Sales Management 10

1. Sales Management 10 Sales Training

2. Training as Socialization • Training helps _________new employees to the company. • Can use it to orient new people to company • Helps to instill _________ _________ • Helps define role • Improve _________, reduce _________ • Learn about company, product, customers, industry, selling • Can help to motivate employees

3. Role of Sales Training inSales Force Socialization Sales training helps socialize the new hires, providing them with a positive: • _________to _________— The degree to which a sales trainee feels competent and accepted as a working partner • Role _________— 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.

4. General Sales Training Objectives • Better Time/Territory Management  • Increase Productivity  • Improved Morale  • Lower Turnover  • Improved Customer Relations

5. Obstacles to Sales Training • Top management not _________to training. • Training programs not adequately _______. • Salespeople _________about training. • Salespeople _________time intrusion. • Salespeople _________suggested changes.

6. Sales Training Problems • Sales training often lacks credibility. Fails to deliver what is promised. • The level of approach in the training assumes too much of the participants. May need more basic starting point. • No follow-up rewards to reinforce behavior taught in training.

7. Sales Training is an Investment • Increases sales • Decreases management headaches • Decreases turnover • Increases morale and customer satisfaction • It takes time and effort • Not a panacea, must be reinforced

8. Specific Training Investments • Cross-Training • Training personnel, materials, facilities • Outside training: workshops • In-Field Coaching • Conferences • Update/Repeat • Reinforcement

9. Specific Training Objectives I • Increase sales/profits • Create positive attitudes/improve morale • Socialization • Reduce conflict and ambiguity • Intro new products, markets, promo programs • Develop people for future management jobs

10. Specific Training Objectives II • Create/Raise awareness of ethical/legal issues • Teach administrative procedures (expense reports, call log) • How to use support tools (laptop computers) • Minimize turnover • Prepare new salespeople for field • Improve teamwork

11. When To Train • New Hires: • Field work then training • Training before field work • Can be days to more than a year • Existing Sales Force • Annual • As needed • New product, problem, routine, remedial

12. Training Costs/Time • New Hires • $4,000+ to nearly $10,000 • 4± months average • Existing Salespeople • About $4,000/year • Nearly a week (32.5 hours) per year • More emphasis on product vs. skills

13. Sales Training Topics: What I • Product Knowledge • Helps with _________decision making • _________’ products as well as own • Takes longer for technical products • Need to know how product _________ • Market/Industry • Economy • Customers: buying ______, patterns, preferences. • Customers’ customers (derived demand). Chain • Competitors

14. Sales Training Topics: What II • Company • Policies: _________, _________, order processing, advertising, sales promotion, travel, _________. • Sales Techniques/Skills • _________/_________Management • Develop territories to enhance rep’s efficiency • Plan and follow plan • Legal/Ethical Issues • Mistakes can lead to big lawsuits • Money, time, reputation

15. Sales Training Topics: What III • Other • Legit: • Computer program, • Relationship building, • Selling procedures • Decision Support System (DSS) • Questionable: • L/R brain presentations, • Body language

16. Training Methods: HOW • _________: most common • External seminars: top three, major tool • _________: least favorite • In house classes

17. Instructional Method • Video • _________ • One-on-one • _________ • Case studies • Audio • Slides • _________ playing

18. _________Selling: Knowing How to Sell • Knowing which plays to call when. • Sophisticated knowledge structure • Knowing what script for each situation • Remembered situations - recognition • Classify customers and address accordingly • Effective sales rep is better able to discriminate on 3 attributes (Ineffective > 3, and still misclassifies)

19. Initial Sales Call Script Objectives • Gather info about buyer needs, objectives • Develop personal rapport w/buyer • Create favorable impression about self • Communicate positive impression: company • Identify key decision makers • Assess sales potential • Assess buyer’s attitude toward company • Lay groundwork for follow-up appointment • Set specific follow-up appointment

20. Costs/Benefits of Training • Costs: Direct & Indirect • Trainers, facilities, material, equipment • Lost sales, salaries • Measurement criteria: • Reaction, learning, behavior, results • Broad Benefits • Improved morale (job satisfaction) and lower turnover • Specific Benefits • Call reports, new account sales, customer complaints

21. Measurement of Training Effectiveness • Reaction of Trainees • _________ • _________, Comments, Anecdotes, Interviews • Learning • Understanding Concepts; Ability to apply • _________; Knowledge Improvement • Behavior • Behavior on the job, _________, Time Series Analysis • Results • Changes to __________________and other measures • Do benefits outweigh the costs?