5 sales training techniques every business should use

Giving your salespeople every advantage over their competition is essential to success in today's business world, and it all starts with strategic sales training programs for companies.

According to the Harvard Business Review, companies in the US collectively spend over $70 billion each year on training, which equates to approximately $1,500 per salesperson. On average, this level of spending is almost 20% more than what companies spend training employees in other departments. Unfortunately, many professional sales training programs still utilize a lecture-based, seminar format, usually involving several days of sitting in conference rooms.

Over the last few years, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing in-person gatherings, these standard practices have had to be reimagined for a virtual world, (luckily) leading to better, more effective sales training techniques.

Interested in learning more about different sales training methods that can engage employees and drive results?

To help ensure that your training keeps up with the current trends, we’re providing you with the best sales training guide. Today, we’ll review:

• The importance of quality sales training workshops
• Top tips for developing and implementing sales agent training programs
• Different types of sales training techniques your organization should use
  
  

Let’s get started!

The importance of professional sales training programs

A properly trained sales team will generate new leads and opportunities for your company, so implementing the best sales training benefits everyone.

But in order to convert new sales, salespeople need to:

• Know the ins and outs of your sales cycle and product/services
• Communicate to prospects within seconds what sets your company apart from the competition
• Overcome objections and move the client into the proposal stage
• Ask for the sale and create urgency in the sales process
  
  

Different sales training methods help employees learn these strategic skills so that they can make connections that gain and keep customers. The best sales development programs help a salesperson:

• Learn about your company and the product they’re selling
• Understand the competition and what sets your company apart
• Explore new sales opportunities and clients
• Nurture client relationships
• Develop strategies for increasing sales
• Continuing education to enhance current skills
  
  

Sales training providers can develop programs tailored to your company’s strategic goals.

For example, if you know your team needs to focus on closing sales, you can work with a provider that offers the most relevant selling skills training programs. But if you can’t find what you’re looking for or you want to take the lead on customizing your new training program you can also develop your own program for your sales agent training.

Tips for developing successful sales training programs for companies

Professional sales training programs aren’t built overnight. Developing a successful sales agent training program can take time and energy, but these efforts will pay off in a more confident and competent team that gets the results you’re working toward.

The following tips will help you get started planning an effective training program:

1. Identify your specific sales training objectives and goals
2. Study other successful programs to see examples and identify what you like and don’t like
3. Decide which learning formats work best for not only your team but each of your objectives and goals
4. Select the best learning management system (LMS) to support the program
5. Monitor success, request feedback, and implement necessary changes as you go
   
   

The best sales development programs have put the end-user, your sales rep, front and center. Following the steps above can ensure that you eventually end up with a training program that engages sales reps and drives results.

The best sales training techniques

When you invest money in the right sales team, you want to make sure you’re training them to reach their full potential. With more team members working remotely and the sales process taking place virtually, flexibility is the name of the game for modern employees. The most effective sales training programs for companies involve multiple formats.

Leveraging different sales training methods will increase engagement and productivity as your team develops the necessary skills to perform at their highest level.

Here are five sales training techniques to consider including in your sales training program.

#1 Microlearning

Expecting your employees to listen to and remember information from multiple hour-long lectures is a fantasy. Many people have trouble focusing for forty seconds straight, let alone an hour. Additionally, lectures can be a challenge for people who aren’t auditory learners.

Presenting the same information in 5-to-10-minute bite-sized modules, such as videos, audio files, PowerPoint presentations, or simulations, increases the chances of your team members paying attention and retaining the information.

#2 Gamification

Gamification is a fun way for your sales team to learn and practice techniques and behaviors.

In addition to engaging their brains in a unique and fun learning format, they’ll receive instant feedback on how they’re doing as they see their scores in real-time. This sales training technique helps increase confidence and motivation as your sales team works toward rewards. They’ll learn what they need to do to achieve a high score, all while engaging with content that helps them build their sales-related skills.

#3 Job shadowing

Sitting at a desk and completing online content can only get someone so far. Seeing the concepts you’re learning about in action is a vital part of the process.

Hands-on learning under the supervision of a seasoned employee gives other employees real-world insight into how salespeople represent your company. Also, watching other team members handle questions and objections shows new employees how to think on their feet.

By getting additional real-life, in-the-field training, sales reps will learn new and creative strategies they can try out on their own.

#4 Sales training workshops

Sales training workshops are designed to accelerate the performance of your sales department. Even the best sales training program needs to be supplemented with other initiatives. We call this ongoing, continuous training.

Here are some workshop topic ideas you might consider to further upskill your sales team:

• Understanding the sales cycle in your industry
• Improving customer relationships in a competitive market
• How to close deals in the face of strong objections
  
  

You’ll want to pick the best sales training company that aligns with your organization’s culture and goals. Find a company that offers workshops that reimagine how your company approaches sales methodology and will provide training on a topic that fills a skills gap on your team.

#5 On-demand learning

On-demand learning is the best way to ensure your employees have access to the information they need when they need it. The pandemic caused a paradigm shift in how we work and learn, and the ability to access training from anywhere on multiple devices is non-negotiable. Supporting mobile learning allows your employees to work on their training and locate key resources while in the field.

Choosing the best sales training company to upskill your team

Creating and implementing proper sales training programs for companies can be quite an undertaking. But if you approach it strategically, your returns will be limitless.

By stressing the importance of professional sales training programs and developing them with proven principles and sales training techniques in mind, your sales team and organization will be well on their way to achieving (and surpassing) sales goals.

If you’re unsure how to go about creating and implementing sales agent training on your own, you can always connect with the experts.

At Unboxed Training & Technology, we understand the importance of training and continuous learning. Whether you want to create a custom program or invest in one of the best turn-key learning platforms, we have everything you need. Built with your employees in mind, Unboxed takes the principles of gamification and micro-learning to the next level with intuitive user design and customizable modules.

We also offer an award-winning Technology Learning Platform, called Spoke®, that makes delivering training content and resources to your team simple and easy.

Contact our consultation team to learn more about how we can help you supercharge and upskill your sales team today.