Sales training is vital to build a high-performing sales function and a successful business. Sales reps are the lifeblood of any commercial business, as they work to progress leads and clients through the sales pipeline towards a successful conversion, and then forwards to nurture a long-term, cyclical relationship of loyalty and repeat purchases.
What is sales training?
But what is sales training exactly? Well, it’s any form of structured and targeted learning designed to achieve specific skills development outcomes. For example, sales training could be delivered to equip new reps with the knowledge they need to sell a new product line. It could be delivered to improve sales confidence and outbound sales techniques, or it could be delivered to specifically train new users on in-house CRM and sales management software.
Why is sales training important?
The right sales training helps to build confidence, functional skills and technical sales knowledge within sales teams. And the great news is that it can be tailored to each team’s needs and for each industry in which they operate. For example, sales in B2B will look very different from B2C industry sales, usually with a longer pipeline to build client relationships before an order is made.
Sales training is also important because it is an investment in talent. Sales reps are the lifeblood of a company and are responsible for converting sales to deliver business revenue. Businesses that invest in their reps are effectively investing in assets that can grow and become increasingly valuable to the business.
How much does sales training cost?
The cost of sales training depends entirely on a number of factors. These include:
- The nature of the training and the delivery model. For example, will it be an online delivery module such as the one found online on our website? Will it be bespoke director training that takes place via face-to-face learning over a number of days.
- Accommodation factors. Does the training require accommodation and catering, or can it be done online via videos or remote learning at the learners own pace and time?
- The question of accreditation. Is the training designed to lead to a qualification? In this case, the accreditation and accredited delivery are usually more expensive in recognition of the formalised framework.
- The delivery model. Is the training delivered in person or via an online model? Online training can be very effective and efficient to deliver across the business, as your reps can access videos from any networked device, at any time.
- The number of sales reps that will need to undertake the training.
What is covered in sales training?
The course content will depend entirely on the nature of the training, the purpose of the training and the level that it is being delivered at. For example, sales training modules could include:
- Sales theory and application
- Sales techniques, including cold calling, client nurturing and lead generation
- Sales technologies and systems, including CRMs and analytics software
- Sales coaching and mentoring
- New business generation strategies – how to ‘drive’ new sales
- Effective communication strategies
- Digital sales techniques
- Effective presentations
- Relationship building
- Personal development
How to measure sales training effectiveness?
A good starting point is to choose a CPD-accredited course which guarantees its quality. The next is to have clear expectations and measures attached to the training. It may be challenging to set a hard measure for improvement and attach it to a particular course, but you should be able to see an improvement in results and one that you can attribute a bottom-line figure to.
Your choice of sales training provider here is important, as an experienced provider such as Sales Geek can help you to plan, analyse and measure the effectiveness and return of your training investment. This helps to evidence returns and provides valuable information for business cases and future training spending.
Embark on sales training with Sales Geek
Sales Geek offers powerfully effective sales services to businesses – from accredited training to outsourced sales delivery. Keen to find out more? Contact our team today for a no-obligation chat!
