The Latest Methods of Sales Enablement Training
Over the years, we’ve trained nearly 2,000 IT sales professionals, most with undergraduate or higher degrees. We recently met with close to a hundred of these professionals to measure the effectiveness of our content. We found that 36% of the students applied their skills on a daily basis, 25% on occasion, and 39% not at all.
Wanting to see improvement, we changed the way we deliver sales enablement. We now offer a more granular approach that has revitalized our training program.
Reinforcement is the Key to Successful Sales Training
Our research shows that training needs to be more frequent and focused than the occasional event at annual kickoff meetings or sales conferences. Because these types of ad-hoc training events are so infrequent, they tend to be long, drawn-out sessions that provide so much information at once, it’s hard for sales reps to retain it.
Instead, we suggest that you incorporate sales training into your everyday workflow. Think short segments rather than hours-long seminars. These short segments can become a standard part of your weekly or daily sales meetings, providing a window of opportunity for continuous learning.
Focus Your Training on Sales Enablement Skills
The goal is to develop a program that focuses on a different sales tactic each week. But please don’t confuse this type of training with product or solution orientation. Sales enablement training concentrates on the sales cycle: prospecting, objection handling, and closing the sale. It’s also a good time to revisit topics like selling against competition and building quality prospect lists. Peer group reviews allow sales reps to practice real-world scenarios through role play and evaluation.
Continuous Learning Benefits the Entire Sales Team
Training isn’t just for beginners. Recent studies show 65% of sales staff say that quality training opportunities positively influence their engagement. All sales reps, from novice to expert, can benefit from refreshing their knowledge on fundamental sales techniques. This helps to maintain a strong foundation in these skills and promotes further knowledge and growth. Setting standards for prospecting and qualifying, and reinforcing those standards, should be core to your training strategy.
Your experienced sales reps will be especially helpful during peer reviews, offering their mentorship and support. Ask them to lead discussions that pertain to their skillsets. Teaching is one of the best ways of learning, and adds another level of reinforcement that benefits everyone on your sales team.
Get Up to Speed on New Sales Tactics
Another advantage of the continuous sales training model is the ability to get staff up to speed quickly on new tactics and techniques. Since your training program is already established, adding new content is as simple as creating a new module. You don’t have to wait for the next sales conference or take unexpected time out of the day for extra training. The training time is already built into your schedule and available as needed without disruption to the workflow.
Evaluate and Refine Your Sales Enablement Training
No training is complete without evaluating and refining the results. For this type of sales enablement training, a 20-25 question multiple choice test provides comprehensive data that can be used to fine-tune future training sessions. Employee surveys are another method of gauging team participation and interest in the program.
Once you’ve established your continuous learning program, you’ll find it’s much more effective than an ad-hoc approach, and you’ll see increased satisfaction and innovation from your reinvigorated sales team.
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