Should I Bring in an Outside Sales Trainer?
Rock, my sales manager has told me he doesn’t have time to work with individual salespeople. Our veteran sales members aren’t being pushed enough.The new salespeople are drifting. And I’m just not seeing the results I expect from a group of experienced salespeople. Is it time to bring in an outside sales trainer to work with us?
Short of firing your sales manager or sending him out for more training himself, it’s time to train your team.
Sales managers have a tendency to pull together random resources or use generic programs. Rarely do they have a systematic measurable program designed specifically for the needs of their team.
On the other hand, a qualified sales training expert is like a batting coach for sales professionals. He or she works with the sales manager to set goals, choose areas to focus on, and refine sales habits and behaviors.
Working with a Sales Trainer
A trainer works with the team in person or online. There are individual meetings with the sales manager and/or the vice president of sales. The trainer observes how the team relates to each other and how the manager operates. Salespeople are evaluated.
One job of the sales trainer is to help the manager become a more effective leader and mentor. Many managers don’t get the opportunity to do that. They’re caught in a cycle of being reactive instead of proactive.
Dealing with Common Issues
The sales trainer can help the sales manager deal with common issues, such as:
- The sales manager spends the day responding to fires. A trainer can help the sales manager structure a proactive program, create productive relationships with management, and reduce busy work and reports.
- The sales manager fills his time with the rookies and strikeout artists on the team. The trainer can make sure every person on the team makes progress.
- The sales manager is not comfortable coaching experienced sales people or those who are older. The trainer gives the manager confidence and tools to lead the top salespeople.
Providing Individual Coaching
With an expert sales trainer by your side, your sales manager gains leadership skills to keep the team moving forward. While teams can achieve quick results with brief training, individual salespeople often need help with the emotional aspects of permanent change. Part of a training program should be to help teams reach a place where the new reality is more rewarding and normalized than the old.
Getting Lasting Results
A little-known benefit of using a professional sales trainer is to help you attract and keep high quality salespeople.
Many companies are afraid to train their people because they’re afraid they’ll jump ship. Expert trainers find the opposite is true: salespeople appreciate employers who recognize the sales team’s value to the organization. In addition, top sales people perceive sales training as an indicator that the company is receptive to addressing other issues in the company, which is an attractive trait.
Hiring an outside professional sales trainer is a straightforward way to achieve top line sales and show your team you care about their success.
If you have questions about sales training or advice about finding a qualified sales trainer, give me a call at 561-543-2323. Or, if you have experience as a printing sales coach, let me know and I can add you to the LaManna Consulting Group’s database of experts who can help companies buy, grow, or sell their businesses.
Check out other articles in my #AskRock series for more mini case studies and expert answers for the specialty print and converting industry.