Sales Management 10

1
Sales Management 10

• Sales Training

2
(No Transcript)
3
Training
4
Training as Socialization

• Training helps socialize new employees to the
  company.
• Can use it to orient new people to company
• Helps to instill corporate culture
• Helps define role
• Improve accuracy, reduce ambiguity
• Learn about company, product, customers,
  industry, selling
• Can help to motivate employees

5
Role of Sales Training inSales Force
Socialization
Sales training helps socialize the new hires,
providing them with a positive

• Initiation to Task The degree to which a sales
  trainee feels competent and accepted as a working
  partner
• Role Definition An understanding of what tasks
  are to be performed, what the priorities of the
  tasks are, and how time should be allocated among
  the tasks.

6
(No Transcript)
7
General Sales Training Objectives

• Better Time/Territory Management ?
• Increase Productivity ?
• Improved Morale ?
• Lower Turnover ?
• Improved Customer Relations

8
Obstacles to Sales Training

• Top management not dedicated to training.
• Training programs not adequately funded.
• Salespeople apathetic about training.
• Salespeople resent time intrusion.
• Salespeople resist suggested changes.

9
Sales Training Problems

• Sales training often lacks credibility. Fails to
  deliver what is promised.
• The level of approach in the training assumes too
  much of the participants. May need more basic
  starting point.
• No follow-up rewards to reinforce behavior taught
  in training.

10
Sales Training is an Investment

• Increases sales
• Decreases management headaches
• Decreases turnover
• Increases morale and customer satisfaction
• It takes time and effort
• Not a panacea, must be reinforced

11
Specific Training Investments

• Cross-Training
• Training personnel, materials, facilities
• Outside training workshops
• In-Field Coaching
• Conferences
• Update/Repeat
• Reinforcement

12
Specific Training Objectives I

• Increase sales/profits
• Create positive attitudes/improve morale
• Socialization
• Reduce conflict and ambiguity
• Intro new products, markets, promo programs
• Develop people for future management jobs

13
Specific Training Objectives II

• Create/Raise awareness of ethical/legal issues
• Teach administrative procedures (expense reports,
  call log)
• How to use support tools (laptop computers)
• Minimize turnover
• Prepare new salespeople for field
• Improve teamwork

14
When To Train

• New Hires
• Field work then training
• Training before field work
• Can be days to more than a year
• Existing Sales Force
• Annual
• As needed
• New product, problem, routine, remedial

15
Training Costs/Time

• New Hires
• 4,000 to nearly 10,000
• 4 months average (Can exceed one year.)
• Existing Salespeople
• About 4,000/year
• Nearly a week (32.5 hours) per year
• More emphasis on product vs. skills

16
Sales Training Topics What I

• Product Knowledge
• Helps with rational decision making
• Competitors products as well as own
• Takes longer for technical products
• Need to know how product will be used
• Market/Industry
• Economy
• Customers buying policies, patterns,
  preferences.
• Customers customers (derived demand). Chain
• Competitors

17
Sales Training Topics What II

• Company
• Policies personnel, credit, order processing,
  advertising, sales promotion, travel, shipping.
• Sales Techniques/Skills
• Time/Territory Management
• Develop territories to enhance reps efficiency
• Plan and follow plan
• Legal/Ethical Issues
• Mistakes can lead to big lawsuits
• Money, time, reputation

18
Sales Training Topics What III

• Other
• Legit
• Computer program,
• Relationship building,
• Selling procedures
• Decision Support System (DSS)
• Questionable
• L/R brain presentations,
• Body language

19
Training Methods HOW

• On-the-job most common
• External seminars top three, major tool
• Home assignments least favorite
• In house classes

20
Instructional Method

• Videotapes
• Lectures
• One-on-one
• Games/Simulation
• Case studies
• Audiotapes
• Slides
• Role playing

21
Adaptive Selling Knowing How to Sell

• Knowing which plays to call when.
• Sophisticated knowledge structure
• Knowing what script for each situation
• Remembered situations - recognition
• Classify customers and address accordingly
• Effective sales rep is better able to
  discriminate on 3 attributes (Ineffective gt 3,
  and still misclassifies)

22
Initial Sales Call Script Objectives

• Gather info about buyer needs, objectives
• Develop personal rapport w/buyer
• Create favorable impression about self
• Communicate positive impression company
• Identify key decision makers
• Assess sales potential
• Assess buyers attitude toward company
• Lay groundwork for follow-up appointment
• Set specific follow-up appointment

23
Costs/Benefits of Training

• Costs Direct Indirect
• Trainers, facilities, material, equipment
• Lost sales, salaries
• Measurement criteria
• Reaction, learning, behavior, results
• Broad Benefits
• Improved morale (job satisfaction) and lower
  turnover
• Specific Benefits
• Call reports, new account sales, customer
  complaints

24
Measurement of Training Effectiveness

• Reaction of Trainees
• Attitude
• Questionnaires, Comments, Anecdotes, Interviews
• Learning
• Understanding Concepts Ability to apply
• Before and After Testing Knowledge Improvement
• Behavior
• Behavior on the job, Critical Incident, Time
  Series Analysis
• Results
• Changes to sales productivity and other measures
• Do benefits outweigh the costs?

25
(No Transcript)