In light of the potentially many pressures on your budget, you might try to limit your sales training provided to the bare bones. However, for your sales team to thrive, you would need to keep putting money into further training on a regular basis.
You might think that one obvious rationale for this strategy is that sales knowledge would become more firmly imprinted in your workers’ minds. Still, there are many other factors to consider – like…
You need to push your workers beyond their comfort zones
If your firm is absorbing all of the same sales know-how as its competitors, how are you going to have the edge in a fiercely competitive marketplace? For this reason, act on Business 2 Community‘s advice that you refresh your team’s education as often as possible.
In doing so, you can give your workers new knowledge that, initially, they might find discomforting to learn. Their unease can be one indicator that they are moving out of their comfort zones.
Keep in mind that, in one survey of customers, just 3% of them who had compared companies reported them effectively differentiating themselves from rivals.
Your team should be kept up-to-date with technology
Changes in the world of technology can open up new and exciting opportunities for salespeople. For example, the availability of a CRM solution or app on mobile devices means that salespeople can continue drawing upon timely and critical information about customers and sales, says CIO.
This bears emphasis considering how often salespeople can be out in the field. Your own sales force could while out of the office, utilise real-time data and quickly update details about a prospect – all without needing to hold off until a long-awaited return to the office.
However, your sales staff might not even know that they can tap into such functionality… unless they receive education on this subject. You should regularly arrange for them to receive new training to allow them to learn new, up-to-date details of tools at their disposal.
You should be leading by example
However much training your personnel receive, remember that you – the sales manager – are ultimately responsible for their success. You have the tasks of helping to recruit and keep talent and equip all salespeople under your wing with the necessary skills and knowledge for success.
Don’t exempt yourself from regularly taking on new training as well. Training Journal highlights the importance that, for sales managers, “training is not simply delivered at the start of their employment as a sales manager, but is delivered continuously throughout their time in the role.”
The site also notes that quota attainment, revenue attainment and win rates can all rise in direct correlation with the money annually invested in training sales managers.
Adding regular training to your arsenal doesn’t have to be challenging, due to our leadership and management training which can be delivered both openly and in-house. Peruse our website or phone us on 020 3859 0707 to learn more about the options from Impel Dynamic.