I interact with people on a daily basis who are curious about what Sandler Training is, and more specifically, how I work with clients. Everybody has an idea of what sales training is and it's probably different for every person. Your concept of sales training is based on your personal experiences.
I suspect that many of you have been involved in some flavor of sales, product, or leadership training. Maybe someone came into the office for a day. Or you went to a hotel ballroom and spent a day. Perhaps you have bought an online course or did something of a virtual nature. At a minimum, if you are in a role that has anything to do with sales, you have probably read a book or two on the topic.
What people really want to know, I think, is does it really help? That's a fair question. Can you expect a return on your investment of time and money?
Surprisingly (I know you are waiting for me to say everybody should do sales training), I don't think sales training is for everyone. My experience is sometimes it's a game changer. It can transform your company. But sometimes, you'd be better off skipping the training and spending money on a family outing at Kings Dominion. You'll build goodwill and loyalty - and it's probably less expensive. It's not unusual that business owners and sales leaders want to bring someone in to do training and they say something like "We've got some budget money that we have to spend. I want to show the team that I am supporting them so I thought maybe you could come in, do some training, and maybe fire the troops up a little bit." There was a time when I'd say, "Perfect!" and I'd do it. But I have found that this is a very good way to waste money. Take them to Kings Dominion. Oh, it'll be good. I'd show up, be energetic, be funny (maybe?) and engaging, have a couple of pithy one liners (the same ones I've repeated 1,000 times) and folks would take pages of notes. At the end of the day, everybody would be energized and ready to take on the world. And then they'd haul off and do nothing. By Tuesday, it's "same ole, same ole."
So if the motivation is to spend some money, bring someone in to show the team we care about them…don't do it. You are wasting your money.
Another common scenario I sometimes find myself in is when companies insist on training every person on the team. It makes sense - everybody can benefit from good training, right? Nope. It's another money pit with no return. Many companies have people on the sales team that should not be there. They are what I'd call "Unwilling." They are unwilling to be coached. They are unwilling to change. Spending training money on them is like casting your pearls amongst swine. You won't save them. You won't resurrect them. The only positive thing I have found is that sometimes, the Unwilling will leave the company because of a new level of accountability. But you shouldn't have to spend training money to have that happen. You can just replace them. Sounds harsh but a growth-oriented business can't invest in salary and benefits for salespeople that aren't willing to grow, develop, and change. Cut your losses.
A final scenario that I sometimes encounter is organizations that want to off-load everything to a trainer. Everything. You train them and then we'll just watch the new revenue roll in. It's a fantasy. Don’t invest in sales training if you aren't willing to reinforce the training on a daily basis. Don't invest in sales training if you aren't wiling to coach your people. Any trainer worth their salt will tell you that what happens when they are with your team - training, teaching, practicing - is important. But it pales in comparison to what happens when the trainer is NOT there. If a company culture is such that you just don't have time to coach and reinforce, you aren't ready for training. Managers should be the trained alongside salespeople. They may eventually move into training geared for managers, but they must at least have the fundamentals and know how to speak the language.
Investing in sales training for your team is a big decision. I can give you many examples of companies we've worked with that have literally transformed their sales culture. But they have worked really hard - when I'm not there. A sales trainer is not the hero of the journey. They are just the guide. There are some that would say it's the best money they have ever invested. But if you aren't ready, or your people aren't trainable, or you are training for the wrong reasons, I can't think of a better way to squander hard-earned profits.
Do you need sales training? I'm not sure that's the right question. Are you ready for sales training? Do you have salespeople who are Willing and Able to succeed in their role? Those are probably better questions. If you can't answer yes, with confidence, you are better off saving or investing in other areas.
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Robin Green
Robin Green is the President and Owner of Ascend Performance, Inc., a certified and award-winning Sandler Training Center in Richmond, VA. He specializes in helping companies of all sizes to develop the Attitudes, Behaviors, and Techniques that will help them reach new levels. Robin is a keynote speaker and podcast host. You can reach him at robin.green@sandler.com. We help companies and motivated individuals with sales, management and customer service training.
