Comments on: No Time for Practice: Why Sales Training Fails (part 1/2)

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:50:55 +0000

I agree with Sean and just wanted to add one thing, if you can show them using a real account or deal on how it is done, it may move them away from their comfort zone. From my experience in sales and provided programs to develop sales people for many years, I know that sales people like to spend less time on paper work(methodology) but more time understand their customers and the actual execution of closing deals. Once they see that the training can actually works(their personal ROIs), the training will likely to be more successful. I have experienced actual cases of participants actually applied what they learnt and closed significant deals.

By: BOGDAN

BOGDAN — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:31:05 +0000

I followed this disscution also on Linkedin. A lot of interesting feedback from experinced trainers.

I’m very interested in this subject mainly because the training budgets reduced and my clients would like to receive shorter, less expencive and more efficient programs.

Reading all your comments, 2 questions are coming in my mind, and I would like to hear your answers:

1. Remember? When you were working in sales, how did you feel about being trained? What was usefull? What was boring? What did you apply?

2. Now you are a trainer (consultant). To how many trainings did you participate (as trainee) during the last 12 months? What was usefull? What did you apply? How do you learn now?

Thank you very much!

Respectfuly yours,
Bogdan

By: Steve Ferrante

Steve Ferrante — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:00:08 +0000

This is a great discussion topic and one that I also encourage with prospective clients before beginning a training relationship. Clients need to know why sales training typically fails so we can properly address each potential issue and execute preventative measures.

Effective sales training implementation is a matter of effective behavioral modification. Too often sales training is treated as an event, rather than an ongoing process of continuous development.

First, as John addressed, it’s essential to ensure the organization is training the right people – individuals who are behaviorally suited and have the proper selling/achievement/communication propensities for the position. I’ve had great success and client feedback from my Human Capital assessments in this regard.

Assuming that is in place, I agree with Eric’s article point 100% and will add a lobster to the steak dinner bet that most salespeople still don’t use the training they’ve learned in live situations, instead falling back to their old ways (regardless of how effective they are).

Again, this is a matter of behavioral modification whereby the salesperson has practiced and reinforced the training to the point where it becomes automatic in their selling interactions. Like mastering any new skill, this does not happen overnight and countless sales people fail to effectively adopt training simply because they don’t put in the time (and effort) it takes to do so. In order for sales people to effectively adopt training they must consistently work on their game through a disciplined and committed practice regimen.

I conduct and encourage not only regular sales meetings with role-playing, training reinforcement, etc. but also opportunities appraisal and “live” calls where I can coach and adjust behaviors in real-time.

May The Sales Force Be With You

By: Gordon Thorsby

Gordon Thorsby — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:25:46 +0000

Possibly organizations fail to implement what is taught and this could be an inherent weakness of a given training program or manager. In sales, few sales situations are alike. The human emotion is integral to the give and take of discussion. One cannot benefit greatly from practice. However, the individual will benefit from preparation such that the variables that occur in any sales situation is handled most effectively. You could call that practice; I would call it in “Tiger” terms approach.

By: Dan Jee

Dan Jee — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:14:56 +0000

By: Sean Kelley

Sean Kelley — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:14:01 +0000

Unless there is an actual structure to follow up from training, the best training will fail. From my experience, salespeople will stick with what they are comfortable with & not apply what they learned in training. You need to inolve & train the sales management team to monitor, coach & hold the reps accountable over the long term. Plus, you need to have reps PRACTICE their newly learned skills (i. e. simulation, NOT just role play) for them to understand the process and become comfortable with it. Salespeople need to know that this will be the sales culture going forward, & that they will need to either get on board or work elsewhere.

Just my $.02.

By: Robin McKee-Cant

Robin McKee-Cant — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:01:31 +0000

As I recall when playing sports – not only was practice essential, but so was visualization. Its importance to sales teams has been totally overlooked. After past trainings, I’ve been guilty of being one of the first reps out the door, not being able to sit still or take any more info in. And what do we do once out the door? Check VM and email. We jump quickly back in to the old routine trying to make up for lost time. With no practive and zero time spent on visualization, it’s not likely we’ll fully apply new skills to our old spiels…. We may use positive visualization to aim at finishing the quarter over goal – but are we using this method to see the road there? (Especially when we’ve been asked to take a different route?)

By: Jeff Thrutchley

Jeff Thrutchley — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:36:13 +0000

As is well documented above, practice is essential; as is the need for coaching and feedback from one’s manager. Unfortunately the typical sales training model is flawed:
Too much information is provided (“the mind can only absorb what the seat can endure” )
The manager doesn’t facilitate the session and MAY not even be present or familiar with the content (therefore no consistent coaching can take place)
The process is most often one directional – Reps sit and listen (adults learn best in an environment of collaboration)
There is little or no accountability (what is the change in behavior?)
While Director of ADT University I found a solution that shatters the model above and like Victor Kiam of Remington, “I liked the company so well, I bought (into) it.”
We offer a multi-media set of tools for the manager to facilitate a one hour, skill specific session, once a month, with Rep collaboration, role-plays and testing.

By: Dick Wurst

Dick Wurst — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:16:06 +0000

Without a firm foundation the best training will fail! If self development were easy, everyone would do it. That’s why companies, managers and trainers alike should first take the time to develop a team of highly motivated and self sufficient people that effectively manage their own minds! A great salesperson knows where they are going and know how to get there. They have been given the tools to create a road map to success, and are focused like a lazier on the goal at hand. Unfortunately no one seems to take the time to teach these techniques. Build a strong foundation and insure that when your training is delivered they will determinedly take the next and most important step which is ACTION!

Best regards,
Janetta Wilson

By: Dick Wurst

Dick Wurst — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:14:04 +0000

Jay’s point is excellent; not only does sales leadership have to embrace, engage and utilize the training, executive management (especially in small and mid-size businesses) must ‘violently’ endorse and subscribe to the tenets of the training.

But that also means putting the money where the mouth is! Since we have all long subscribed to the axiom that ‘compensation drives behavior’, comp plans must reward and reinforce the training.

Of course one could argue that following the training will increase sales success which, in turn, will increase compensation. And that is a true, but insufficient, perspective. We must compensate for the positive behavioral changes that the training drives. If, for example, training focuses on developing the salesperson’s consultative discovery skills, a short term incentive should be put in place for capturing and recording (in the CRM system) data that management believes are critical to understanding the needs of the prospect/client.

Training is about affecting behavior change. It may be an oversimplification, but rewarding changed behavior (not just results) could be a key to post-training success. Management and leadership should build the cost(s) of these rewards into the expense of training… and might even get a faster payback and sustainable ROI.