Sales Training Classes:

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 classes well as the development of customized sales systems and sales classes 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:

Sales Management Course: Create Your "Ideal" Sales Force Blueprint

Now is the time to rethink your sales strategy and your sales force. Design the sales force your business needs and get great results.

Tip: It's all in the thinking and planning that happens before the execution. To help you start your thinking and planning here are two case studies from our work files where the businesses got it right.

Story one: Transform your current sales team into a new sales team

"The Sales Culture transformation and competency project we worked on with you in 2008 has been such a great success for our team. The culture is now fantastic and the morale of the Sales Team is very good. We aimed for the culture we wanted and got it. People have settled into their roles and are working out fantastically. It was the planning and thinking behind it that made it work. The Competency work has, without a doubt, made a difference. The Sales Competencies are 'Gold'. We refer to them all the time and the Sales People are using them as well to develop themselves and have clearer, more accountable, performance reviews. The competencies helped our team realize how responsible they need to be in their roles."

This is what can happen when you design your sales force to deliver your strategy. This quote comes from a Sales Director of a business we have worked with for many years. They had the same sales force structure over the last 15 years and a very stable sales force to go with it. The team and structure had worked very well, however the market was changing and the business and its sales people needed to adapt and evolve to ensure they were current, fit and productive.

In 2008, this Sales Director realized she needed to develop a new strategy moving forward and with that needed a new sales culture and team to deliver it. But she didn't want to get rid of the current sales team. They were good operators with great industry knowledge and experience. She knew it would be foolish to start from scratch with a new team and she didn't want to create confusion or unnecessary unrest or anxiety in her existing team.

Her concerns rested around getting buy-in from the team regarding the new strategy and, in particular, their need to adjust their roles somewhat. Despite not wanting to lose people she was prepared to do so if necessary.

What did she do?

Developed her sales strategy and then presented her strategy to her sales team, inviting feedback and explaining 'why' they all needed to move in this direction using a well researched, evidenced based approach. The team knew what was happening in the market place so it came as no surprise to them that they needed to shift. That is fine intellectually, however we knew the challenge would be in actually getting them to shift in real terms.

To get the real shift happening she then engaged her team in the development of the new Sales Roles by engaging in a 'job design' process with us.

Out of the 'job design' process we developed the right Sales Behavioral Competencies (DNA) and 'ideal' role/person specification matched to sales strategy, product and customer base.

Sales Behavioral Competencies were then linked to the Sales Team performance management reviews and are now being used in coaching, recruitment and succession planning processes.

Sales Behavioral Competencies were mapped to measurable sales metrics

The Sales Behavioral Competencies now act as a pivotal reference point in all their work.

As mentioned, the Sales People are using Sales Behavioral Competencies to develop themselves, have clearer, more accountable, performance reviews and better role clarity which means they know how they need to perform to achieve their strategy goals.

Story two: Design the sales team you want from scratch - green fields

A Divisional Manager of a large Australian corporate came to us because they didn't want to hire people from their industry as they didn't think they were competitive in the current market. They wanted to refresh the gene pool and bring in fit sales people who were not tarnished by the industry mindset and its way of doing things. They knew that in this over commoditized marketplace their sales people were their competitive edge.

They were on the right track but didn't know where and how to start. So here is what we did together to find elite sales performers:

Reviewed sales strategy, path to market, and products being sold

Developed the right Sales Behavioral Competencies (DNA) and 'ideal' role/person specification matched to sales strategy, product, and customer base

Built a structured sales recruitment process and kit

Targeted industries the new breed of sales people could come from and went to market to find them

Built and implemented the right sales induction training program matched to sales strategy, sales competencies, product, and customer base

Had new sales team present their 'go-to-market' action plan to senior management before they went to market

Implemented a sales management support system

Followed up with infield training and coaching

Mapped and measured sales metrics

The results were stunning from a sales initiative perspective. The 'new breed' of elite sales performers achieved a sales closing ratio of 4:3 within 2 months against an industry average of 3:1 and sold the annual sales budget within 5 months.

Feedback from the sales people was that this was the best sales recruitment and sales induction process they had ever been through. In all their sales careers, and many came from big name companies, they have never been set up so well to succeed. They felt confident, proud, and capable to really deliver.

Feedback from the client: "We worked in partnership to develop an end-to-end model for a new innovative sales team. The approach was unique in that they worked with us across recruitment, training, needs analysis, pitch planning and the end delivery. They added huge value to any sales process."

By designing your 'ideal' sales force blue print you can build and achieve the following in your business:

Change your culture by creating the sales culture you want

Design the ideal sales force you want

Recruit the sales force you want / your strategy needs

Refresh your thinking, ideas, actions and results

Develop career paths and succession planning

Clear performance expectations

Clearer, more accountable, performance reviews

Provide a framework for identifying what a high performing sales person looks for your business

Profiling of the core sales capabilities / competencies for sales managers/ sales people for use in recruitment, performance management, training, coaching and succession planning.

Provide a framework for assessing the caliber of candidates as defined by core competencies and values;

As you prepare for the next financial year and are developing your sales strategy take time to reflect on what your 'ideal' sales force blue print should be. Do not underestimate the value of taking time to think and plan, ultimately it could make you a lot more money.

Source: Sue Barrett link

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