| Richard Stone, Course Director of the Spearhead | | | | 2. A good understanding of the role of a |
| Training Group describes the major challenges he | | | | trainer - helping people to learn - not trying to |
| foresees facing sales training and sales trainers as | | | | prove how good they are themselves. |
| we come out of recession. | | | | 3. Knowledge of the subject. So to achieve |
| The old challenges of sales training will remain as | | | | the latter if not the former, at least five years |
| we come out of recession, to develop in trainees | | | | sales experience is needed, preferably in different |
| a high level of communication skills, | | | | markets, dealing with different products and |
| self-organization and a key understanding of the | | | | different levels of purchasers. |
| specific market(s) relevant to the salesperson and | | | | On the saying: If you cannot train, you cannot |
| ensuring they implement the actions necessary to | | | | manage a sales team. I once worked for H J |
| succeed. | | | | Heinz, the food company, and they used to put |
| IT will continue to dominate providing ever faster | | | | would be sales managers into sales training first. |
| access to up to date information. This will enable | | | | I think this is a good idea if it can be done. The |
| sales people to give customers accurate | | | | human ego is one of the most fragile things on |
| information and feed information quickly back to | | | | earth, and must always be handled sensitively. |
| base. This in turn means we will need salespeople | | | | Training is the ideal proving ground for would be |
| who can be team members, and not loners. | | | | sales managers. They can learn how to deal |
| As to where the sales training function should sit | | | | with people, how to get the best from them, and |
| on a company organization chart this is an | | | | a whole host of other skills that will eventually |
| interesting question, which begs the question | | | | stand them in good stead as a manager. |
| about corporate attitudes to training in general. | | | | What proof is there that classroom based sales |
| Organizations in this country have been criticized | | | | training actually works? Classroom, if that is the |
| for not taking training seriously enough. Specifically, | | | | right word, can be a highly effective way of |
| the buck stops at the top - the Sales and | | | | imparting knowledge and converting knowledge |
| Marketing Director, if there is one, the Chief | | | | into skill. This can be proved by setting learning |
| Executive if there is not. The government has | | | | objectives and measuring the trainee’s |
| become increasingly involved in promoting training | | | | ability to meet objectives. |
| and education at all levels. At the time of writing it | | | | For example, I am a qualified pilot, and I can tell |
| is heavily promoting leadership training and there | | | | you that classroom work is essential to gain the |
| are a number of grants available to companies | | | | knowledge a pilot needs, and a simulator is a |
| wanting to specifically improve their leadership | | | | highly effective way to build up skill levels. |
| — and this would include sales leadership. | | | | For salespeople, imparting knowledge in the |
| Continued training remains the responsibility of line | | | | classroom is a sensible way to help people learn |
| management, but responsibility lies also with the | | | | and through simulations you can greatly enhance |
| individual. To encourage individual responsibility | | | | skills and demonstrably measure those skills. |
| some organizations have developed a system | | | | Without doubt, sales trainers need to be |
| whereby the individual sets out their own training | | | | accomplished sales professionals, you have to be |
| programme. These are the so called Learning | | | | accomplished and knowledgeable about the |
| Organizations. In some instances this has given | | | | subject. All our trainers are experts in their |
| management the excuse to abdicate responsibility | | | | particular field. Certainly DVD’s and other |
| for training. This trend must be reversed. | | | | training aids help, but my advice to would-be sales |
| It is interesting that all brand leader companies still | | | | trainers is this. If you know nothing about the |
| consider sales training as vitally important, despite | | | | subject, keep your mouth shut! |
| recent challenging times. It is also a fact that | | | | As for the Internet, we have to remember that |
| most companies that have gone into liquidation | | | | computers are machines and not human beings. |
| had poorly developed training, or no commitment | | | | So I expect human beings to be involved in |
| to training at all. Almost without exception, those | | | | training for as long as human beings need to be |
| companies that invest in the training and | | | | trained. It’s also worth pointing out that |
| development of their sales team will tell you | | | | one of the many benefits of face to face sales |
| it’s an investment, not a cost. These | | | | training is the increased level of motivation that |
| people produce more business, are highly | | | | delegates show when returning from a course. |
| motivated - and they’re fun to work with | | | | This motivation stems from a number of things, |
| too. | | | | such as sharing experiences with others, and a |
| In order for someone to develop into a top | | | | feeling of personal growth, but a lot of it comes |
| quality sales trainer they need three things: | | | | from the course leader. Good sales trainers |
| 1. The ability to relate to the level of | | | | don’t just train, they inspire, and |
| knowledge and understanding of the pupil. | | | | that’s something you can’t get by |
| Sometimes the best players make the worst | | | | surfing the net just yet! |
| trainers. | | | | |