The Great Sales Training Myth

As mentioned in previous posts, I have worked for several organizations, in both sales and marketing positions. Some of these companies were very large and (supposedly) well organized, while others were small operations trying to grow any way they could.

One phenomena I often saw involved the Great Sales Training Myth. The purpose of the myth was to excuse management from having to provide any relevant training for the sales staff. It wasn't phrased that way, of course. Instead, what you heard was:

• “We hire only professional sales people, who are already trained.”
• “If we gave them more training, they would just leave and go somewhere else.”
• “The good ones would be offended if we tried to tell them how to do their job.”
• “If they would just work harder and sell more, everything would be fine.”

And to all of those bosses who used these excuses to save themselves some money and effort, I say You are Complete Idiots!

The sales staff is the customer-facing part of the company. These are the people who interact with your customers every day, for good or bad. If the sales staff doesn't create a great impression in the mind of your prospects, all of the money spent on advertising has been wasted. If the sale staff can't effectively close leads because they don't know (in detail) how customers use their product, then all of the marketing efforts are for naught.

A well-trained sales staff can make up for weak marketing, but it can perform twice as well when given the benefit of great marketing. But even a well-trained sales staff cannot make up for weak product or poor customer service.

Lets answer the four excuses listed above:

1. Even “professional” sales people bring both the good and bad experiences from their past employment with them. You should take the time to train them to seek the customers you want, to promote the benefits you offer, and to make the kind of lasting impression you deserve.
   
2. Good sales people want to be successful, and they want some appreciation for their work. If you don't invest some training time into your staff on a regular basis, they will look for other job opportunities that do offer the recognition they seek.
   
3. The “good ones” want new opportunities to succeed, and will be ready to soak up any good information you can offer. This assumes, of course, that you really know what you are talking about. The good ones don't want you to waste their time.
   
4. Finally, if you really think that having your sales people “just work harder” will bring great results, you most likely have deeper problems to deal with. It's usually a general marketing problem, not a sales problem.

Don't skimp on training and skills development with your sales staff. A small investment here can have a huge pay-off.

Practical Tip of the Day:

In addition to the points listed above, your sales people should be a great source of information about the competition, and your customers' expectations. Get your people together often, and listen with an open mind to what they have to say about their selling environment. It can be very enlightening.