When it comes to managing the sales team, knowing how to get the most from your people is vital. There are lots of elements that factor into this, from management style to resources and culture. Training is also key - in fact it can make the difference between a team that is average and a team that really performs. Here are some of the best sales training techniques around for managing the sales team.
● Focus on soft skills training. Yes, internal processes and product knowledge are important. But, when it comes to ensuring your team reaches its potential it’s the soft skills that are going to help you get there. It’s also important to ensure that soft skills training is being taught at the right time and in the right context. For example, providing training on objections handling to brand new starters may not land because they have no experience of this yet.
● Try work shadowing. There are few ways in which training is more effective than when it comes with context. And work shadowing is the ideal way to do this. Managing the sales team can become much easier when you’re using sales training techniques like work shadowing because new starters are seeing real life examples of what the job entails and why the skills they are learning are necessary. This will have a much bigger impact than training that is more theoretical.
● Use a mentorship system. Mentors provide instant access to information and support that more junior members of the team may not otherwise have. This is a system that can streamline the number of queries managers have to deal with and provide a much more accessible (and less intimidating) resource for those who are new to the role.
● Employ roleplay exercises. This is a very simple way to make new learning feel real - and so to improve the overall effectiveness of training. It’s a great way for new skills to be put to the test in a low stakes environment and to ensure that what is being learned really sticks. Role play exercises need to be realistic to be effective and also to be consistently done so that everyone gets used to using them as a learning tool.
● Integrate e-learning. There are lots of different ways to conduct training when you’re managing the sales team. E-learning can be a useful addition to soft skills training and group training. It allows learning to be broken down into bite-sized segments and tackled at a time that suits the learner. Plus, it can be specifically tailored to roles and responsibilities.
● Add 1:1 coaching. Sales coaching can help individuals to work on their specific challenges and hone in on their skills and strengths. It’s a great way to identify areas for improvement and create a plan for progress going forwards.
These are some of the best sales training techniques that will seriously boost your team’s potential. Find out more by booking onto our Managing the Sales Team training course.