In addition, many managers take the approach that it is better to spend the money on incentives for sales reps and to cut out those that aren’t performing well. While these tactics can sometimes be effective, without any training the majority of sales reps are likely to fall behind. Gerhard Gschwandtner of Selling Power analogizes this to a football coach who cancels practice when the team is winning, and gives would be training dollars out to the best players instead of paying for more practice equipment. Do you think that would make a good coach? I think not.

 While it would be great if most sales managers took it upon themselves to find appropriate training sessions, whitepapers, and even books to promote better selling, it will usually be left to the rep to find opportunities to educate themselves.

 If you’re a sales manager, consider the fact that a well educated and learned sales team will perform better, and in turn make you look better, than a team who is only driven by extra incentives and the fear of getting the axe. If you’re a sales rep, be proactive. Don’t assume that your manager or your company will consistently find seminars for you to attend. Find them yourself and ask your company to pay for it. In addition, learn from your mistakes and from your customers. Every sale and every customer is different, so keep notes on what worked for you and what didn’t so you don’t make the same mistakes with your next prospect. Write down what you learned from each training session as well; as I mentioned before the training will only stay top of mind for so long, so it is crucial to write down the takeaway messages.

 Sales training will only resonate for a few hours and then will fade from memory quickly, and likewise the enthusiasm generated from a training class will dissipate in a few days. While some may use the skills they have learned from a particular training for a few weeks or even a month, people will usually fall back into their old habits without regular training. Find and attend regular sessions to keep yourself fresh; read articles, whitepapers, and books. Write down what you have learned and apply it; you should find yourself exceeding your quarterly goals in no time.

In my last post I mentioned that it wasn’t enough to simply send your sales reps to training sessions, but that as a manager it is also your responsibility to coach your reps on how to apply what they have learned in those sessions. Grant adds to this point by talking about how it is just as important for the mangers to attend the training as it for the rest of the sales team. This may not always be because the managers need the training, but they do need to understand the context of the concepts so that they may have a better understanding of how to assist their reps in applying the training.

Similar to training, reps need to have the most up to date, relevant information about their prospects and fledgling clients. Incorrect or outdated information is a huge time waster and one of the worst things that can happen while trying to make a sale. When this happens, the prospect will lose confidence in the rep’s level of effort and in general their ability to deliver a helpful solution. Without the correct tools and information to approach a prospect, the sales person is going into a sale blindly which will usually result in a failed opportunity.

Frequent training on relevant topics plus up to date information and prospecting tools is a surefire recipe for success when it comes to sales.