LEARNING


Know More, Sell More, Be More 6 Lessons from Smith+Nephew on a Growth-Minded Sales Culture


BY: KALEB M. SUNWALL | SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL COMMERCIAL TRAINING + EDUCATION | SMITH+NEPHEW & STEPHANIE IBARRA | GLOBAL TRAINING OPERATIONS DIRECTOR


Ask any successful salesperson you know, “What contributed to your success?” and the answer will most likely be something related to their desire for growth. To achieve growth, you must have a mindset that is open to learning new behaviors and the curiosity about what’s possible.


Growth-minded sellers want to be fed, nurtured, coached, and they thrive in an environment where growth opportunities are abundant. Many companies find it difficult to attract, develop, and retain top talent. It is costly to train sellers only to see them leave a few years later. To keep top sellers, you need a continuous growth journey, with multiple levels of learning available to those curious and adventurous sales professionals. In this article, I will share six lessons learned about our commercial training strategy, the benefits of continuous learning, and how


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committing to the right activities and behaviors can have an exponential impact on our business.


COMMITMENT TO WORLD-CLASS TRAINING Smith+Nephew is on a journey to provide world- class commercial training and lifelong learning experiences, from hire-to-retire.


We endeavor to strengthen our talent and capabilities and make the company a destination employer. Traditionally, sales training investments have focused on new hires, product launches, and annual sales conferences. Training programs are often isolated events, without a structured learning pathway throughout an employee’s tenure. Variations in reinforcement and coaching leads to knowledge loss and a diluted return on training investments. At Smith+Nephew, however, we believe training is a catalyst for growth. It must be offered continuously over an employee’s career to grow their capabilities and competency. Knowledge and skills can be improved and retained through routine coaching and assessments and must be embedded into learning strategy.


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