Sales Training Manual and Modern Sales Techniques
December 16th, 2010 Filed under: Business Sales Training — Negotiation AuthorPundits – (experts), write most sales training manuals. Most manuals would include the follow as chapters:
Company History, Mission Statement, Opening Procedures, Closing Procedures, Handling Objections, and Daily Tasks.
Alas, sales training manuals and sales training in any form have little impact for most. This is backed up by a number of studies that confirm that training does not change the behavior, attitudes, or results of the vast majority of sales consultants. This is obviously a terrible Return On Investment. All manner of things have been investigated to determine the cause of this — Everything from the trainer, to the material, to the methods, and even the sales consultants themselves.
Now, we have learned over the years, that sales psychology must be employed, in the sales consultancy world, to become a peak performer. We also knew that coaching was required to get the consultant to a point of smooth and effortless delivery. We knew that because we saw that there were behavioral changes needed for the new processes.
The same is true for the data in sales training manuals and sales training in general. There must be a coach. As sales consultants, we are not only trying to absorb information from anything new, but we are trying to change some of our own basic behaviors – and that takes coaching from a third party. After all, we are converting informational data from either written or verbal sources into action items.
Interestingly enough is the surveys that have been done on coaches and training companies to determine why training fails. These surveys point out the number one reason why training does not “take”. That reason is management. The management leaves everything to the trainer, or to the training company, and they have no ongoing coaching. The trainer, coach or training company delivers the training, leaves and everything stays the same.
It should be known, that any new skills, from any new training manual act as a paradigm for the students of these skills. Taking in, and absorbing information is one thing — Putting information into practice is quite another. Maximizing success requires an observer to make sure that what was said in a sales training manual is actually being implemented in the real world.
A paradigm represents a modification from what is now being done. Paradigms are difficult, as one has to form new habits and replace the old habits. The exceptions are few, as most people getting new training, leave the training or read the sales training manual with the best of intentions to implement, but then slip back into the old habits and abandon the newly learned material in the heat of battle.
Coaches, or sales managers are trying to create a new comfort level for the new material. This takes time and discipline. If this is done the Return On Investment will speak for itself. Transform your training with good coaching on implementation, and it will convert and transform the mediocre into the extraordinary.
Salvatore “Sal” Piccerelli is an award winning salesman, sales manager, and sales trainer. He is a lifetime student of sales and sales psychology and has a passion for helping sales professionals reach the top of their game. In his new Sales Training Manual, Modern Sales Training Tips, Sal lays out the sales system he developed that has helped hundreds of sales professionals to increase sales, closing ratios, and personal income.
