Choosing the right sales or sales managment training programs requires you to evaulate your options properly before buying. All programs are not created equal and the highest price does not necessarily guarantee success. This article will ensure you choose wisely so that you don't waste your investment.
It doesn't matter if you are entrepreneur needing to increase company revenues, a sales manager wanting to improve your team's performance, or a sales professional looking to invest in yourself,you need to evaluate sales and sales management training programs properly before buying. All courses are not the same and the highest price does not necessarily guarantee success.
Finding The Best Sales Training Seminars
Sales and sales management training seminars must be based on how people learn to desired results|be successful]. According to Sullivan et al, effective adult learning requires eight elements:
- Studentsshould be open to learning.
- The course should be built on the pupil's prior experiences and skills.
- Students should be aware of what they need to learn.
- A variety of training methods and techniques works best.
- Opportunities to practice skills are critical for skill acquisition and competency.
- Repetition is necessary for the skill to be learned.
- Learning is more efective when the classroom setting is realistic.
- Feedback should be timely, positive and fair
Each student must have the opportunity to actually practice their newly learned skills in order to be successful (as opposed to just being preached to), and each new skill introduced must build on a previous one learned. It is also critical that the participants have access to their trainer/coach after the training program is finished for ongoing coaching and support. Unfortunately, most sales and sales management training seminars are lecture based, so they do not provide any of this. Therefore, they ultimately fail to provide the desired results.
Listed below are other questions to consider when evaluating sales and sales management training programs. These are in addition to the need for practical exercises and ongoing coaching support discussed above.
- Do the techniques and materials being taught actually yield measurable results? Are the sales and sales management training courses guaranteed? Its one thing for sales training companies to say they have great sales trainingcourses but it quite another for them to stand behind them with a guarantee.
- Is the sales trainer qualified? Anyone can try to provide sales training programs by reading a book and delivering a seminar. To produce results your sales trainer should be experienced, knowledgeable and have a proven track record of success.
- Are the sales training programs customizable for you and your products? You don’t just want to talk about concepts on how to sell any product, you want to be able to put those principals into practice so that you begin to sell your product.
- Is there a device like testing or accreditation exams in place to ensure that the students are learning the materials? If you don’t keep score, how do you know you are winning?
- Are the sales training courses a single class or are they broken into sessions over a period of time? Sales is a process that can be repeated, but no one ever learned to play the violin in one afternoon.
- Are the sales training programs available in different formats, like self study programs online interactive seminars, as well as just the conventional onsite courses Travel time and expenses must be considered when evaluating your sales training options. If you are short on time or money, today’s e-learning options can be a great fit.
There is no question that investing in yourself or your sales team is the right way to go to point you down the road to achieving your sales potential. However, if you want to improve your sales or sales management training results, then you have to change the way you deliver your sales training courses!
For a free copy of our White Paper “How to Choose A Sales Training Program” which includes the B2B Sales Connections Sales Training Courses Decision Matrix to help you choose the sales or sales management training seminars that are right for you, visit our Download Centre on our website. Whatever sales or sales management training program you choose, we wish you nothing but success in your future.
Aim Higher!
Susan A. Enns, B2B Sales Connections
