Continual Development of the Sales Force: Sales Training

Continual Development of theSales Force: Sales Training Module Six

Learning Objectives • Understand the role of sales training in sales for socialization. • Explain the importance of sales training in the sales manager’s role in sales training. • Describe the sales training process is a series of six interrelated steps. • Discuss six methods for assessing sales training needs and identify typical sales training needs.

Learning Objectives • Name some typical objectives of sales training programs, and explain how city objectives for sales training is beneficial to sales managers. • Identify the key issues in evaluating sales training alternates. • Identify key Africa legal issues and sales training.

Setting the Stage Sales Training at UPS: from Selling Rates to Selling Solutions • What are the three objectives UPS hopes to accomplish with its new training program? • Why does UPS spend more money to bring salespeople to the training? What activities do UPS salespeople do during training?

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. Role of Sales Training inSales Force Socialization

Sales Training as a Crucial Investment • Most organizations see a link between sales training and salesperson productivity • 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

Assess Sales Training Needs Set Training Objectives Evaluate Training Alternatives Design Sales Training Program Perform Sales Training Conduct Follow-Up and Evaluation Managing the Sales Training Process

Assess Training Needs • Determine desired skill set and levels of performance • Assess salesperson’s actual skill set and levels of performance • Analyze gap between desired and actual to determine training needs

Assess Training Needs: Methods • Sales Force Audit • Performance Testing • Observation • Salesforce Survey • Customer Survey • Job analysis

Typical Sales Training Needs • Sales Techniques:Salespeople have an ongoing need to learn “how to sell” • Product Knowledge:Salespeople must know their product benefits, applications, competitive strengths, and limitations

Typical Sales Training Needs • Customer Knowledge:Salespeople should know their customer needs, buying motives, buying procedures, and personalities. • Competitive Knowledge:Salespeople must know competitive offerings in terms of strengths and weaknesses.

Typical Sales Training Needs • Time and Territory Management: Salespeople should learn to maximum work efficiency.

Competencies ofSuccessful Salespeople • Aligning customer/supplier strategic objectives • Listening beyond product needs • Understanding the financial impact of decisions • Orchestrating organizational resources • Consultative problem solving

Competencies ofSuccessful Salespeople • Establishing a vision of a committed customer/supplier relationship • Engaging in self-appraisal and continuous learning

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perform Sales Training As the training is being conducted, the sales manager’s primary responsibility is to monitor progress of the trainees and to ensure adequate presentation of the training topics.

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.

Continual Development of the Sales Force: Sales Training