Sales Training Workshops:

Sales Training America is a world class sales training and custom development training company specializing in sales training and sales skill development of our client's sales force. At Sales Training America we help our clients improve their sales profitability through the development of their sales management and sales efforts through SalesForce.com implementation. Sales Training America offers both public (open enrollment) sales training workshops well as the development of customized sales systems and sales workshops for Fortune 1000 companies across United States and Canada.

Are you one of the many corporations now focusing on core sales activities while implementing SalesForce.com while outsourcing non-core functions in response to intense competition?

If you are, Sales Training America can help there too. If you simply want to outsource some of your sales or sales management training or if you want to redefine yourself completely to survive mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, downsizing, or corporate restructuring we can help you.

For free, no obligation information on how we can help you with your sales training needs please contact us today.

Sales Training Tips:

Correct Evaluation of Sales Workshop Performance

It happens in most sales organizations: A salesman gets dismissed and the rest of the sales team and the whole company, for that matter, view this  unfortunate person with disappointment and contempt. And they soon consider this matter finalized by starting to advertise for another sales person, expecting him to obtain more orders than the past one. 

But was it really that person’s fault? Does the company not take at least part of the blame for that representative’s shortcomings?

When investigating this matter and talking with the bosses, we will discover a kind of prevailing shallowness, aloofness and, yes, ignorance in this matter.

They may state with irritation: ‘Oh, he didn’t get his act together!’ or ‘he didn’t pull his finger out!’ or similar unprofessional platitudes.

Further probing is necessary: ’ What, exactly, was wrong with him?’

‘Well, he didn’t pull his finger out!’ was repeated – clearly not an expert’s answer!

Here are some of the questions that should be answered:

Was it lack of motivation?

           Was he appreciated in the company?

           Did he receive any encouragement?

           Any sign of opportunity for advancement?

Were there problems with time-management?

           Was he shown how to organize himself best?

           Was he shown how to use a day-book, customer file, how to process his orders

           or sent to a course to learn word-processing?

           Did he receive too many private phone calls when out on calls?

           Was he given too many other, non-sales- tasks that were cutting into his   

           selling time?

Was it possible for him to get around quick enough in his territory?

Was his sales territory profitable at all or were they remote, deserted,  

           country towns in the middle of a draught and therefore without any hope

           of obtaining orders?

           Did a superior spend some time with him on the road to assess his sales

           skills?

Did he have enough product knowledge?

           Has he received sufficient company training or was he simply ‘thrown to

           the wolves’?

Did he have the necessary social skills?

           Being introverted is not necessarily a bad thing but did he have manners, dress

           agreeably, and converse in an educated way? All these

           skills are needed for social and business interacting! 

Did he have any sales training?

          The nicest person will not make a product change hands if he does not

          know how to probe for buying signals, how to identify a prospective

          customer and how to close a sale.

Did he have the right sales support?

          Has the company been supporting him in his sales activities?

          That is, did he have enough samples, catalogues, swatches, point-of-

          sales material, was there enough stock to sell from? Was there prompt

          delivery and friendly customer service?

          Sometimes, a superficial superior may have a quick remark in this

          matter:  ‘Well, everybody else is in the same boat and they are doing all right!’

          But was he getting his fair share of everything?

How long has he been ineffective as a sales person?

           If it took the company a year to find this out, isn’t there something

           wrong with that person’s superiors?

Did he have any personal problems?

           Maybe he was going through a nasty relationship breakup, was grieving

           for somebody dear to him, studying in the night for more qualifications,

           has a gambling problems, substance abuse, or has an illness that is

           impairing his work?

These probing questions may be considered inappropriate by some superiors or even sissy. ‘We do not mollycoddle our employees..’ may be their reply. But are they justified in saying this? Or is it merely a wiggling-out of a manager’s responsibilities?

When following-up on these questions, we will invariably find a management that is wanting, to say the least! It may show Insensitivity bordering on brutality, ignorance and superficiality. And problems with the superiors may come to the fore, highlighting their incompetence and dishonesty to their company.

And that’s where the improvements must start! Right with the employment of the salesman’s superior which is, of course, the task of the higher management.

And suddenly, we may find the whole competency of an organization being questioned, which is always a positive step. Top managers and CEOs may need to avail themselves of the services of an industrial psychologist to establish the true aptitude, intelligence and skill of their managers they entrust with a team of people.

Source: Peter Frederick link

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