The reluctance for many companies to invest in sales training is growing. This is mainly because sales people have a high turnover.
Sales Training is important because sales provides your income which is the lifeblood of business.
A well trained sales team will outsell your competitors and build relationships for future business. You would never hire a solicitor, accountant or trades person if they hadn’t been trained and sales is equally important.
They get board in one job and move to another. The training you are paying for is therefore used in someone else’s business.
How much does sales training cost – can you really put a price on it?
However training sales staff is essential to ensure that they are happy and selling efficiently. Sales training advice is needed for any growing company in the UK.
We have put together a list of 5 reasons to use sales training within any UK business.
1/ Improved Communication
Selling is all about reading signs and communicating efficiently. A good sales person should be able to lead a conversation through the buying process and into a sale. Sales people need to be able to listen to their customers needs, and meet those needs with solutions without the need for a hard sell. God gave us 2 ears and one mouth, all too often sales people do not listen. A good sales person should also be able to hear what a customer is not saying, so as to intuitively meet their needs.
2/ Product Knowledge
With many companies, services and products change and develop, particularly in the technology or medical sectors. Sales training includes product knowledge. We have all had sales people selling to us when it was clear they did not know what they were selling. Your sales person needs to be an expert in your business
3/ Staff Retention
Sales people normally move on from one business to another if they are not selling. If they are not selling, they are not meeting their targets. They are not earning their commission and therefore either get fired, or leave unfulfilled. If you train your staff to sell your products well, this will improve your sales staff turnover. Staff incentive ideas area great for keeping staff motivated and within your business.
4/ The Maths Of Selling Is Not Forgotten
One of the central in our 5 reasons to use sales training has to be based around the maths of selling. The foundations of sales are central to any successful sales person. Certainly product knowledge and industry experience are important, but the core sales skills are sometimes forgotten. We have all heard to the friend that is referred to as ‘he is a natural sales person’. Indeed being natural at selling is one thing, but it is also an art that can and should be learned. Learning things like objection handling, negotiation and closing are essential skills for a sales person of any caliber.
Another thing to bear in mind is that sales people get into bad habits. This is natural and can happen to anyone, which is why refresher courses are a good idea. Remind the seasoned sales person of the basics. They will moan and say they know it, but do they always practice it?
5/ Your Brand
Your sales team are at the front end of bringing in new business to your company. If they are messy, forgetful, poor at time keeping this all reflects on your brand. Can you afford to look less attractive in your industry? Surely this is a good opportunity for your competitors to pick up a client if your sales person has not effectively marketed your brand.
If you are in need of sales training, we are here to help. We advise using sales training companies that know your industry and know your business. This way they can train your sales staff not just on core sales skills, but also on your products or services.
Choosing a marketing company to handle your sales training will always be difficult, as there are so many.
Your could spend time going through search engines to find a sales training company, or fill in the form to let us help you get quotes to compare. If you want to know how much sales training will cost your company, just fill in the form.