Top 6 reasons Sales training won’t stick
May 4, 2010 by Ken DooleyPosted in: communication, New Research, sales management, Sales meeting ideas, Special Report - Sales & Marketing, training
Research shows that within 60 days of a sales meeting, 87% of the content is forgotten. Here are the six leading reasons why sales training programs fail, according to a study of sales organization practices by DePaul University.
- No follow up with attendees after the meeting.
- Salespeople are too busy, or reluctant, to implement changes.
- Managers don’t reinforce what was discussed.
- Trainer doesn’t relate to attendees.
- Training’s not relevant to the salespeople.
- Training doesn’t solve the problems at hand.
Lack of commitment
Unless the sales manager is truly committed to the training and backs up his or her teachings by putting them to use in the real world, the training won’t stick to those the person is trying to teach. Salespeople won’t put any effort into a program unless their manager leads by example.
Continuous training and coaching
Professional football players are paid millions of dollars per year. Yet the actual time they perform in a game is approximately three hours per week. The rest of their time is spent practicing and training in preparation for the big game.
No general manager or coach would tolerate players who refuse to practice and want to just show up on game day and play — and sales managers shouldn’t tolerate that behavior either.
It’s essential that management take the time to ensure that sales reps are practicing what’s been preached.
Training must relate to today’s market
When it’s time to tap into a new market, reps should be given the info they need to understand new prospects’ business principals, industries, potential needs and buying processes.
Tailor all training materials to focus on how to attract those new prospects.
The format and delivery of the training must also change. Motivational speeches and PowerPoint presentations still work, but only when they are mixed with other training materials. Two training techniques worth working into the mix: workshops and role plays, based on actual prospect info.
Adapted from “Put the Win Back in Your Sales,” by Dan Kreutzer
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Tags: coaching, DePaul University, PowerPoint, sales, training
May 8th, 2010 at 12:35 am
One often overlooked element that can result in less than expected success with sales training is a lack of alignment between what the student is consciously learning and the subconscious beliefs the student holds. If, for example, past experiences (perhaps while growing up) resulted in a deep, subconscious belief that the rep isn’t good enough, or doesn’t deserve success, then no amount of rational, conscious training or goal setting will overcome the those subconscious beliefs and the result is often failure.
Ultimately, conscious goals and beliefs must align with the subconscious in order to achieve the true level of success possible.
May 12th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Abolutely spot on. The rejection experience a person can experience in sales can never make up for the heady feeling success can bring if a person understands it was earned by their talents and abilities.