Sales Training Sustainability

Sales training is seen by many as the holy grail that will deliver results to their sales enhancement initiatives. Training alone, in a vacuum, will not. The 4 elements missing are:

1) Accountability
2) Implementation strategy
3) Continuity
4) Support structures

We have all attended workshops and returned to our busy lives getting embroiled in deadlines, targets, work pressure etc. and never looking back. If we are held accountable, answerable, to our direct supervisors, our peers, our mentors etc. at least there is scope for engagement. Secondly, if we are given a piece of paper with instructions on how to play the piano, and then asked, after an hour, to play it, could we? What is missing is practice, hand on implementation. Similarly delegates can attend sales sessions but without implementation or at least a strategy to ensure implementation, not much will change. Continuity requires people to view the training not as an event, to be attended on such and such a date, but as a process. An ongoing process. With occurrences along the way. Refreshers, Q&A’s, assessments, joint visits to ensure lessons learnt in the class are being applied etc. Lastly, there are over 60 aspects that can be triggered to support the above initiatives. These can include customer feedback, process and product improvements, direct supervisors of the delegates being involved in follow up and support post programs, standards manuals to ensure everyone is on the same page etc. etc.

There is more to sales then the technical elements, and, behavior based training, marketing support, top down approach support from management and the above mentioned 4 elements will provide sufficient impetus to ensure interventions are effective.