Steph, our sales manager in a financial institution, was very happy with her two new recruits, and while they were not experts in either financial services or sales, she liked their attitude and apparent keenness to learn. In fact, their motivation appeared much higher than the rest of the team.

Finding herself with two compelling yet competing needs — motivation and sales training, Steph opted for the latter first.

THE CURRENT PRACTICE

The current practice was that HR would identify three sales trainers, request proposals for delivering a day’s training either in the basics or at an advanced level, evaluate the proposals and choose one.

Having made a decision on a sales trainer, HR and the sales manager would invite them in, have a discussion usually surrounding poor sales results, and instruct the trainer to focus on handling objections and closing techniques.

Not unexpectedly the basis for making a decision had nothing to do with business-level sales objectives or long-term results. In fact, HR’s function was to identify and engage a trainer, conduct the training, have the trainees complete an evaluation sheet at the end of the day, and if the scores were good, HR would be satisfied. If they were not great, they would simply employ someone else next time.

THE SIX-STEP PROCESS OF MANAGING SALES TRAINING

Steph was unhappy with this because it did not appear to address the sales manager’s real needs; but what could she do?

Steph, as expected, met with her trusted advisor for a coffee. A firm believer that nothing is quite so practical as applying good theory, Steph was excited with what she learnt after just a few minutes.

There were six interrelated steps in the sales training process: assess training needs, set training objectives, evaluate training alternatives, design the sales training programme, perform sales training, and conduct follow-up and evaluation. Let’s take a quick look at each of these steps.

STEP 1: ASSESS SALES

The purpose of sales training needs assessment is to compare the specific performance-related skills, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours required for salesforce success with the present state of readiness of the salesforce. Such an assessment usually reveals a need for changing or reinforcing one or more determinants of sales force performance.

The big problem here is this: does HR or the sales manager know precisely what to look for when conducting the needs assessment?

In this case, neither Steph nor the new HR manager were sure exactly what to look for.

STEP 2: SET TRAINING OBJECTIVES

Sales training must have SMART objectives. While they will vary from one company to another, they should include both quantitative and qualitative targets among which are sales or profits, creating positive attitudes, and improving sales force morale.

STEP 3: EVALUATE TRAINING ALTERNATIVES

The evaluation of alternatives for training inevitably leads to three key questions. First, who will conduct the training?

Steph, not having the resources in house, needed an external source, but the company had very little to show by way of improved productivity from previous sales training. The tendency was to blame the trainer, but was it fair to do so?

The second question deals with location for the training. That was easy.

The third question is which method (or methods) and media are best suited for conducting the training? With 84 per cent of top-performing sales organisations using behavioural simulations effectively, could she find someone who was really good at using this method?

And how about distance learning? Here in Jamaica there is a raging debate about its effectiveness. Steph wondered whether her people would adapt well to it. Not this time, she thought.

STEP 4: DESIGN THE TRAINING PROGRAMME

The fourth step in the sales training process is a culmination and condensation of the first three steps discussed prior.

Working toward selected objectives based on needs assessment and having evaluated training alternatives, HR and the sales manager now commit resources to the training. In this step of designing the training programme, the necessary responses to what, when, where, and how questions are finalised.

STEP 5: PERFORM SALES TRAINING

The fifth step in the process, actually performing the training, may take only a fraction of the time required by the previous steps. This is particularly true in better sales training programmes.

As the training is being conducted, the sales manager’s primary responsibility is to monitor the progress of the trainees and to ensure adequate presentation of the training topics. In particular, sales managers should assess the clarity of training materials.

It is also recommended that some assessment of the trainees’ continuing motivation to learn be made. Feedback from the trainees may be solicited on everything, from the effectiveness of external trainers to the adequacy of the physical training site. But this is not the final step in the sales training process.

STEP 6: CONDUCT FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION

Steph thought that sales training should be an investment with an appropriate return on investment rather than an expenditure, even if it could not be accurately measured. So what should she do to ensure this?

She knew that she had to go back to her objectives and keep on measuring and monitoring the performance of her people after the training. In fact, there is an abundance of research conducted by Huthwaite that shows that sales training effectiveness jumps when it is complemented by expert in-the-field coaching.

But all this left her with one lingering question. Clearly she needed to reinforce training in subsequent weeks, but was she capable of doing so on her own? Or should she seek external help with cementing taught principles? Not an easy decision in her context, but it seemed necessary.

Two hours of mulling over her situation and Steph was exhausted. Enough for today, she thought. So much to digest in just one sitting, but there is no time to relax because next she must turn her attention to the equally important matter of sales force motivation.

Shall we discuss that next week?

Written by Herman D Alvaranga of the Caribbean School of Sales Management (CSSM), the region’s first specialist sales, marketing and brand management college. E-mail hdalvaranga@cssm.edu.jm