APACSMA in CNA938 Money Mind!

November 3, 2022

Our CEO, Zeenath Kuraisha, had a great time speaking to Stanley Leong and Andrea Heng on CNA938 Money Mind regarding effective training for sales, how sales training and the industry have changed over the years, and future challenges that APACSMA foresees.

They covered sales training in general, what it covers, why it matters and how success is measured.

Zeenath shared that Sales training typically involves solution and product knowledge, industry-based sales approaches and methodologies, proper objection handling, competitive skills, communication skills, essential human relationship management, soft skills such as empathy, reliability, being a trusted advisor as well as maximizing technology and use of the digital platform to your advantage.  She also shared the importance of sales training and how it has changed over time from how it used to be. More interactions are moved online, and B2C and B2B customers are more likely to engage online than face-to-face or hybrid which is a combination of both. Buyers have changed and so how we sell should change too. Companies and industries have evolved. Industries are going through rapid digital transformation and changes to their internal operational needs and processes. Sellers need to be equipped with this knowledge and be on top of these changes to better recommend and discuss solutions tailored to customers’ future growth areas. Sellers should also be aware of other solution availability, and competitive features to be able to guide buyers. Buyers nowadays have an overwhelming amount of information that needs to be simplified and better guided in their buying and decision journey. While sales training and sales enablement can support as much as possible, sellers today also have an equal responsibility to self-equip themselves and be involved in self-directed learning.

Apart from buyer engagement, sellers need to be equipped with technology skills that involve AI, marketing and sales automation, lead generation AI tools, and remote working / virtual selling tools to improve the way they work and be more efficient with their sales operations.

She said as a sales training organization, is not just about focusing on sales training alone but also on L&D and adult learning practices that need to look at learner engagement like personalized learning options, role plays, and video coaching.

She also mentioned how companies can ensure sales training can be mutually beneficial for both the organization and the employees. She said, “It’s a win-win situation for both. People need to continuously upskill, reskill and develop themselves to keep their relevancy to the job they are employed, and companies benefit from skilled talents who can help them achieve their goals and objectives.”

Zeenath also noted that there’s a lack of accredited or endorsed professionally trained sales trainers and coaches in the industry. APACSMA also foresees challenges in the sellers being trained in unethical practices. Trainers need to be recent or active practitioners who can guide future sellers on current and forward-thinking best practices, understand and have used and are well versed with new techniques and technologies, real customer scenarios and solutions and are able to teach selling into diverse cultures, markets, and industries. Another area of requirement will be the ability to supply training in local languages.

To wrap it up companies need to continue to develop and harness the skills of our sales individuals and mentor newbies with the help of industry-endorsed sales curriculums, courses, sales readiness programmes and coaching solutions that are designed to boost productivity and maximize the potential of the individual without of course breaking the bank. And it should be relevant, simplified, effective, and fast for a sales rep to get into the field and start meeting clients.

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About Asia Pacific Sales & Marketing Academy Pte Ltd (APACSMA)

APACSMA and the E-University of Sales as of September 30, 2022, is a leading authority and preeminent online academy for sales training, certification, sales skills assessment and standards and associated sales enablement services. They are dedicated to helping their clients, communities and associates unlock their full potential through sales education. Headquartered in Singapore and serving globally, APACSMA supports Global fortune 500, VC-funded high growth start-ups and SME enterprises across various industries. APACSMA has been recognized as the Educational Institute with Best Academic & Industry Interface by CMO Asia, Best Sales Development Programme by Times Ascent, Best Sales Training Programme and Best Digital Training Provider by Human Resources Asia and the Top 100 Leaders in Education by Global Forum for Education and Learning. More information is available at www.apacsma.com.

SOURCE: Asia Pacific Sales & Marketing Academy in CNA938 Money Mind with Andrea Heng and Stanley Leong is Every weekday from 10am to 2pm. Tune in to hear more on how the right moves can get your money, your career and your company ahead of the competition.