Continual Development of the Sales Force:

Sales Training
Chapter 9
Learning Objectives
• Understand the role of sales training in sales for socialization.
• Explain the importance of sales training in the sales manager’s role in
sales training.
• Describe the sales training process is a series of six interrelated steps.
• Discuss six methods for assessing sales training needs and identify
typical sales training needs.
• Name some typical objectives of sales training programs, and explain
how city objectives for sales training is beneficial to sales managers.
• Identify the key issues in evaluating sales training alternatives
• Identify key ethical and legal issues in sales training.
Role of Sales Training in Sales Force Socialization
Sales training helps socialize the new hires, providing them with a
positive:
• Role Definition — An understanding of what tasks are to be performed,
what the priorities of the tasks are, and how time should be allocated
among the tasks.
• Initiation to Task — The degree to which a sales trainee feels competent
and accepted as a working partner
Sales Training as a Crucial Investment
• Most organizations see a link between sales training and
salesperson productivity
• U.S. companies spend approximately $8.7 billion annually on
training
• The need for sales training is continual
• Sales managers play a crucial role in the training process
Conduct Follow-Up and Evaluation
Assess Training Needs
• Determine desired skill set and levels of performance
• Assess salesperson’s actual skill set and levels of performance
• Analyze gap between desired and actual to determine training
needs
Assess Training Needs: Methods
• Sales Force Audit
▫ Is a systematic, diagnostic, prescriptive tool which can be employed
on a periodic basis to identify and adress sales department problems
and to prevent or reduce the impact of future problems.
• Performance Testing
▫ This method specifies the evaluation of particular tasks or skills of the
salesforce.
• Observation
▫ First level sales managers spend a considerable amount of time in the
field working with salespeople, critiquing there performance after the
sales call has been completed.
Assess Training Needs: Methods
• Salesforce Survey
▫ May be completed as an independent activity or combined with other
sakes management activities such as field visits or even included as part of
the routine salesforce reporting procedures.
• Customer Survey
▫ Helps determine how competitive the salesforce is compared with other
salesforces in the industry.
• Job analysis
▫ Is an investigation of the task, duties, and responsibilities of the sales job. It
is a part of the recruitment and selection process and will be continue to be
used in sales training and other managerial functions.
Typical Sales Training Needs
• Sales Techniques: Salespeople have an ongoing need to learn “how to
sell”
• Product Knowledge: Salespeople must know their product benefits,
applications, competitive strengths, and limitations.
• Customer Knowledge: Salespeople should know their customer needs,
buying motives, buying procedures, and personalities.
• Competitive Knowledge: Salespeople must know competitive offerings
in terms of strengths and weaknesses.
• Time and Territory Management: Salespeople should learn to
maximum work efficiency.
Competencies of Successful Salespeople
• Aligning customer/supplier strategic objectives
• Listening beyond product needs
• Understanding the financial impact of decisions
• Orchestrating organizational resources
• Consultative problem solving
Competencies of Successful Salespeople
• Establishing a vision of a committed customer/supplier
relationship
• Engaging in self-appraisal and continuous learning
Common Mistakes Sales Training Addresses
• Ineffective listening and questioning
• Failure to build rapport and trust
• Poor job of prospecting for new accounts
• Lack of preplanning of sales calls
• Reluctance to make cold calls (without an appointment)
• Lack of sales strategies for different accounts
• Failure to match call frequency with account potential
• Spending too much time with old customers
Common Mistakes Sales Training Addresses
• Over-controlling the sales call
• Failure to respond to customers’ needs with benefits
• Giving benefits before clarifying customers’ needs
• Ineffective handling of negative attitudes
• Failure to effectively confirm the sale
Training Objectives Increase sales or profits
• Create positive attitudes and improve salesforce morale
• Assist in sales force socialization
• Reduce role conflict and ambiguity
• Introduce new products, markets, and promotional programs
• Develop salespeople for future management positions
• Ensure awareness of ethical and legal responsibilities
Training Objectives: Teach administrative procedures
• Ensure competence in the use of sales and sales support tools
• Minimize sales force turnover rate
• Prepare new salespeople for assignment to a sales
territoryImprove teamwork & cooperative efforts
Evaluate Training Alternatives
• Selecting Sales Trainers
• Internal
• External
• Selecting Sales Training Locations
• Decentralized (e.g., district or regional offices)
• Centralized (e.g., corporate headquarter)
Evaluate Training Alternatives
• Selecting Sales Training Methods
▫ Classroom/Conference Training
 Setting features lectures, demonstrations, and group discussion
with expert trainers sserving as instructors.
▫ On-the-job Training (OJT)
 is when new employees learn applicable skills for their role
while in the workplace. It's a practical training method focused
on a hands-on approach in a live or simulated training
environment, typically under the guidance of a supervisor or
mentor.
Evaluate Training Alternatives
• Behavioral Simulations
• Methods that focus on behavioral learning by means of
business games and simulations, case studies, and role
playing – where trainees portray a specified roles in a staged
situation.
• Absorption Training
▫ Involves furnishing trainees or salespeople with materials
that they absorb without opportunity for immediate
feedback and questionning.
Design the Sales Training Program
• Finalize the Training Program
• Schedule Training Sessions
• Make Necessary Travel Arrangements
• Make Necessary Accommodation Arrangements
Perform Sales Training
• As the training is being conducted, the sales manager’s
primary responsibility is to monitor progress of the trainees
and to ensure adequate presentation of the training topics.
Conduct Follow-Up and Evaluation
• It is always difficult to measure the effectiveness of sales
training.
• Nevertheless, a reasonable attempt must be made to assess
whether current training expenditures are worthwhile and
whether future modification is warranted.