Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid in Selecting Professional Sales Training

Bravo to you for deciding to invest in your salespeople. Good sales training programs can help your salespeople crack into corporate accounts, speed up their sales cycle and win more business. They can transform relationships into partnerships at the same time they increase your company's profitability.

But don't be rash when you decide to move ahead in this area. It's a big investment. You're paying for a sales trainer, but you're also pulling your people out of the field for a few days too. They may even be flying in from around the country.

To be smart about getting the best professional sales training for your organization, make sure you don't make these mistakes.

Mistake #1: Knee-Jerk Decisions

Training isn't the answer to every problem. Yet I can't tell you how many times I have Sales Vice Presidents call me up, wanting to have their salespeople trained in areas where it would be a total waste of their money.

For example, they want me to motivate their staff to make more calls. I always respond, "If I put a gun to their head, would they be able to do it?" If they answer yes to this question, they have a management issue that can't be solved by bringing in a sales training program.

The other common knee-jerk reaction that I see is typically caused by a lousy quarter in sales. Suddenly everyone thinks, "We have to get a trainer in here right away." But again, training might not be the best way to solve the problem.

Mistake #2: Training on the Wrong Skills

If your salespeople aren't selling nearly enough, my guess is that you're thinking about bringing in a trainer to help with handling objections, negotiations or being better closers. That's a normal human reaction to slow sales.

However, it won't solve the problem. The reasons your sales reps run into these problems are because they lack skills in crafting personalized, well-researched account entry campaigns, fail to uncover unresolved needs or they can't articulate the business case for making a change.

Those skills are the root causes of most sales failure. They need to be addressed first. And, in many cases, after your salespeople get comfortable with these new skills, the other issues will automatically go away.

Mistake #3: Hiring the Wrong Person

Just because your good buddy had great luck with a professional sales trainer he hired for his company, does not mean this person is right for your firm. You need to analyze the program to determine if the recommended methodology works for your target market.

For example, business-to-business (B2B) sales is fundamentally different from business-to-consumer sales, pharmaceutical sales or leisure product sales. Even when you're assessing B2B sales experts, you'll find some excel at prospecting, while others specialize in account growth, networking or presentations.

Be selective when you choose professional sales training programs. Pick the methodology and expertise that will make the biggest difference for your salespeople. Make sure the trainer has experience in your industry or selling to your decision makers. That way you're most likely to get the maximum value for your investment.

To be smart about getting the best professional sales training for your organization, make sure you don't make these mistakes.