TRAINING
Ten (Expert) Steps to Better Sales Training GEOFFREY JAMES
On average – according to experts who tally such things – organizations spend about one day, per year, per rep on sales training. Amazing? Yes, es- pecially when you consider the many demands on today’s sales teams.
Consider: The Internet is completely changing the way businesses buy from other businesses. Globalization has created an entirely new com- petitive landscape where even large, established firms are vulnerable. The dominant style of business-to-busi- ness sales has changed from selling products (to professional corporate buyers) to selling solutions (to high- level executives and decision makers). Given these massive changes, you’d think companies would be willing to invest time and money to ensure their sales reps succeed. Not to worry. We asked a blue- ribbon panel of experts how to best assess the size of a sales training
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budget and to ensure top manage- ment sees it not as an optional cost, but as one of the best investments an organization can make. If, like many of your colleagues, you’re having trouble securing an adequate sales training budget, here’s a 10-step process to help you get the money you need and decide where to invest it wisely.
STEP #1: DETERMINE YOUR SALES STRATEGY FOR THE COMING YEAR.
An investment makes sense only when you know what that investment is supposed to accomplish. Before you even think about the training budget, define the coming year’s sales goals.
What are the revenue targets? What are the profitability targets? What is the quota? Work with your sales team to understand what’s already in the pipeline. Find out from top management what additional targets are in place. Think through what you need to accomplish. Determine exactly what will be required of you and your team to achieve those goals. Expert One: “Focusing on your
organization’s business goals and tying your team’s developmental needs to them demonstrates your grasp of the business and helps position you and your team for success.”
STEP #2: DETERMINE WHERE YOUR CURRENT SALES TEAM MAY FALL SHORT. With your overall sales strategy in mind, figure out what needs to be different inside your sales team in order to achieve next year’s business objectives. For example, if the sales strategy will require reps to call on top
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