This post was originally published by Jenny Boling on lessonly.com
Sales Training [ seylz ] [ trey-ning ]
noun
Sales [plural of sale] Training [the education, instruction, or discipline of a person or thing that is being trained] is the process of developing the skills and knowledge of your sales force to create more and better sales opportunities and close higher profit deals.
“After your new employee sales training, run along and sell our recycled and ultra-premium paper.”
The first few months on the job are critical for sales reps, and making it clear not to set a prospect’s desk on fire is a great place to start your sales skills training. 😉
The best sales training offers a lot of information and skills to learn to get up to speed, hit quota, and become an all-star rep. If I may, please allow me to toot the horn of Lessonly’s sales training module, designed to be easily customized to address your team’s training needs, including:
Sales training for beginners
There are some skills and basics that every new sales rep has to master. Sales training courses for beginners are informative, educational, and bring new reps up-to-speed with the best sales techniques.
Software sales training
If your company is selling new software, software sales training can help your team build sales skills, uncover opportunities, and improve sales management.
B2B sales training
B2B, or business to business selling, usually includes higher prices, longer sales cycles, and multiple touchpoints. B2B sales training is tailored to your industry and provides reps with job aids and tools they need on a daily basis.
B2C sales training
B2C, also known as business to consumer selling, targets individual buyers. This includes physical storefronts, e-commerce, and services. B2C sales training focuses on audiences, brand loyalty, and personalized marketing.
It’s no secret that onboarding sales reps is a big challenge. In fact, 22% of organizations have no formal onboarding program and 60% fail to set milestones for new reps. Whoopsie! But building a strong sales onboarding program and sales training curriculum is the best way to engage new reps, increase retention, and drive sales performance. Instead of simply checking a box with annual sales training, organizations have greater success when they deliver types of sales training programs that help reps learn, practice, and perform like never before.
The best ways to train new sales reps
So if you’re training new sales reps, set them up for success with these basic sales training highlights.
Set up a peer-mentoring program
The first 90 days of a sales rep’s tenure is the highest-risk period. In these first few months, new reps will struggle with many questions from potential buyers and current customers. And, there’s no doubt that some will get discouraged. One cost-free way to help them through this phase is to assign an experienced sales rep on your team to mentor one or more new teammates.
Start with quick wins
For the first few months, focus new hires on products or sales conversations that are easier to navigate, not on the more complicated ones. Nothing builds confidence more than making a sale. These early and quick wins will help new reps establish relationships with customers, and more importantly, become more acquainted with the selling process.
Shout their success from the rooftops
New sales reps are always looking for tips to improve their close rates. You can help by sharing a few sales tips and success stories from seasoned reps each week. These mini-announcements will not only show inexperienced hires how to get better results, they will also bolster their confidence. “If she can do it,” they’ll say, “so can I!”
Do a weekly check-in
Check check…is this thing on? There’s nothing more powerful for new reps than knowing that you—the leader—care about them and want to see them succeed. A weekly phone call or virtual meeting can work wonders in terms of a new hire’s morale and effort. Simply touch base: Ask how he or she is doing and if there’s anything you can do to help. Check out our sales training guide that can easily be customized to address your team’s training needs.
