How can you keep sales training programs relevant?

Había una vez un instructor peculiar que ense?aba en un reino donde sus alumnos eran animales: una serpiente, un mono, un pez, un elefante y una jirafa. Con su lección lista, les pidió a todos que subieran a un árbol y bajaran una manzana de la última rama. Esta tarea desafiante refleja la diversidad de habilidades y desafíos que enfrentan los vendedores en el mundo actual. Cada animal representaba un tipo diferente de vendedor, y la tarea destacó la importancia de adaptar las estrategias de ventas a las habilidades individuales y a las demandas del entorno. La moraleja es clara: la capacitación en ventas debe ser flexible y personalizada para cada vendedor, reconociendo sus fortalezas únicas y adaptándose a un mercado en constante cambio.

Role play. Have one of the salespeople bring a deal they are CURRENTLY working on, to the daily sales training session. (Hint: Daily) Then, walk through different scenarios with the other salespeople playing the prospect. Also, let the salesperson working on the deal, play the customer. You'll get a ton of ideas and they will all be relevant to the current sale.

Forget those role-plays where everyone knows it's fake. Throw in curveballs – cranky clients, unexpected objections – get those reps scrambling, that's when the real learning happens.

Sales training can mean Product/Offering training to ensure the sellers understand what they sell. Sales training can also be Sales Soft Skill training (e.g., Presentation, Communications) or Sales Methodology training (CRM process, MEDDICC framework).

Because a sales coach and their team are constantly working from a shared roadmap, this is fairly easy. To keep things relevant in a 1/1 there needs to be at least one session a month that isn’t predetermined. This allows for one of those times where it’s "I came up against this new thing and I don’t know anything about it/would like to utilize it…” Imagine someone now just discovering any of the AI tools because they’re not exactly in a tech heavy industry. Fairly easy to ask a few questions and understand what their baseline knowledge is and ask them how they’d like to improve. It can’t all come from the coach, it’s got to be internally driven otherwise, it won’t leave resonance with those interested.

This is a big one. Sales trainers need to align with front line sales managers to understand the gaps they see in performance. Then go & understand how executive leadership is thinking about the overall strategy. Get their input on the sales performance gaps, and ask them personally how they see the gaps hindering the org from achieving the company wide goals. You talk to the frontline managers first because their input will help you craft better targeted questions with leadership. Once you have that input, go back to the front line sales managers & get their buy in on how to marry leadership insights with the initial input from the front line sales managers. This will get their buy in on the up-skill activities to hit the company goals.

The moment training feels like check the box, people tune out. It’s not really training it’s just “tasking”. Sellers are buried in more tasks than ever before because they have more things to input and update that they literally have no capacity to even think about “training” because they’re exhausted. If you want to really move the needle, ask them what they need. They probably just want to be left alone, so they can focus on clients vs. all the internal stuff. Effective programs need to be pull, not push. If you want it to work, make it about them. Choose sellers that want training. Make it personal so it gives them space to “think”. Once it’s successful they will tell others and you can scale from there. Keep it simple. Less is more.

In all my sales training programs, i customize to suit my clients. The best way to do that is to talk to 2-3 participants before the training, say 2-3 days before the training and ask few questions. Understand their current challenges, ask them what is working for them and what is not working for them. What are the things they would like to learn. This will give you a whole lot of idea. Now map your existing modules with the data you collected. Design the program with role plays and create personalized case studies for them. Sometimes i use to talk to industry veterans in that industry to understand more about the industry problems. Adding engaging videos will make it more entertaining and useful to the audience.

It is very important to keep the sales training program relevant because the world is changing every day. What worked in Sales 10 years back may not work today. It is important to understand the industry trends and customize the sales training program to align with the trend and the need of the company asking for training. Keeping the training methodology action-based experiential-based is also very important. Otherwise, even if the content is relevant, participants may not absorb it. The trainer must keep the training simple and engaging. Taking quick feedback in between the training on a one-to-one basis will also help in a long way.

Gamification, back when I was young we had this brain training game. It was popular as f*ck and even the laziest were on top of it. Flash when I was twenty something I took my first marketing class. It was a game that we needed to play in pairs. What I am trying to say. Make it a game ??. Sales is a big game why can't the training too.

I really like the customize and personalize training programs. It does not make sense to give everyone the same sales training. People are less committed to the training whne it’s a general training. When you know where the personal need is, you can tailor it. Using a tool to find out really helps. Once we can tailor it and know the development potential and willingness, it can go fast. So, personalisation is really important in my opinion. Some people need more training or coaching then others. Make sure you give each one the right time, in their tempo. In this way you will get the most out coaching and/or training.

Using real best practices really help. Invite the team to come up with actual situations. Use them in training and coaching. Provide a safe environment. Let them come up with ideas on how to challenge to situations. Let them learn from each other. Make it fun. that’s what’s making them better whne using actual situations.

Sales enablement uses the phrase “ever boarding” all the time. This needs to become a common term on Sales Managers’ vocabulary, too.

You can’t teach a kid to ride a bike at a seminar! Why do we expect incredible sales training to happen overnight or during a quarterly SKO?? It’s absurd, but also points out that the sales culture needs to change from being seen as pesky mosquitos flying around wallets to that of the true noble profession it is. Many companies have brought in help, motivational speakers, half day seminars and there’s never anything to come after that. Imagine if your heart surgeon played in the same arena…I know many sales professionals who work just as hard and make 2x what a cardiothoracic surgeon makes, yet one has constant CLE’s and training teams and one gets a book and is told to read it and "now you are one.”

Like product evolution, sales training programs must adapt for sustained effectiveness. Continuous improvement is key; perfection is a journey. To maximize benefits for trainees, regular updates are vital. . Collecting feedback post-training is crucial. Engaging with the team ensures relevant and impactful content, paving the way for more effective future sessions. This iterative process pinpoints what works and what doesn't. . In a rapidly changing world, staying informed is vital. Updating training materials with the latest insights and technologies is crucial for empowering trainees to excel. Staying adaptable ensures your program produces top-tier sales professionals.

Well... you need to understand that sellers are overwhelmed with non personalized sales trainings. So to stand out - consider incorporating interactive and gamified elements. Introduce bite-sized, engaging modules that sellers can access at their own pace, fostering a culture of continuous learning. Successful programs should be shared organically by participants, creating a scalable impact. And to do that, start by making training dynamic and aligned with sellers' daily challenges, you create an environment where learning is not just a task but an immersive experience. Don't have it feel like checking boxes and you'll be 100x ahead of where you are now.

Until the sales profession is referenced as that, a profession sales training will be seen as a "nice to have, off and on thing" vs a must. Look at many company’s quota attainment and you can see clearly why this is a problem. 15 sales people doing sales 15x different ways brings hopium and random right place right time revenue. Get 1 process, where the whole team is practicing it, working towards mastering it. Now you’ve got a solid place to coach from. As time continues, it will be easy to see who’s still working on the processes vs those who just read about a "secret technique" as 1-4 of them will get outside of the process and they will see a sudden drop in their results.

1. Stay Current with Industry Trends: Research and incorporate the latest industry trends - new sales methodologies, emerging technologies, or changes in buyer behavior. 2. Incorporate Real-World Examples: Use case studies and real-life scenarios. 3. Leverage Technology: Utilize the latest sales tools and platforms. CRM software, sales automation tools, and AI can make a big difference. 4. Interactive and Engaging Content: Mix up your training methods. Use videos, role-playing, and interactive exercises to cater to different learning styles. 5. Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from your sales team and adjust your training. 6. Ongoing Learning: Encourage continuous learning through workshops, webinars, and certifications.

Utilize Microlearning Techniques: In today's fast-paced business environment, lengthy training sessions may not always be effective. Consider incorporating microlearning techniques into your sales training programs. Break down training materials into bite-sized modules that can be easily consumed and retained by sales professionals. Microlearning allows for flexible, on-demand access to training content, enabling sales teams to learn at their own pace while minimizing disruption to their daily workflow.

The challenge with most ‘standard’ Sales Training programmes is ‘regurgitation’ The training is ‘regurgitated’ from previous training the trainer has had (often many years ago), hasn’t evolved, and/or is a ‘mash up’ of things they have found on you tube/online Generalised, standard training should have been ‘killed off’ many years ago! In Stand Out Selling, the best results over the years (and our number and quality of testimonials and recommendations would back that up) has been the regular updating of material/tactics for an ever changing market, truly personalising the approach and content, making sure you have a kick-ass presenter motivating everyone, and having the experience to give advice when asked! Without that, failure awaits.