Why is Sales Training Important
Transcript of 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
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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
Mark W. Johnston and Gary W. Marshall, Sales Force Management,McGraw Hill, 2006
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Training EvaluationTraining Evaluation
Mark W. Johnston and Gary W. Marshall, Sales Force Management,McGraw Hill, 2006