The JF Guest Author Spot

Dave Stein

TO: Salesreps and their first-line managers  You have the right to be educated, trained, motivated, and prepared to leave the training session with improved selling capabilities, no matter how much experience you have.

I recently spoke with a colleague who is a partner in an outsourced telesales firm.  I know him from his past life as a salesrep.  He worked for some big name technology companies and was consistently the top performer.  He is a sales heavy-hitter if there ever was one.

We discussed sales training.  He said, “I can’t tell you how many sales training programs I’ve sat through.  Every major vendor.  The programs were too long, didn’t provide me with value, and frankly, they were an incredible waste of time.”  Here is what got me.  “I was offended that management would think so little of me to force me to sit through that.”  That was it for me.  I decided it was time to directly appeal to you, the sales professional and first-line sales manager, about the abuse many of you have been taking.
Does my colleague need training?  Sure.  He admits he does.  But the training he needs has to provide him with business value; it’s got to help him do one thing—sell more.

Here are some of those abuses:

• Being trained by someone who never sold.
• Being trained by someone who doesn’t know anything about how your buyers buy.
• Being trained by someone who clearly doesn’t understand how tough your competitors are.
• Being trained by someone who is more focused on entertaining you than helping you get your job done, so they get good marks on the post-program evaluation.
• Being trained by someone who tells you what to do, but not how to do it.
• Being forced to sit in a training class where 80% of what you learn is irrelevant to you.
• Being trained on a skill or a process only to find out after the program that there are no tools, no support, and management doesn’t know what you are talking about.
• Coming out of a class confused about what to do next.
• Not having any post-program support from your management or the training provider.

Why is this going on?

When abuses like this happen, there is generally plenty of blame to pass around.  But the blame rarely falls in the lap of the sales professional or first-line sales manager.  As I said, you have the right to be educated, trained, motivated, and prepared to leave the training session with improved selling capabilities, no matter how much experience you have. You have the responsibility of walking into a training program with an open mind, ready and willing to learn, share your experiences, and to do what it takes to elevate yourself and your team to the next level of sales performance.  You do not have the responsibility of having your time wasted and your experience and intelligence insulted.

Here are some possible explanations:

• Sales management picked a sales trainer out of the hat. More accurately they chose someone they engaged with before, in another job, or whose book they read (not that that is necessarily a bad thing).
• Training requirements were not formally defined. 
• There was no foundation methodology and related processes to be trained on, so the training had no foundation.  It was just training on a bunch of unrelated skills. 
• The training program content was not relevant to your job.  It may have come off-the-shelf, or have been designed for customers in another industry.
• There was inadequate or no educational design.  The content may have been relevant, but it was not delivered to you in a way that would promote effective learning.
• There wasn’t a strategic plan to get and keep you trained.
What should you, as a sales rep, or first-line sales manager, do?
If you saw the movie Network, you’ll remember the phrase, “I’m sick and tired of this and I’m not going to take it anymore.”  Even I’ll admit that getting your colleagues together and storming into your sales VP’s office is a bit extreme.  But there are things you can do.
• Understand that pragmatic sales processes and the training that supports their use is good for you, not bad.
• Understand that you were hired because you had a set of skills and traits that met the requirements for the job, but that professionals (think pilots, doctors, realtors, teachers, accountants, lawyers) need continuous education.  If you don’t think you do, you’re probably wrong.
• Provide management with a list of the specific areas where you and your team need formal processes. For example, if you are having trouble qualifying buyers or are told to cold call but don’t have a script, say so.
• Provide management with a list of skills in which you need training.  Strongly request that management take the time and effort to find the right vendor to provide that training.  It may not be one of the well-known providers.
• Request that a bit more work go into providing training targeted to different groups within sales.  Inside sales should have a program quite different from outside sales.
• Suggest that you and perhaps another rep or two be part of a steering committee to get this right, once and for all.
• Provide this article to your sales manager or appropriate executive.

To the Point

Getting sales training right is very tough.  It’s not like training someone to answer a support call or balance the books.  Many companies try, but get it all wrong.  Some have it totally figured out.  Take a leadership position in your company to drive a formal, funded sales training strategy.  If done right, you’ll make more money and have a company you’re proud to work for.

Dave Stein is the founder and CEO of ES Research, an organization that provides on-line, membership-based analyses of, and recommendations about, the sales training and sales performance and consulting marketplace and the companies that serve it.

He also writes a very popular and relevant blog

Today’s News:  If  you are based in the USA and you are involved in any kind of leadership role, this latest message from good chum, Kevin Eikenberry will be of great interest….

You’ve received many emails from me about leadership development. I try to give you immediately applicable ideas, tools, tips and techniques in every email.

You receive these messages from me because in one or more ways you have told us you are interested in Leadership Development.

Knowing that about you is why I write these messages to you, and especially why I write today.

Four or five times a year I lead a 2-day Leadership Training Camp. It’s largely promoted and marketed by a partner of ours, and it’s given many people a chance to really explore and work on their leadership skills.

I will be leading the last session of 2009 in Nashville, TN, at the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Resort on December 7-8.(You can learn more about the event and what you’ll learn during the event at the Leadership Training Camp registration site.)

I’m writing specifically to tell you, we have a few seats There’s still time in 2009 to build your leadership skills. And who better than you – a reader of these leadership updates – to receive a special opportunity to fill the rest of our remaining seats in 2009?

Your Opportunity

Between now and November 30 – that’s just 10 days from now – for every full price Leadership Training Camp registration, you will get a second registration at half price.

We’ve never made an offer like this before, and I doubt if it will ever happen again. This is the chance for you and I (and some of your colleagues – and some new friends) to learn together, face-to-face helping you become the leader you were born to be.

But it’s only an opportunity for you if you take action.

Ask yourself how you would benefit from two days of focus on, and growth of, your leadership skills.

Think about others in your organization, your colleagues in other companies and even your Clients (maybe your boss).

Think about anyone you know who would like to – or who needs to – build their leadership skills and let them know about this opportunity.

Register at the Leadership Training Camp site – and make sure to mention the special offer and use promo code EIKCL9 to assure your seats!

One More VERY Cool Thing

Just yesterday I received copies of my brand new book.

It’s called #LEADERSHIPtweets and it’s written to provide exactly what the subtitle promises: 140 bite-sized ideas to help you become the leader you were born to be.

It’s a unique book, and I’d love to sign one of the very first copies to you.

Here’s how: when your friends, colleagues, Clients or others decide to join me in Nashville, send me an email or call me at 317.387.1424  because when you take the leadership action of helping others develop themselves I want to honor your commitment to leadership.

I will send a signed copy of #LEADERSHIPtweets to the first five people who take advantage of this offer and let me know about it.

Remarkable leaders know a great opportunity when they see it. This is a great opportunity – for you and those you know.

I look forward to seeing you and/or your colleagues in Nashville.

Enjoy your day and remember . . .

You are Remarkable!

Kevin

P.S. Here’s the registration link again. Remember this offer is only available through November 30. Make sure to use promo code EIKCL9 when you register.

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