Sales Training That Will Stick

After reviewing over 15 branded sales methodologies, we found that in the spectrum of sales training methodologies, the training is oriented from transactional sales (very short sales cycle times) to very complex sales with long sales cycle times (years).  According to one methodology, you can teach anyone to sell. Perhaps true, but how well?

One of the first steps before doing any training is to give your sales people a personality assessment to determine where they have strong aptitude for the various parts of the sales process (prospecting, hunting and account management). Then you can optimize the company’s overall sales process by getting the “right people on the right seat of the bus”, effectively team people up, change processes, help the sales people be self-aware and understand how to best coach them.

Many correlation studies show that half of the results for salespeople are based on their natural aptitude and the other half on other factors (such as training, product knowledge, sales processes and motivation). Of all of the assessments out there, three have done the large-scale correlation studies to prove predictability, and make them legally defensible. We recommend the CPQ, published by a Vistage company in Florida.

Another important factor is if the initial sales training is done correctly with people with at least a moderate amount of aptitude (natural talent), then a lot of follow up is not needed. Here are our training techniques used to make the initial training stick:

• Relay information six times in six different ways. Communication Theory (part of neuroscience) says that if you want a new idea to stick and be used, you must introduce it and then reinforce it six times in six different ways.
• Practice through role-playing. Our seminars are interactive and include role playing exercises so that the students get to practice using the skills learned, see how they are effective, and thoroughly understand how to use them in their selling efforts in the future.
• Include Executive and Management Teams. This will help increase buy-in of new skills and processes, and to reinforce them after the training.

You can also use tools/services such as:

• Top Ten Selling Skills Videos. Buy all 10 Skills and review one skill per month during sales meetings.
• One day Skills Reinforcement Training. Usually scheduled three to six months after the initial seminar.
• One-Day Sales Negotiations Training. Sales skills are reviewed along with learning new sales negotiations skills

To learn how you can receive any of these services, contacts us today.