2. Sales Training Companies: 3 Questions To Ask Your Sales Training Provider
Sales training companies abound in every city across the world and yet many are not as successful as
they had hoped. The truth is that sales training is such a vital part of the success of a company’s growth
that mistakes can be costly.
With the economy in such a state, more now than ever a successful sales team will make or break the
recovery or growth of your company in the market sector you operate in. Even though Joe Smith down
the road is a good guy, can he give you the support and help that you need. Before you rush in and
make a hasty decision, consider the following three questions for which you will need an answer.
1. How Big Are They
This may or not affect you and yet if you are a large organisation with offices across the globe you may
need a bigger team. Many sales training companies would struggle to deliver a programme to more
than one location at a time. If you need a bi lingual team can they accommodate this for you? These
are all important questions to ask if you are an organisation that wants a consistent approach in all your
divisions and geographical locations. How many trainers do they have and what are their qualifications,
both in results and feedback from clients?
2. Can Your Sales Training Company Design a Bespoke Course Or Is It One Size Fits
All
The cynics would say that selling is selling is selling. Not so. Different industries require different styles
and approach. For instance are your sales team selling to the end user? Is your product technical? Are
you selling B2B or B2C or a mixture of both?
You will soon spot the calibre of the sales training companies you approach when they don’t flinch about
designing a course specifically to meet your needs. An added bonus is when they also have a team of
specialist trainers who they can match to your different needs and style.
3. What Results Are They Getting Ad With Who
It is OK for a sales training company to glow about their results for a client with a sales team of two
who have doubled their company’s turnover. How about a training company that can demonstrate
measurable ROI or a company that can show you testimonials from a large corporate company that
they have worked with for years.
These are just a selection of things to consider when you are in the market for a sales training
company. There are obviously more such as, do they have their own models, are they known in a
specific market sector, do they follow up with delegates. What are their materials and work books like.
All important questions that often go unasked. The key is to decide what it is you need your sales
training company to achieve and then measure each company against that.
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3. Sales Training: Why Sales Training Does Not Work Any More
Sales training is a popular search term on Google and not surprising with a global recession still
impacting the profitability of many companies.
A classic thought is that many businesses can sell themselves out of a recession which is partly true.
However to be successful in the new economy, sales training needs to change.
The truth is Sales training is more than just a process to deliver results that sales managers and sales
directors need, it has to form part of a selling system for the new millennium.
The reality is that customers are much more aware of the products and services that they buy. The fact
is that research is so much easy to carry out. All your potential clients need to do is head over to their
laptop and search around to see what people are saying about the company you plan to do business
with. Let me ask you a question; are your sales team flexible enough to deal with this?
If they only know how to stick to an outdated process with no flexibility, their results will suffer. Gone
are the days of telling and selling and sticking to your sales objective no matter what.
The way forward is the flexibility to adapt to both the customer and the environment you are selling in.
Have you ever noticed that there are certain people in your sales team that always seem to do well and
yet they don’t really follow the process. This gives a huge clue that it is time to make changes.
Many traditional sales training programmes have a list of things to “do” to the customer. These are
meant to be carried out in a specific sequence that is then supposed to deliver the desired result.
Today’s savvy customer is so wise to this, and predictably know that the sales rep will introduce
themselves, ask a few questions and then most likely ignore what was said and launch straight into
pitching the product or service they are promoting.
How about something different that actually works for everyone. That is the customer on the receiving
end of the sales person, and the sales representative that is rewarded with the sales and increased
revenue for the company that employs them. One of the vital keys to this is to switch around the way
we think. The task at hand is to focus on outcomes rather than objectives. A subtle distinction and yet
vital all the same.
Outcomes revolve around the end result where objectives traditionally focus on a set goal. So when you
think of outcomes think results. Generally this is music to most sales manager’s ears.
With that in mind, sales training starts to change as the focus moves into getting a tangible result. Now
the sales person has more engagement with the process and accountability for the end result.
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4. Selling Skills To Engage Customers Why Your Sales Team Are Not Getting Results
Selling skills to engage customers are what every sales manager dreams their sales team have.
Unfortunately as the cold light of day breaks most managers realise that
many of their team are sadly lacking in this department.
The selling environment has changed drastically in the last few years. Customers are becoming more
discerning and dare I say, picky with the majority of service providers.
Though it is not all doom and gloom. If you can develop your sales team in a way that they actually
possess the selling skills to engage customers, your profits will soar.
The majority of customers when a sales representative is in front of them are dis engaged. After the
pleasantries are over the customer is waiting for some interaction that demonstrates that the sales
representative knows and understands their issues and problems. If there is anything that will engage a
customer it is this. Customers need to feel and believe that you can help them solve their problem.
Providing you are selling a reliable product, that meets a need there is no reason that you can’t.
So why is it that many sales people, experienced and rookie alike fall down at this hurdle? The answer
is simple, they are not focused on one of the initial stages of the sales process. This is to discover the
common agenda that both parties are working towards. Once this is established the sales conversation
can move into higher gear. Trust has been established and the client or prospect is much more willing to
be honest and open and say what is going on for them.
One common challenge for sales representatives is that they are using an out of date selling process.
This is often prescriptive in how it must be used. There is nothing wrong with having a basic framework
to follow; the issues arise when the sales representative is encouraged to go through each step
methodically. Usually without using their brain or checking in with what is actually happening for their
customer.
A much more effective way is to know and understand what each part of the process is there for. What
we mean by that is the outcome of each process. Going back to our original statement this would then
allow the sales representative to use their selling skills to engage customers in such a way as to create
a result for everyone.
The Customer actually feels listened to and understood. The sales representative has a sporting chance
of either selling something or moving the customer onto the next stage of the buying process.
Focus on these two areas and your sales team will engage customers on a regular basis that will impact
your bottom line.
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5. Outcome Selling: How To Increase Your Sales Results
Outcome selling is a relatively new phrase in the sales training world. For so many years now sales
training and selling skills in general have been going through a slow evolution.
It started with the classic selling scenario of, tell them what you have got, then tell them again and
close. Relatively successful in an era where competition was low.
Fast forward to a little more enlightenment and we move into need benefit selling. Here we actually
started to engage the customer and ask them a few well-placed questions. This did produce better
results and came about as a consequence of supply and demand. Now there was more supply as well
as availability of product X and Y so companies actually had to put some thought into what they were
doing.
In today’s new economy selling skills are again ready for an upgrade. As our customers and clients
change, so must we in how we sell to them. Especially if we want to be successful and increase our
profits and shareholder value.
Running rough shod over a customer will not work. Instead trust and rapport is the name of the game
and vital steps in the overall process. Remember it is likely that your potential new customer knows
more about you than ever before.
The dictionary definition of outcomes centres on results. The key end result of any selling system. Sales
training will still need to help sales trainees understand the steps they need to take. However this time
we need to encourage them to use their brain and think about what each step in the process will
achieve for them.
Let’s think about Outcome selling and one of its key starting points. For any selling to take place the
two parties need to have a conversation and connect. Logical I know and yet not always the case. Ask
any frustrated sales manager. This is a subtle and yet powerful difference to the sales representative
introducing themselves as a prequel to a barrage of questions.
This first stage of conversation and connection is much more results focused. In the outcome selling
model not only is rapport at a personal level built, in addition we are also able to agree if the two
parties want the same thing.
Having a shared agenda can saves hours or even months of wasted effort.
Applying the concepts of outcome selling just to this first stage in the selling process can make a
significant difference to the overall outcome. There is a saying that goes something along the lines of,
start off well and the rest all follows. This could be easily applied to the selling Skills process.
5 http://www.excelenterprise.co.uk call +44 (0) 1628 400226
6. About Excel Enterprise
You might want to increase sales results, raise sales force motivation, create bespoke sales training or
develop selling skills to engage customers? If so, and you want top sales training companies to help,
start with Excel Enterprise.
Excel Enterprise delivers world class training solutions for sales professionals; diagnosing, designing and
delivering tailored in-house learning events including coaching, workshops and development
programmes for salespeople and their managers.
Excel Enterprise is the sales centre of excellence within Excel Communications, one of Europe’s leading
training and development organisations since 1985. Working globally across twelve business sectors we
are headquartered near London with a full time dedicated Client Services Team and expert
Account Managers keen to help you. More than thirty world class trainers live across Europe, bringing
you training in eight languages and each with a wealth of senior commercial experience plus
training and coaching qualifications.
We give you our experience and expertise, we know what works and we understand why traditional
sales training often doesn’t and we would love to share those insights with you.
When we asked our clients what they thought of us 98% of them said we were their #1 choice of
training partner. They love our engaging, inspirational and flexible training style, they love our customer
service and most of all they love our trainers. They even say our lack of PowerPoint is refreshing!
Just contact Excel Enterprise and tell us about the results you need.
6 http://www.excelenterprise.co.uk call +44 (0) 1628 400226
