Building Stronger Sales Teams: The Impactful Training Program Blueprint

In the fast-paced world of sales leadership, the ability to measure and enhance team performance is crucial for sustainable success. Last week, we delved into the 3-Box Model, a simplified approach to team measurement. Today, we're shifting our focus to an indispensable tool that empowers Sales Leaders and uplifts team performance – the training program.

It’s something I find a lot of companies struggle with implementing and ‘making stick’.

The Journey of a Sales Leader:

Reflecting on personal experiences, I shared how my transition from a successful salesperson to a leadership role lacked essential managerial skills. The absence of proper guidance and training led to challenges. However, mentorship became the catalyst for building successful businesses and teams.

The commitment to share these insights stems from the understanding that leading sales teams can be isolating. The pressure to deliver results often hinders leaders from seeking help. Here, I want to bridge that gap, offering valuable guidance to sales leaders navigating through complex challenges.

The Four Pillars of Success:

Over the past month, we explored four key habits integral to successful sales leadership – a robust sales process, the Team STEP Model, the 3-Box Model, and long-term training focus. Each pillar contributes to Peak Performance, driven by the interplay of Strategy, Talent, and Energy.

The Crucial Role of Training:

 While the first three pillars provide structure, the fourth, training, introduces dynamism. It demands a relentless commitment to consistency, ensuring the team embraces a culture of continuous improvement. But why is a training program so essential, especially for experienced Sales Leaders?

Six Reasons Why Training Matters:

1. Practice for Everybody:
   Regardless of expertise, consistent practice sharpens skills and reinforces knowledge. Even experts benefit from honing their craft.
2. Bigger Base, Higher Peaks:
   A well-informed sales team, equipped with extensive product knowledge, can navigate challenges more effectively, fostering trust and agility.
3. Adapting to Market Changes:
   Industries constantly evolve. Training programs must adapt to reflect market shifts, including the integration of tools like AI in sales processes.
4. Dynamic Feedback and Improvement:
   Training sessions often yield valuable insights and ideas for business improvement. These sessions act as a fertile ground for innovation.
5. Opportunities Arise from Collaboration:
   Team discussions during training can lead to cross-pollination of ideas, contributing to enhanced problem-solving and creativity.

6. Cultural Aspects and Team Cohesion:
   Training can be enjoyable and foster relationships among team members. Including diverse topics, from time management to health and fitness, contributes to overall team wellbeing.

Structuring an Effective Training Program:

The key to building an engaging training program lies in its structure. Categorizing topics into three main areas – sales skills, technical skills, and business skills – provides a framework for variety and targeted learning.

• Sales Skills:
  Covering lead generation, networking, sales process structure, objection handling, social proof, and softer skills like influencing and handling uncertainty.

• Technical Skills:
  Focusing on product knowledge, features and benefits, competitor analysis, emerging products, and troubleshooting failed projects.

• Business Skills:
  Encompassing CRM usage, compliance, updates from other departments, time management, health and fitness, and overall business performance.

Implementing an Effective Training Program:

The success of a training program hinges on effective implementation. Here are some crucial steps:

• Engage Your Team: Seek input on desired training topics from both your team and other departments. Create rules of engagement for training sessions.
• Leverage Internal Expertise: Encourage subject matter experts within your team to lead training modules. This not only enhances engagement but also facilitates effective learning.
• Diverse Modalities and Delivery Methods: Vary training methods and delivery modes, including on-site and off-site sessions, videos, discussions, role plays, and workshops.
• Strategic Scheduling: Avoid scheduling sessions immediately after lunch or late on Fridays. Optimal scheduling ensures maximum engagement and participation.
• Forward Calendar with Flexibility: Plan your training calendar six months ahead, allowing room for flexibility to accommodate unforeseen opportunities or challenges.
• Feedback and Continuous Improvement: Embrace feedback, even when sessions don't go as planned. Use insights to refine future training and maintain a continuous improvement mindset.
• Actionable Outcomes and Consistency: Ensure each training session concludes with actionable outcomes, follow-up dates, responsible parties, and clear communication of solutions or changes. Maintain consistency with weekly sessions.

Expected Outcomes:

Implementing a comprehensive training program yields several positive outcomes:

• Increased team engagement.
• Swift identification and resolution of business issues.
• A safe environment for open communication and learning.
• Soft data points highlighting individual performance concerns.
• Tangible results reflecting improved team performance.

Your Challenge: Building a Strong Training Program

To kickstart your journey toward a more empowered and efficient sales team, follow these seven steps:

1. Select a convenient time for training sessions and lock it in (Hint: training at a time when retention (and attention) levels will be high – for most teams, this is in the morning!).
2. Vary the format – training can be delivered in so many forms…instructor-led, video, role-play, group workshop, quizzes…don’t be afraid to get creative!
3. Vary the instructor or trainer – it could be you, suppliers, colleagues, external experts or even members within your team.
4. Ensure every training session has actions items. This could be homework, coaching in the field, review in team members 1:1’s or follow-up sessions down the track. Without this you should expect retention to be low.
5. Be relentless in your follow-up! Ensure any homework set and any action items are completed.
6. Content Tips:
   • Personalise examples related to the team
   • Use the three areas (Sales, Technical & Business) be your guide to selecting your training topics…and ask your team what they want.
   • Focus on the most important outcomes repeatedly during your session
7. Supplement the training program with in-field coaching and informal learning opportunities such as 1:1’s and during problem-solving or deal-closing

Listen to the podcast: How to Design a Training Program That Will Impact Your Team's Results

Conclusion:

In the words of Jack Welch, "An organization's ability to learn and translate that learning into action rapidly is the ultimate competitive advantage." This deep dive into designing an impactful training program is your roadmap to achieving that advantage.

Take the first step towards sales excellence! Download our exclusive 'Training Guide & Calendar Template' for a strategic training program that you can start building and implementing today!

For additional guidance or support, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.

In my next article, we'll wrap up the four key levers and explore the expectations you should set for your sales team. Until then, remember to live in a world of possibility – the key to unlocking your team's true potential.

Eager for more insights?

I've got so much more to share with you on the Stronger Sales Teams Podcast – with new episodes dropping weekly, listen in today!

About the Author

Hi, I’m Ben

I’m a builder of incredible sales teams, trainer, coach and an avid believer that the best sales leaders are constantly sharpening their tools to achieve an ‘edge’.

[email protected]