Key parameters to be included in sales training programs

Key parameters to be included in sales training programs

Start training with an assessment
It is not always true that the reps who completed their training are ready for the field. Sales leaders should focus not only on completing learning materials but also on assessments of whether they can perform key sales actives. Thiscan be done in different ways for examples quizzes and tests to check their knowledge on key concepts, Training Simulation which can in term of role plays, practicing elevator pitch with a video coaching tool. Companies should focus on assessments to encourage future learning.

Leverage peer learning
Peer learning will help sales rep to harness the ‘tribal knowledge’ of veteran sales leaders. It is important to transfer their experience and learning into training materials for the sales reps of all experience levels. Sales reps can actually benefit themselves by learning from the experience of your star salespeople and can see what ‘best’ looks like in action. One of the best ways to make this happen is through video coaching technology which should include best practices, tips, tricks, or win stories.

Gain customer knowledge through the buyer’s journey
Sales reps should gain a deeper understanding of their buyer’s persona including key business challenges, success metrics, or pain points. You can combine sales training with a coaching exercise where sales reps have to think like buyers. As different customers have different priorities and preferences, sales reps should be able to identify them and respond accordingly. Sales training must include useful approaches for engaging buyers at each step of buyers’ journey.

Deliver training in light of millennials
By 2025, millennials will make up to 75% of the global workforce, so your sales training must accommodate the learning needs of a changing workforce. Nowadays, millennials prefer bite-sized micro-learning content that can be accessed on-demand. Micro-learning can improve the engagement and retention of your training content. Many sales development reps are moving into quota-carrying roles such as account executive & account management but skills needed for SDRs don’t perfectly match with AE or AM, it is important to identify those gaps and deliver training to close those gaps.

Get New Reps Ready with Pre-Boarding
It is one of the most helpful ways to ease the sellers into the on-boarding process before their official start dates. A pre-boarding strategy must include basic training and important to-do-item such as hardware and software setup, first-week time-table, and pre-requisite topic to cover. For example, a pre-boarding learning strategy should include a short 10 minutes video of your company’s history, strategy, value proposition, and a brief quiz at the end to check for comprehension.

Understand sales process deep-dive
It is necessary for the sales reps to know which activities to perform at which stage, they should also know when an opportunity has progressed from one stage to the next stage. To ensure that your reps execute the sales process at a high level, create a series of micro-learning courses that covers the activities sales reps need to complete at each stage of the sale process. You can also supplement these courses with tactical training that gives sales reps tips to handle common objections and challenges. Reinforce the training by having reps practice objection-handling skills to receive feedback from managers or peers.

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