| |
| |
|
Sales Training Information |
|
|
|
Change Takes Time
I am writing this at the Philadelphia Airport on my way back from meeting with one of my clients. Three weeks ago, we offered a training program for their staff in basic selling skills. She reported that they saw an immediate increase in sales after the program. Since these are all telemarketers, she listened in on their calls to see what had changed. To her pleasure they were asking good, open-ended questions. They were taking time to listen to the client's responses and using their comments to match them with the right product. They were even closing right at the correct time. She was thrilled. Unfortunately, not all of the reps kept it up. Within weeks, some of the rep's sales had slipped back to their original level. Another listening survey showed the cause. Each of the reps whose sales were down had slipped back into their old way of operating. It was as if a giant rubber band had been stretched during training, and now it was returning to its original size. Should we be surprised? I'm not. For years these reps had been trained to operate in a lecture mode. They read scripts and gave the same pitch to every caller. Now we were asking them to change, and change takes time. So what do you do? Forget training? No, but you may want to think about the steps that must follow a training program to make it stick. These can include email reminders, peer coaching, and manager mentoring. In this case, we are adding audio 'mini-seminars' to the mix. Each rep will be encouraged to call into a voice mailbox for a short refresher on the subject they need help on. Each 10 minute message will give them tips and examples designed to overcome their area of weakness. Whether you are offering training for your team or simply taking a training program yourself, recognize that old habits die hard. Build a reinforcement regiment to turn that training into practice and the practice into habit over 30, 60 or 90 days. Just like planting a garden, putting the seeds in the ground is only the first step to a bountiful harvest. For a free copy of "How to Get Dramatic Results From Training", please email article12@waterhousegroup.com and ask for article #12. Stephen Waterhouse is Principal and Founder of Waterhouse Group. They specialize in helping companies increase their sales and profits. He can be reached at 1-800-57-LEARN or steve@waterhousegroup.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Sales-Training - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Catapult Your Business-How to Get Customers to Chase You Instead of the Other Way Around I was thinking about the statement:The Small Business Administration tells us that 80% of all small businesses will not make it more than 2 years, and by 5 years 90% will have gone out of business. If that is the case, then why does every business out there try to be like the others? Most copy everything right down to the way everyone else in the same industry lays out their office. Unlocking the Myth of Hypnotic Communication Unquestionably when the word hypnosis pops-up in a conversation or in the mainstream press, nostrils flair, minds conjure up strong reactions of parlor tricks and pictures of late night scary movies where starry-eyed maidens are seduced to carry out satanic acts. Here we are, in modern times, where we have set foot on the moon, (ops - better watch my words - there are people who still think the earth is flat) broke the sound barrier, communicate wireless with the most modern technology and still people see hypnosis has a hoax. The Road to Pendingville is Paved with Good Intentions If you've been in sales for any length of time, or have participated is a sales training program, chances are you've been taught to look for "buying signals" from your prospects. Buying signals can be important; but they can also easily be misinterpreted. The Five Most Common Mistakes Salespeople Make Over the decades that I've been involved in sales, I've worked with tens of thousands of salespeople. Certain negative tendencies -- mistakes that salespeople make -- keep surfacing. Emotions That Sell, Part 2 In the last article, we looked at three emotions (besides fear and greed) that you can use to connect with your prospects and enrich your marketing campaigns. This time, we're digging a little deeper into the sales psyche. Are You Deaf? Dumb? Blind at Trade Shows? I'm constantly amazed how otherwise smart marketeers become deaf, dumb and blind at a show. I remind clients - You = Your Company - so when the company rep is incompetent, it reflects on everything about the company. Win More Sales With a 5-Step Sales Process Facilitating the buying process can be very straightforward and fairly uncomplicated. Yet most professionals have no idea what it takes to guide a potential client through a decision making process. Successful Sales People Know Which Differentiators Matter Know where to focus. Not everyone evaluates product solutions with the same decision criteria. Close More Sales With This Very Simple 3 Step Sales Process. As Financial Services Sales Professional you need to build trust and rapport in order to close more sales. By using a simple 3 Step Sales process you will able to close more sales and earn more commissions. Is the Sales Funnel Dead? Think about it. If only it was as easy as "filling a funnel" and having sales fall through the other end. The Multiplying Factor In Sales Success Mark has an attitude! Mark had worked in an operational capacity in the plant of a mid-western uniform company for over eighteen years. He had held almost every job in the production end of the business, from janitor to purchasing. How To Become A Sales Superstar And Have Fun Winning More Business - Start Here! One of the interesting things about being a coach and speaker is that I have the good fortune to work with lots of different people from all sorts of different types of companies, markets and backgrounds. Whilst I do work (on the motivation and public speaking side) with non-sales people probably 95%+ of the work I do is with sales teams of some sort or other! As such, I get a real insight into the challenges and issues that many top sales performers face and also into who they are and what they believe. Sneaky Sales Tactics The reason why you have a job in sales is because our markets are constantly getting more competitive. Every year, every month, and every day products are coming out better, faster, and closer together. Sales and the City It's all about relationships!Here is how a popular TV show looks at it:In a city filled with more than its fair share of players, predators, losers, and creeps, these people need all the help they can get in order to find the one thing that eludes them all - a real, satisfying and lasting relationship. Is such a thing possible in New York City?Here's how your customers may be seeing things:In a vocation filled with more than its fair share of players, predators, losers, and creeps, these customers need all the help they can get in order to find the one thing that eludes them all - a real, satisfying and lasting relationship. Just Ask For the 'big three' automobile sales consultants, the 'employee discount pricing' has made it to easy to sell. It has been great for a change. Boost Buyer Confidence By Assuming The Sale I saw something in town the other day that just really struck me as funny. Not only that, however, it really nailed home a strong lesson for me about how to make more money. Peak Performance One of the best books I have ever read is a 1986 classic written by Charles Garfield; Peak Performers: The New Heroes of American Business. Garfield spent nearly twenty years trying to figure out what causes some people to excel to amazing successes, while others bask in the glow of mediocrity. How To Achieve Excellence In Sales Most people are always striving to better themselves. It's the "American Way". Transforming Problems into Sales My silent fish tank was no more. Enough water had evaporated to make the filter gurgle. Get Over Your Resistance to Sales I have found that there are two best ways to eliminate your fear or resistance to sales. First, become so familiar with your product/service and any objections that might surface, that you simply can't be flustered during a sales call.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
