Sales Training - How to Make Sure it Will Work For You and Your Sales Team

This sales training is the ultimate sales programin the training, and time putting it into action.
that will make you rich. Wild claims and falseInvest your time wisely.
promises are everywhere when you're looking forThink about the results you want from your
the right sales training to invest in. There are lotsinvestment, and then find the right training. Not
of different ways you can improve your salesthe other way around. Look at targets, revenue,
skills. Books, CDs, DVDs, or live training courses.and budgets. Calculate the increase in sales you
So how do you make sure it will work for you?are looking for, either as a percentage, or as a
If you're investing money into improving yournumber of sales. When looking for the right
sales skills, or the skills of your employees, thencourse of action use this figure as a way to
it's important you get a great return on yourassess the training offered. Ask yourself, what will
investment. You're investing money and time,this sales training cost me in time and money, and
valuable time that could be spent selling. So evenwhat increase in sales can I realistically expect.
if you are just buying a book, and some booksAre there added complications
are as good as sales training courses, make sureLook for anything that's been added to the
it's going to give you a good return for yourtraining that makes it look good, but adds no real
investment.value to the effectiveness of the sales training.
Does it work for your salesWhen a business is based on marketing and selling
Look at how the sales trainer, or author, presentssales training courses and books, you can
sales closing techniques. This is a good indicator ofsometimes find the content has been made more
how appropriate the training is for your product.complicated than it needs to be. This can be to
A high value or technical product can't be soldmake the course look different and stand out
with one line closes that would be effective infrom the rest of the programs on sale. This can
retail sales. Selling with a process that includesbe related to the title of the course. You get
closing and agreement gaining at each stage is agreat titles that are easy to advertise, like The
good way to sell some products, but only if it'sWhooosh Selling Technique, or The Ace Way to
necessary. If your product has one unique sellingSell. These are made up as I didn't want to
point, such as a competitive price, then do youembarrass anyone, but you get the picture.
really need a long sales process?When you look at investing your time and money,
Consider the process that the sales training usesno matter how little, in sales training, be wary of
and assess it against the type of product thatanything that's added but doesn't appear to have
you sell. You are looking for selling techniques thata practical function. Has a good basic idea been
match the value, technical level of the features,remoulded and made more complicated than it
and the main selling points of the product orneeds to be. The more that's added the harder it
service you sell.will be to learn the training and put it into action.
Financial returnHow will it be remembered
What do you expect from the sales training youIf I give you a list of twenty things to remember
are looking for? Many individuals and companiesyou'll probably be able to recall around a half of
have no idea of what they want the sales trainingthem the following day. If I tell you those twenty
to do for them. Think about it, whether it's forthings embedded into a story, show you how
yourself, or for your employees, what do youthey follow a logical process, you'll remember
expect from the training? Would you buy anythem a lot easier. Then if I add a really good
other product or service for your businessreason for you to practice this process, such as,
without having a clear objective of what youit will earn you commission payments, you will
want to gain? Before you buy a sales book,make sure you can recall it.
course, or training program, clearly set out whatLook for how the sales trainer is building into the
you want to gain from it. You might think a booktraining a way to recall it and put it into action.
is a cheap enough investment. It's a small costMany sales people I have managed and trained
even if there is no, or little, increase in sales as ahave read books, listened to CDs, and attended
result of the purchase. But what about the biggercourses, aimed at increasing their sales. But only a
investment you are making. Your time has asmall percentage of the training presented is ever
value, it's precious. When you buy any type ofused, and the percentage gets less with time.
sales training, even a book, you spend time takingMake sure the training you invest in will be used.