Revolution is Overdue in Sales Training - A Note to the Sales Manager

This is a specialist area for training. In today'smantra for salespeople be to understand and then
economic climate, sales training has to be morebe understood?
effective. It really is time to review the way weBehavior training
train salespeople because of the time, effort andShould our sales training now include a program to
money which is expended in this area. We havetrain salespeople about the complexities of human
to ask if the traditional ways are working in thebehavior? Will we have to include sections on the
marketplace. Are we getting value for money?unpredictability of human behavior, why people
Are we getting the sales that justify theresist change, why people refused to accept
expenditure on sales training? Should we bemanipulation and pushing anymore?
considering revolutionary ways of retraining andEffect training
existing sales staff so that they are moreAre we going to have to consider how to train
effective?our sales staff to be likeable? Are they going to
Spontaneity training.have to learn the sort of effect their
The marketplace is changing and will continue tocommunication has on other people? Is it our
change. Do we need to teach our existing salestraining going to have to include developing a
staff to behave more spontaneously, get outclimate in a group of trainees where people can
their learned persona, to drop their "acts," and topractice how they come across to other people?
just be the real selves? Do we need to trainAre we going to have to give sales training to
them and show them how to feel safe just beingeveryone in the organization because they have
their real selves, to be flexible, and not to useopportunities to sell and promote their company
memorized sales pitches? Do we need to developand its products each and every day? Should we
them so that they can come across as genuinely,give them business cards as well? What's needed
likeable people?is a transformation of the sales profession. This
Listening trainingtransformation must be fundamental, radical and
Should our sales training put less emphasis onpervasive to impact the entire organization.
persuading buyers? Should we be developing skillsNot only must there be a major shift in the type
and putting more emphasis on listening to buyers?of relationship a salesperson builds with buyers,
Have we reached a stage where we should bebut also in the relationships with his or her
training our sales force the effective counselor'smanager and other departments involved in the
principal skill of empathetic, active listening? This isselling and buying process. Furthermore, the quality
the skill that communicates to a prospectiveand type of training that is given must change to
buyer or long-term customer. "My job is tomatch the skills needed in today's tough selling
understand what you want, what is concerningenvironment. However, this will all be a waste of
you, where your doubt lies and how you feel."time unless the organizational culture supports the
"When I understand all those situations, I am in achanges suggested above.
position to offer some solutions." Will the new