How do you create an effective sales training program?

A company’s sales force usually constitutes the public face of the business. Sales representatives are the primary point of contact between the company and its customers, which are its life-blood. The performance of sales representatives can determine the success or failure of a business. For these reasons, considerable time and resources should be allocated to developing a quality sales force training program.

Develop and print a product and services information guide that is user-friendly for sales representatives. Use clear, non-technical language and be direct. Include any pertinent information relating to product specifications, styles and features, as well as up-to-date pricing information.

Analyze company needs in relation to sales force training and determine training objectives. What do you need your sales force to know about the company and its products and services to function effectively? What specific skills and techniques should they be equipped with? How will you measure success?

Research and consult with industry professionals--including senior sales representatives at your company--to determine the most effective methods and techniques of selling your product or service. Make your findings available in print form to be taught and reviewed during training.

Decide on topics for sales training workshops and allocate an appropriate amount of time for them. Product knowledge, market/industry orientation, selling skills, organization and territory management and legal and ethical issues are topics that should be included in your training. Arrange for company experts in sales, product development, installation and customer service to speak about their part in the sales process if these considerations are relevant.

Develop training workshops in detail. Each training session should include a combination of literature review and dynamic and interactive ice-breakers, team-building exercises and sales drills. Use visuals whenever possible.

Ask participants to evaluate the usefulness of the training sessions after they are completed. Feedback will help you improve the training program in the future.

Incorporate a mentoring aspect to your training, once the formal training sessions are done. Set aside time when senior sales representatives can pair up with new recruits to take them on sales calls, walk them through complex software or sales processes, introduce them to members of the team they may not have met during training sessions and offer career counseling and other work-related advice. This will accelerate the learning process and make new employees feel welcome.