Many businesses delay training of any sort as they see it as a burden not an investment, it’s just something they have to do.
But consider that sales is the only function of your business that actually brings in an income. I was speaking with a colleague the other day who was deciding if they should bring on another accounts person or a new salesperson. They remarked that hiring a salesperson would be a no-brainer as they “pay for themselves”.
The same goes for sales training, it is something that pays for itself. Our clients are able to measure and see the results in a relatively short time frame.
Most of us start off in business with no formal sales training in place. We just wing it for as long as we can and hope for the best.
If however you have discovered you have a need for sales training it is best to act immediately (if the resources are available)
You have to ask yourself, what do I have to gain by putting off the training and more importantly what do I stand to lose?
There are many reasons that may cause you to put off training, some common ones are “What if I train them and they leave?”… This is a valid point, but the flip side to this is, what if they stay and don’t have the tools necessary to bring in new business, or mess up a big deal?”
Another common one is that they are too busy to implement training; they are right in the middle of their busy season and couldn’t possibly spare the time. What often happens is three months later the work finishes up and they are left scrambling for new prospects.
By not having a strong sales process, you risk missing out on prospects that you may have got across the line. Perhaps it was that one question you didn’t ask or that one prospect you forgot to follow up. Training helps us to plan ahead for quiet times so we aren’t stuck cold calling during our off season.
Sales is like anything in business, if you put a process around it, it functions better. They say – what gets measured gets managed. Consider the following questions to see if you may need a stronger sales process –
1. Do I have a standardized process or questioning method for interviews, or do I ‘play it by ear’ ‘let them do the talking’ or ‘show and tell’.
2. How am I managing the prospects in my sales funnel? Do I keep a record of our conversations to measure what stage they are at in the deal?
3. How do I manage my existing clients and what products they buy from me, what are they buying from other sources that I could be providing? What percentage wallet share do I have with each?
If you have been considering training your team or yourself, the best time to do it is now. You will see immediate benefits and a solid return on investment.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”–Chinese Proverb
Hayden Burgess
Sales Associate
Sales Impact Group
