The Top 5 Sales Training Issues

andRecommendedSolutions

http://www.salestrainingdrivers.org

Brian Lambert
JoinedASTDin2007toleadsalestraining
Fifteenyearsofsales/salestrainingexperience(Government,IT, services&Largeandsmallcompanies)

50,000peoplein19countries FounderoftheUnitedProfessionalSalesAssociation Authoroftwobooksonsalesperformance Recognizedasoneofmostinfluentialpeopleinselling* Education:

BachelorsdegreefromtheUniversityofCentralFlorida MastersofsciencedegreeinAdministrationandHumanResource ManagementfromCentralMichiganUniversity, Ph.D.candidateatCapellaUniversity

* by Sales & Marketing Management Magazine, 2006

Issue One: Sales Training Apathy

Theelephantintheroom Trainerstooquicktotakecredit usually Salespeopledontgivecredit usually Assumingwhatsalespeopleneed Goingforentertainmentvalue Wrongexecutivebuyin Assumingthatifsalespeoplemakeplan,therearenogapsin knowledgeorskill

Issue One: Sales Training Apathy

Leadership Support Change Management CompetencyBased Approach

Issue One Solutions

Personal Leadership

Systems View

Issue Two: Wrong Sales Training Mix

Doyoutalkwhatorhow? Whatsyourdefinitionofsalestraining?
ProductTraining CompanyspecificTraining IndustryTraining SkillsTraining

Whatsyoursalesprocess? Whatrolesdoescoachingplay? Whosdesigningcontent?Makingdecisions? Howdoyourcustomersmakeapurchasedecision?

48% OF SALESPEOPLE LEARN BY TRIAL AND ERROR TO A HIGH OR VERY HIGH DEGREE

ASTD/I4CP Research Fall 2008

Get the Right Sales Training Mix

Delivery is Critical Manage Knowledge You Drive The Content

Issue Two Solutions

Instill Real Coaching

Know How Your Buyers Buy

Issue Three: Lack of Sales Development System

Kneejerkreactionsarecommon Needsanalysisissometimesspotty Salescareerpathsrarelyoftendontleadanywhere Areyouhelpingthesalesteamanswerthefundamentalsales questionsatalltimes?
Forexample:WhereamI,andwhatshouldIdo?

Reactiveapproachtodevelopingcontentbasedonsalesteam wants,notneeds

Treat Selling as a System

Learning & Performance Approach Sales Training Strategic Plan

Issue Three Solutions

Identify Real Knowledge Gaps

Competency Based Approach

Develop a Coaching Program

Issue Four: Poor Measurement Techniques

Poorfollowupaftereachtrainingevent Norealdefinitionofsuccess Assumingthattrainingwillyieldabusinessoutcome Little/noemphasisonmeasuringcoachinginteractions Lackofdocumentation:Ifpeoplebelieveit,itstrue

Better Measurement Techniques

Measure Leading Outputs Measure Lagging Outputs

Split Sample

Issue Four Solutions

Measure Behavioral Change

Measure Knowledge Transfer

Issue Five: The Wrong Content

Prescriptionbeforediagnosis Customizedvs.standardized? Outsourcedvs.inhouse? Trainingdeliversmoreknowledgeandskill,nottalentor wisdom Notunderstandingtheorganizationalmaturityofyoursales team Reinventingthewheel

Train the Right Content

Dont Buy Into Flavor of Month

Know When To Customize

Centralize Training

Issue Five Solutions

Select Vendors On Objective Measures

Understand Competencies

In Summary:
SalesTrainingisnotaonetimeevent Worktobringsalestrainingtoaholisticprocess Choosetherightcontentfortherighttimeanddeliveritin therightway Measuretherightoutputs Donttaketheeasywayout

The Sales Profession Competency Model

Thedefinitionofworldclass selling

http://www.salestrainingdrivers.org

Sales Competency Model Advisory Panel Representation

16

Administrator Analyst Consultant Developer Manager Strategist

SalesRoles
CreatingandClosingOpportunities ProtectingAccounts DefiningandPositioningSolutions SupportingIndirectSelling SettingSalesStrategy ManagingwithintheSalesEcosystem DevelopingSalesForceCapability DeliveringSalesTraining CoachingforSalesResults BuildingSalesInfrastructure DesigningCompensation MaintainingAccounts RecruitingSalesTalent

SalesAreasofExpertise
Effectiveness
BuildingBusinessSkills SolvingProblems EmbracingDiversity MakingEthicalDecisions ManagingKnowledge UsingTechnology AcceleratingLearning ExecutingPlans MaximizingPersonalTime AligningtotheSalesProcess

Partnering
SpanningBoundaries CommunicatingEffectively AligningtoCustomers SettingExpectations NegotiatingPositions BuildingRelationships

Insight
AnalyzingOrganizationalCapacity UnderstandingBusinessContext EvaluatingCustomerExperiences GatheringIntelligence PrioritizingStakeholderNeeds IdentifyingOptions BuildingaBusinessCase

Solution
FacilitatingChange FormalizingAgreements ResolvingIssues ManagingProjects LeveragingSuccess ArticulatingValue

FoundationCompetencies

Thank You!
BrianLambert
Director,ASTDSalesTraining andSalesTrainingDriver

O:7036838100 F:7038942784 E:blambert@astd.org

http://www.salestrainingdrivers.org