to the goal to increase sales. Therefore, the issue is one of attitudes (beliefs) and habits than deficiency in sales skills training.

Third, construct the learning experience with opportunities for practice both in the classroom (safe environment) and outside the classroom. Remember, you learned 10x10 equals 100 through practice and repetition. Coach Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers fame only had 5 offensive running plays, but his team learned how to execute these plays flawlessly due to practice, practice and more practice.

Fourth, buy in must come from everyone up and down stream. When sales managers believe that they do not need the sales training or when support staff resent the time being devoted to learning are examples of how you are setting your investment up to deliver a negative return.

Fifth, your sales training activities need to be interactive and should include role-playing. For many role playing is quite uncomfortable, but the opportunity to practice in a safe environment is necessary to immediately correct any missteps.

Sixth, feedback is also required, but should be countered balance with positive remarks. For every constructive remark (critical), there should be at least 3 positive remarks. This way the participants recognize what they do right rather than everything that they may be did wrong.

Seventh, assessments should be part of sales training. Several assessments should be used from both a subjective perspective and an objective one.

Finally after completing these seven key suggestions, the sales training needs to be evaluated at Kirkpatrick's fourth level of evaluations. By pre-determining the desired results helps to align the actual outcomes of the sales training to the organization's desired end results. These 8 keys can help you unlock your sales training and development programs so that you do realize more bang for the buck.




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