I am often asked why I enjoy training in America so much. The answer is very simple, sales people in America are held in such high regard, selling is truly recognised as a profession over their by most people, unlike the UK where the first thing people think of when you mention ‘Sales’ is ‘Double Glazing, Time Share, or Estate Agents.
I think it is a great shame that we don’t have a professional body to represent us in this country as you can enter into the profession with little or no qualifications. Accountants, doctors, even our marketing counterparts all have this and indeed could not practice without a qualification. This also applies to ‘Sales training in the UK’. I have heard many examples of people attending a sales training programme that was delivered by someone who had never actually sold anything!
I can’t think of many other industries where you can deliver training without being qualified to do so, or not even having any experience of carrying out the relevant task. Imagine how dangerous the roads would be if we were taught to drive by people who had only read the Highway Code! How keen would you be to visit a dentist who’s only experience was watching ‘Marathon Man’ and thought he could do a better job than Laurence Olivier. “Is it safe?” NO! It most definitely isn’t.
So here are some tips for anyone thinking of investing in a sales training initiative to help them get the best return on their investment.
Have you identified the desired outcomes?
Failing to document and communicate your desired outcomes can lead to confusion as to why delegates are attending and what will be expected of them as a result of their attendance.
How will you monitor and measure the expected behavioural change?
The old saying ‘If it isn’t measured it won’t get done’ is applicable here, as people will naturally want to slip back into their ‘Comfort Zones’
Will the training inspire the participants to try out the new concepts?
If you cannot be certain the trainer will motivate your team sufficiently to try out new ideas, don’t waste your money running the event.
Is the content relevant to your industry and culture?
Whatever you are selling, you need to ensure that any sales training is aligned to the sales process. Would you invest thousands of pounds in a ‘Hypothesis Based Selling’ programme if your sales team sold basic commodity products on mass and on price? So make sure the content fits the challenges your sales team currently face. Equally important is the cultural fit. Do you think it’s a good idea to source training concepts that are proven in America, and use them here? If you agree with my opening paragraph I think you will see that is not a great idea.
These simple considerations may seem obvious but they are often overlooked and the results can be disastrous. If you want to ensure your training delivers the results you want, factor them into your training brief.
Article Directory : http://www.articlecube.com
appleton associates is a sales development consultancy, offering access to a small but high quality network of consultants with expertise in a wide range of sales development issues. Our main areas of work include: Strategic sales consultancy, Interim sales management, sales training UK (design and delivery), Sales team & management development, Sales support, Sales skills and competency profiling.
