1. Continual Development of the Sales Force: Sales Training
Module Six
Continual Development of the Sales Force: Sales Training

2. Learning Objectives
Understand the role of sales training in sales for socialization.
Explain the importance of sales training in the sales manager’s role in sales training.
Describe the sales training process is a series of six interrelated steps.
Discuss six methods for assessing sales training needs and identify typical sales training needs.

3. Learning Objectives
Name some typical objectives of sales training programs, and explain how city objectives for sales training is beneficial to sales managers.
Identify the key issues in evaluating sales training alternates.
Identify key Africa legal issues and sales training.

4. Sales Training at UPS: from Selling Rates to Selling Solutions
Setting the Stage
Sales Training at UPS: from Selling Rates to Selling Solutions
What are the three objectives UPS hopes to accomplish with its new training program?
Why does UPS spend more money to bring salespeople to the training? What activities do UPS salespeople do during training?
Answers
1. The three objectives are: 1) provide salespeople with the competencies necessary to have a conversational comfort level with varied technology offerings; 2) provide an understanding of what technology can do for customers; and 3) integrate the technological understanding into UPS’s sales methodology and strategy.
2. UPS believes it provides salespeople the sense that the company values them and engenders their loyalty to the company, as well as creates a sense of camaraderie. Divided into two groups, students listen to lectures and presentations, participate in discussions and roundtables, work in teams, and role play for nine to ten hours each day.

5. Role of Sales Training in Sales Force Socialization
Sales training helps socialize the new hires, providing them with a positive:
Role Definition — An understanding of what tasks are to be performed, what the priorities of the tasks are, and how time should be allocated among the tasks.
Initiation to Task — The degree to which a sales trainee feels competent and accepted as a working partner 2

6. Sales Training as a Crucial Investment
Most organizations see a link between sales training and salesperson productivity
U.S. companies spend approximately $8.7 billion annually on training
The need for sales training is continual
Sales managers play a crucial role in the training process 2

7. Managing the Sales Training Process
Assess Sales Training Needs
Set Training Objectives
Evaluate Training Alternatives
Design Sales Training Program
Perform Sales Training
Conduct Follow-Up and Evaluation 5

8. Assess Training Needs
Determine desired skill set and levels of performance
Assess salesperson’s actual skill set and levels of performance
Analyze gap between desired and actual to determine training needs 5

9. Assess Training Needs: Methods
Sales Force Audit
Performance Testing
Observation
Salesforce Survey
Customer Survey
Job analysis 5

10. Typical Sales Training Needs
Sales Techniques: Salespeople have an ongoing need to learn “how to sell”
Product Knowledge: Salespeople must know their product benefits, applications, competitive strengths, and limitations 7

11. Typical Sales Training Needs
Customer Knowledge: Salespeople should know their customer needs, buying motives, buying procedures, and personalities.
Competitive Knowledge: Salespeople must know competitive offerings in terms of strengths and weaknesses. 7

12. Typical Sales Training Needs
Time and Territory Management: Salespeople should learn to maximum work efficiency. 7

13. Competencies of Successful Salespeople
Aligning customer/supplier strategic objectives
Listening beyond product needs
Understanding the financial impact of decisions
Orchestrating organizational resources
Consultative problem solving 7

14. Competencies of Successful Salespeople
Establishing a vision of a committed customer/supplier relationship
Engaging in self-appraisal and continuous learning 7

15. Common Mistakes Sales Training Addresses
Ineffective listening and questioning
Failure to build rapport and trust
Poor job of prospecting for new accounts
Lack of preplanning of sales calls
Reluctance to make cold calls (without an appointment) 7

16. Common Mistakes Sales Training Addresses
Lack of sales strategies for different accounts
Failure to match call frequency with account potential
Spending too much time with old customers 7

17. Common Mistakes Sales Training Addresses
Over-controlling the sales call
Failure to respond to customers’ needs with benefits
Giving benefits before clarifying customers’ needs
Ineffective handling of negative attitudes
Failure to effectively confirm the sale 7

18. Training Objectives Increase sales or profits
Create positive attitudes and improve salesforce morale
Assist in sales force socialization
Reduce role conflict and ambiguity 8

19. Training Objectives
Introduce new products, markets, and promotional programs
Develop salespeople for future management positions
Ensure awareness of ethical and legal responsibilities 8

20. Training Objectives Teach administrative procedures
Ensure competence in the use of sales and sales support tools
Minimize sales force turnover rate
Prepare new salespeople for assignment to a sales territory
Improve teamwork & cooperative efforts 8

21. Evaluate Training Alternatives
Selecting Sales Trainers
Internal
External
Selecting Sales Training Locations
Decentralized (e.g., district or regional offices)
Centralized (e.g., corporate headquarter) 9

22. Evaluate Training Alternatives
Selecting Sales Training Methods
Classroom/Conference Training
On-the-job Training (OJT)
Mentoring
Job rotation 9

23. Evaluate Training Alternatives
Selecting Sales Training Methods
Behavioral Simulations
Absorption Training
Selecting Sales Training Media
Internet
Computer-Based (e.g., CD-ROM)
Paper-Based 9

24. Design the Sales Training Program
Finalize the Training Program
Schedule Training Sessions
Make Necessary Travel Arrangements
Make Necessary Accommodation Arrangements 9

25. Perform Sales Training
As the training is being conducted, the sales manager’s primary responsibility is to monitor progress of the trainees and to ensure adequate presentation of the training topics. 9

26. Conduct Follow-Up and Evaluation
It is always difficult to measure the effectiveness of sales training. Nevertheless, a reasonable attempt must be made to assess whether current training expenditures are worthwhile and whether future modification is warranted. 9