Investing in Your Sales Team

While there's no easy answer to this question, there are a few basic points, known as the Training Discrepancy Model, which illustrate key areas that must be targeted for your company's training investment to be 100% effective.

First, think of a triangle. The points of the triangle will be Skills, Individual Motivation, and Corporate Support.

Skills. In order for an individual to be 100% successful he/she must possess proper skills. It is the responsibility of the company to identify the proper skills necessary to succeed. How do we do that?

Identify the job function. Identify all the specific functions that a given job will entail.

Benchmarks. Set benchmarks for each one of the job functions. Benchmarks are simply the acceptable level of expertise necessary to succeed. If we have 5-6 different job functions, you would therefore have 5-6 different benchmarks.

Once benchmarks are set, management can then determine the skills necessary for each job function in order to hit those benchmarks. We need a global view of the job in order to understand what skills are necessary.

Individual motivation. As a sales manager you must create an environment to optimize the salesperson's personal performance on a daily basis. You can do that by conducting one-on-one meetings with the salespeople after returning from training classes. During these sessions discuss what they've learned, and how they can utilize the day-to-day philosophies in order to increase productivity.

Motivation comes from within. Sandler training teaches that attitude and behavior are key concepts needed to succeed as a salesperson. Without personal motivation it doesn't matter what skills are being taught by the training company or reinforced by management.

Corporate support. Corporate support is very important in order for training to succeed. Training needs to be a process, not an event. It can't be viewed from the salesperson's perspective as a "and this too shall pass" program. At times, corporations striving to allow as many programs as possible have a flavor-of-the-month mentality. Corporate support would include things such as:

Reinforcement

Debriefing

Running sales meetings

Management participating in the training

Debriefing alone will create a culture that reinforces whatever training is being taught and will show corporate support. Salespeople on the street will realize that managers are continually following through on the concepts that are being taught.

Therefore, if we want to make sure that our people are getting the most out of their training in today's environment, and we want to maximize the investment of company dollars, it's critical to focus on these three areas: proper skills, individual motivation and corporate support. When all three components are targeted by management, training dollars are well spent and both management and salespeople will be pleased with the results.

©2002 Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dan Hudock is an owner of the Sandler Sales Institute in Pittsburgh, PA. He can be reached at (724) 940-2388 or dan@sandler.com. His web site is: http://www.dan.sandler.com

---

The ACCOUNTABILITY Challenge for Today?s Business Management

In today's 24/7 driven business word, accountability is becoming a... Read More

Poor Performance - Fix it by Coaching

Coaching is about finding out the cause of poor performance... Read More

How To Become A Better Sales Manager

YIPPEE! Kendra won, or should I say, "She was hired,"... Read More

Generous Donor Refused (how qualified business slipped away)

Generous Donor RefusedPicture this. You are a fund development director... Read More

What Is A Proposal? And Why Do You Need One?

Do you know anyone who regularly wins bids? Or can... Read More

Offer Package Deals To Increase Profits And Sales

An effective way to increase your profits and sales is... Read More

3 Steps To Getting A Sales Meeting

The best way to get a new customer is to... Read More

Five Steps to Maximize Success in Targeting For Growth

Targeting is the process of selecting high potential customer accounts... Read More

Stop Drowning: Nine Strategies For Managing Your Priorities

I just got off the phone with Susan. She is... Read More

Leadership Lessons for Sales Managers

Leadership, like class, is hard to define, but easy to... Read More

The Hidden Competition: Avoiding the 2 Most Common Competitors

There are really only two types of competitor:1. Obvious2. HiddenThe... Read More

14 Top Lead Generation Tactics

According to former Harvard Business School professor David Maister, typical... Read More

The Hardest Job Of A Trade Show

You've heard this before: There were four people named Everybody,... Read More

Seven Deadly Sales Mistakes That Cost Business Owners Big Money - And What To Do About Them

1. LOOKING for a "quick fix" to close more sales... Read More

How Do I Manage Workplace Conflict?

Workplace ConflictConflict is an inevitable part of business life and... Read More

Outsourcing the Sales Function

Small to medium companies that want to increase sales or... Read More

Shorten Sales Cycles in Complex Sales Environments

Help buyers discover the answers they need to understand and... Read More

All Small Businesses Need to Gather Community Intel

How well do you know your community? As business owners... Read More

The Product or the Sale

This is a quandary not unlike the chicken or the... Read More

Promoting Your Private Label at Industry Trade Shows

So everyone thought you were crazy when you announced 6... Read More

How to Increase The Sales Of Promotional Products

I have searched for a new way to increase the... Read More

Disclosure Laws Favor International Terrorists

The Federal Trade Commission has rule that are supposedly in... Read More

Increasing Sales by Using Coupons - Will it Help Your Business?

Increasing Sales by using Coupons. Will it help your business?... Read More

Is Your Forecast Too Sunny? How to Improve the Accuracy of Sales Forecasts

As spring moves to summer, the forecast should be for... Read More

Change in Sales Organizations Starts with Me

Question: What do the following have in common?- I spend... Read More

Snuff Out the Competition Without Leaving a Mark!

Does the competition drive you crazy? Are they relentless about... Read More

Small Business Marketing: Overtaking Your Competitors

Few businesses keep tabs on competitors, yet such knowledge can... Read More

Sex, Drugs, & Rock-n-Roll: Trade Show Traps and Tips

Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-RollHere's the Scenario...You're at a trade show.... Read More

Accepting Responsibility for Your Sales Success

That we live in a time of relentless and pervasive... Read More

3 Ways to Increase Your Sales

Last week I got a call from Jose, who was... Read More

Your Extended Shadow And Successful Sales Management

In a small midwestern town, the local high school of... Read More

Profitable Relationships: Is It Amateur Hour or King of the Hill?

"We're in the relationship business?...airplanes are what we use to... Read More

A Real CRM Strategy or Just Tracking Customers?

Exactly what is CRMThe idea itself is nothing new; its... Read More