Sales Training Rollout | Getting Off on The Right Foot
Last time we talked about Development Design and the options available to you for sales training courses. But what about the actual sales training rollout? One of the key factors in ensuring a sales course is a success is to get off to the right start. Read on to find out how.
Getting Off on The Right Foot
If you do only one thing, make sure it’s to begin the roll out effectively. Rather than having a generic ‘How to Improve Sales’ introduction, what delegates really want to know is:
- why they’re there
- what’s in it for them?
- what the expected outcome is
- and what their participation is within that.
If it’s an external trainer doing the rollout, make sure the manager is the one to present this information first. This doesn’t have to take longer than ten minutes – but it has to be clear and succinct.
Make it a safe environment
Second and just as crucial, make the training room somewhere where delegates feel safe enough to make mistakes. If they’re asked to contribute and they think their career hinges on it, that’s not going to get the best learning result. In addition, the trainer should be able to quickly assess the personalities in the room and adjust their tone and delivery style accordingly. It’s no good taking a softly softly approach with a room full of extroverts.
Delegates will only ever learn three things
Which is why back-to-back days of sales training don’t work as well as separated days. Far more effective is one day with an interim project, followed by a second day of review and coaching. The idea is that they learn and practice a new technique, then work on it in the real world. When they come back, the trainer can run through any issues and offer further coaching, before moving on to the next subject.
Sales case studies and role play…
… are a key part of any sales training, but are they relevant to the business? Are they relevant to your clients? Using real life scenarios, with real life clients and industry is a must, as is using tailored handout notes and slides.
Is it fun?
Is the trainer enjoying what he or she is doing? If they aren’t, nor will the delegates. During the rollout the trainer should be able to demonstrate that they passionately believe in what they are talking about, that they have done it successfully themselves and can prove it. They should demonstrate that they care about delivering an outcome to the audience.
How do we do it?
At Longley Sales Academy we make sure that the sales force has undertaken individual skills and behavioural assessments prior to the training. This allows us to explain and provide evidence as to why we’re all there. As a group they may be very good at getting appointments, but questioning and closing, for instance, are a weakness. We explain that the course has been put together to reflect those areas of weakness and make them better at what they do. We explain at the outset, what they will cover and why these particular elements are important to them.
Delegates are shown what mistakes people make and how to do it properly. We tell them that by the end of the session not only will they will be able to identify their own personal weaknesses and have a template for improvement, but they will also have an insight as to what not to do. Every sales training rollouts is underpinned by a sales process that is applicable to their clients and their market. Consequently, although the delegates may be attending different courses according to their own skills, underpinning every element of the rollout ensures the same consistent sales process.