Tomorrow, I’m participating in the Focus Roundtable on Sales Training Doesn’t Work- Unless You do THIS – and I have a lot to say.
I have also been following the Focus discussion thread on “Why don’t more sales organizations invest in sales training courses?” There are so many rich points from some top experts, I want to add my comments:
85% of sales training results in no measurable impact after 90 days. That is true, and that’s why I’m asked to come back year after year. No, seriously, my training sticks longer because I make sure to get the infrastructure in place to support it.
When you take a tactical approach to sales training, such as a half-day or kick-off meeting, the retention results are worst. I agree with that, and that’s why I charge more. But I don’t just come in with training content, I come in with a message they remember for the year.
Most sales managers who have evolved from sales rep think they are the ones to deliver the training, but they are wrong. Training looks a lot easier than it really is. It requires a deep understanding of human behavior, how people learn, and lots of intuition and wisdom.
Most sales trainers have sh*tty programs. I agree with this and believe the way you can stand out is to refresh your content on a regular basis. Many programs lack the customization efforts and include outdated old school methods that no longer work today.
Sales organizations have become too reliant on marketing and are spending too much money instead of training. Yes, marketing departments tend to spend some much on trade show booth space and yet the follow-up and nurture lead strategy is lacking. Why not invest dollars in sales training?
We hire the best; they don’t need training. In today’s Sales 2.0 environment, the BEST is having the hardest time evolving and navigating today’s sales landscape.
The real reason for lack of training is poor leadership. This is a big problem today because the leaders have their heads buried in meetings and running the sales revenue engine.
I was blessed to receive 9 months of training for AT&T National Sales School. You were blessed or brainwashed? That is simply not effective anymore with today’s millennial audience and today’s crazy busy buyer. Long training programs, like long meetings, are OUT.
Top sales performers are made, not born. That is true, and that’s why I’m a sales trainer – because I wasn’t born a great salesperson.
Training groups have become their own worst enemies. So sad, they’ve literally been put out to pasture. This spells a big fat No-Po in my book. Thanks Tim Riesterer for articulating this so well.
Companies are looking for quick-fix solutions and vendors are part of the problem. Yes, vendors will jump at the quick solution and provide “instant gratification” because it requires little effort on their part.
The enormous information dumps and workloads people carry have created an ADD society that you have to put paint remover eating away the stickiness of training- This statement runs through my bones because it is so true and so incredibly challenging to manage people who have 3-second attention spans engaged for 2 days.
Sales-driven organizations are caught in short-term results, while training requires a long-term commitment. From the beginning you must gain commitment on the longevity of the training program.
Many organizations want to train, but they don’t know where to start. I believe many don’t even know what they are looking for. I wrote a white paper on Selecting an Inside Sales Training Vendor for 2011, which provides guidelines for finding a vendor.
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