5 Components Of A Successful Sales Training Program

I was creating a virtual sales training program yesterday. We already have an amazing 4-day classroom sales workshop in place. Therefore, I was picking up bits and pieces from it, and seeing what I can use successfully in the online session.

While doing my pick and chose activity, I did come across one or two activities in the classroom sales training program which I realised could not be delivered in the online format. However, contrary to my earlier apprehension, most of it could!

And this brings me to my topic today. The components of a successful sales training program delivered in the classroom or online. So here goes…

1.       Practice – Practice is one of those things that a sales training program or any skill related or behavioural program for that matter, can’t do without! It has to be an essential part of the session and should come post teaching a new skill or behaviour. This, however, can tend to get a little difficult when it comes to a virtual session as the participants are not physically next to one another. Nonetheless, its worth putting in the effort to figure out how best you can do this based on the options available on your online platform.

2.       Awareness – Every sales professional has their own strengths and areas of development. And no matter what level they reach, its important that they know about them. It is therefore essential that every sales training program or sales management training gives the sales executive or manager insights into these.

3.       Market Standards – Now this is one area that I have always seen participants being inquisitive about. And they make it a point to ask the facilitator in every sales training program what their competitors are doing or in general what practices are being followed by others in sales. And if you ask me, its amazing what insights they pick up and start applying from the same. Which also brings me to my next point…

4.       Newness – For executives who are attending their first sales training program, they are definitely going to learn something new. But for a Sales Manager who has attended many programs before, its important that the Sales Management training teaches them something new. For example, you can teach them how to manage their sales team rather than just managing the sales pipeline.  This will surely be a value add for them.

5.       Holistic – A corporate sales training program must cover all the aspects of sales. Right from grooming to attitude to etiquette to managing numbers. After all, all of these together create a great sale and should therefore not be left to chance!