Sales training. It seems that every time you turn around there is another hot new trend to follow. However, keeping your sales strategy sharp is crucial if you want to stay ahead of the competition. If you’re looking for new ways to jumpstart your sales staff, here are some of the trends you should consider adopting for your team.
Training On-Demand
Gathering a sales team for training sessions causes headaches for everyone involved. Sales reps hate being pulled away from revenue-generating activities, and managers often have trouble measuring just how much a team gets out of training. Sales training company Miller Heiman recently developed an online sales training tool that reps can access on demand. The 20-minute sessions offer instant action plans that reps can put into practice quickly.
The tool also allows managers to track their reps’ progress through the training portals, and they can access data that provides insights into the concepts that they should incorporate into training sessions with individuals, based on concepts that reps may be struggling with as they move through the modules.
Rising to the Disruption Occasion
Technology has disrupted the traditional sales model. Whether a company sells software, machinery or consulting services, their customers are not buying the same way they did five years ago. Many firms have struggled to adjust to these changes, but this year, it will be imperative to adjust sales training to overcome this challenge of the “new buyer.”
Getting reps to change their approach isn’t easy. Trainers will need to break the process down into “stepping stones” in order to help reps build new approaches and develop and grow through each step. However the concepts are applied, managers must understand the new ways customers are buying, and they must be able to engrain into their team that business as usual won’t get them to the numbers they are used to.
One-on-One Coaching
Technology is creeping into the sales management process more and more. Thanks to advanced CRM systems, managers have on-demand access to metrics and they can spot trends early. This dependence upon technology and focus on metrics has led some managers away from one-on-one coaching. However, that trend will change.
Savvy managers are realizing that numbers are important, but without coaching, reps can’t be expected to improve. Look for numbers to provide a path to customized coaching focusing on each rep’s unique strengths and weaknesses.
Thanks to advances in technology, approaches to sales are evolving quickly. In order to stay ahead of the competition, sales managers and sales reps must be able to adjust quickly to these shifts – and still keep their numbers up. If you are on the lookout for strong, forward-thinking sales professionals and managers to catapult your business forward this year, contact the recruiting team at CSS ProSearch today. We are a leader in sales and marketing recruiting, and our experts have the experience to connect you with the talent you need to keep your competition in your rearview mirror.