Whether your company has a sales team of one or dozens, you should not make these mistakes when planning corporate sales training. While there are many training methods available, these tips will help you choose the best one for your company. In the next section, we’ll discuss the 3 most common mistakes to avoid when planning corporate sales training. Read on to discover the best solution for your company. Also, keep in mind that corporate sales training is not about giving generic presentations. A great training program is highly customized.
Creating a training program without defining your business goals is a common mistake when planning sales training. Whether your sales training is tailored to specific salespeople or is geared to an entire team, there’s no perfect approach. The best salespeople make sure that the training is aligned with their goals, and they share information with other team members during their buyer’s journey. This not only promotes alignment, but it also promotes collaboration and communication amongst team members.
One of the most common mistakes made when planning corporate sales training is not giving your team enough time to apply the new skills learned in the classroom. Rather, training should focus on social learning. When managers encourage personal growth, they are more likely to apply new knowledge in the workplace. Make sure to schedule regular meetings with your sales team to foster personal follow-up. Reinforcing sales training materials after the training will maximize their impact on the business and foster continuous growth.
Delegating responsibility for sales can lead to disastrous results. Regardless of how many people you delegate, you should remain actively involved in the sales process. Learn the basics and become a subject matter expert. Participate in weekly pipe reviews and deals. Your staff will thank you in the end. However, delegating this responsibility to other members of your company will only jeopardise your business growth.
Measure success: When planning corporate sales training, measure its impact. Depending on the industry, customer demographic, and product or service, it could take up to seven months for a new rep to reach full productivity. As a general rule, the same training for new sales reps won’t produce the same results as the same training for veteran sales reps. Make sure to measure the time from first sale to first appointment, productivity, and upselling.
Unless you have a well-designed sales training model, you may have trouble implementing it. Most sales training organizations have a standard model. You can find dozens of these models in books, white papers, and blog posts. These models include buzzwords and secret strategies. However, they fall flat if they aren’t customized to the needs of your organization. Instead, consider a customized model that addresses the needs of your sales team.
A sales rep who is unprepared can have an adverse impact on the sale and the brand. Buyers don’t want to invest in training for an unprepared rep. A good training program will help reps learn how to research customers’ needs and then articulate how their product will solve them. While a canned pitch works well for an initial demo, it’s not a good practice that can result in a deal.
