This marketer has a simple way of knowing which companies are serious about gaining a competitive advantage from their sales force.

THE STRATEGIC APPROACH

THE STRATEGIC APPROACH

The best of them have very senior personnel at our initial meeting, do their homework, and come prepared to discuss three broad strategic questions. Where are we now? Where do we want go? And, how can we transform our marketing, and sales force, to help us to get there?

The third question usually leads to a discussion on strategic marketing planning, because personal selling belongs in the integrated marketing communications mix.

Next we discuss the ROI from a transfer of skills at both the strategic and tactical levels to marketing, brand management and the sales force, because they must all be in sync. They love our approach of educating both marketing and salespeople, and showing them how to train themselves.

THE TACTICAL APPROACH

THE TACTICAL APPROACH

On the other hand, when the initial meeting is with HR or Training only, and they start off wanting to see a list of clients and a programme content/outline for a sales training programme with emphasis on some aspect of a sales model, for example handling objections, we are reluctant to respond. Why? They tend to be all about tactics.

Their evaluation usually is a trainer’s check sheet at the end of the day. But we think longer-term. And if you already know what to do, and how to it, why don’t you just do it yourself? Why waste your money?

A FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGING THE SALES TRAINING PROCESS

Here’s a framework from Ingram et al. (2015) for managing the sales training process.

1. Assess sales training needs. This can be a complex process. Simplified, we compare the specific performance-related skills, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours required for sales force success with the state of readiness of the sales force. Most firms need assistance in this regard.

2. Set sales training objectives. The two most common from a long list are usually (a) increasing sales or profits and (b) creating positive attitudes and increasing sales force morale. But in this era of neo-marketing, perhaps the most important need is to transform the sales force into micro-marketers because they are the company’s agents who are most critical to the buying process after mass and digital marketing have done their job.

3. Evaluate training alternatives: The best companies rarely leave this up to HR or Training only because generally they do not have enough specific knowledge about sales and marketing. Beware sales trainers that are not schooled in consumer and business buying behaviour, sales management, and marketing management. Often they lack the depth of knowledge to transform the modern sales team. And remember that solutions selling dates back to Patterson of NCR way back in 1895, 121 years ago! Further, it does not equip your sales force to create a competitive advantage when selling complex products or services.

4. Design the sales training programme: Be sure that the programme is driven by the strategic objectives and guided by research. Always remember that the salesperson’s job is to create real value for both their customer/client and their company. If you are training micro-marketers to create a competitive advantage, your value propositions must be at the centre of the discussion. Not the mechanics of selling!

5 Perform sales training: Can you educate them and show them how to train themselves? Drawing from Bloom’s taxonomy, this requires rising above lower-level thinking skills of understanding, remembering and applying, and moving into the realm of analysing, evaluating and creating better outcomes for their customers/clients and their company. Much easier said than done!

6. Conduct follow-up and evaluation: CEOs and sales managers look beyond trainers’ evaluation sheets. Why? Because what really matters is the change in behaviour in the coming days, weeks and months. Indeed there is an abundance of research showing that expert coaching soon after performing sales training gives a huge return on investment (ROI) because it is crucial in translating learning into practice. To that we say amen!

OK . So this framework is great for better-educated sales reps, you say. Maybe. But skilful educators/trainers know how to engage students/trainees in the higher-level thinking skills of analysing, evaluating and creating. Yes, creating. A sales force that creates better outcomes for both their clients and their company? Isn’t that called a competitive advantage?

Herman D Alvaranga is president of the Caribbean School of Sales Management, first in the region for contextual sales and marketing education, training, consulting and research. E-mail him at hdalvaranga@cssm.edu.jm

Herman D Alvaranga is president of the Caribbean School of Sales Management, first in the region for contextual sales and marketing education, training, consulting and research. E-mail him at hdalvaranga@cssm.edu.jm