Sales Team Training

As a student you have probably heard time and time again that we will all be working on a team one day at our future jobs. Keeping this in mind, my next statement should not come as a shock- plenty of salespeople work on sales teams within companies. It is easy to forget this fact and to focus on being the best individual seller that you can be. But, there is more to the sales process than that. Even better yet, you may become the manager of a sales team.

Does that sound intimidating? As it stands, many sales team managers fail to have the most effective teams possible due to the lack of proper training above all else. Sure, you can learn and deploy excellent sales techniques on a personal level, but can you train those below you to close the deal?

I suppose that you desperately want to not be like those other foolish sales team managers, but have no notion of how to train others. Luckily for you, I found an intriguing Huffington Post article that lays out common sales team management and training mistakes and proper courses of action to avoid them.

Sales Team Training Pitfalls

1. Absolutely No Training – This may be hard to believe, but some managers think the best approach is to not train their people at all. The thought process is that people will absorb the necessary knowledge and skills out on the field, and will learn from enough rejection.
2. Provide Some Materials – There are other managers that lay out a “sales road map” paired with other training tools. However, the buck stops here. The managers do not put execution plans into place.
3. Hire “Experienced” Talent – Sometimes sales team managers attempt to avoid the “pain” of training new, inexperienced salespeople by hiring those with industry expertise. The managers then assume that good performance will come naturally from these “recycled” hires, but often the performance results are average.

Let’s Get Real

The major point to keep in mind when it comes to your personnel is that having people on board is an investment for your company. When improper training is the norm, companies experience a loss of valuable time, money, and sales deals. These are called lost “opportunity costs.” However, training has costs as well. So, why not just train your salespeople well, if there are costs on either side?

Training Points and Methods

There is no silver bullet when it comes to training your sales force. As a manager you need to explore your options and find a method that works for your company and situation.

• Areas of Improvement – First and foremost your sales team will never improve if you do not make their issues known to them. Laying out the problems and helping them understand how they can improve their performance is pivotal to lasting change.
• Attainable Goals – Set up real, attainable plans and goals for your sales team. They are more likely to be achieved if they are realistic, and will in turn help foster motivation and excitement from your team.
• Engagement – Try to be creative and think outside the box with your training. Engaged salespeople tend to be happier and more driven in the long run.
• Take it to the Field – Give your trainees real-world sales experience in field situations. This approach is much more engaging and interactive than classroom-style training, and helps to better cement the necessary skills to place “live” deals.
• Be a Coach – As a sales team manager you need to be able to identify poor performance and the right actions to take to turn the situation around. To do this, act as a coach to your team to better connect with them and the issues at hand.

Feeling more confident about being the best sales team manager that you can be? Now that you are armed with some great sales team manager tips you are ready to move into the world of management. Well, maybe not quite yet, but it is a start.