10 biggest sales training mistakes and how to avoid 1 of 10

1. Comapanies Treat Sales Training as Simply an Item to be “Checked Off” Their List.

When it comes to sales training, there are basically two types of companies – companies who are simply “getting some sales training” for their people (almost any training will do), and those companies who are making a concerted effort to understand what their shortcomings are and finding the training that will truly change the outcomes their sellers are producing.

For companies looking to simply “check-off” training from their to-do list, it’s easy to do – there are literally thousands of sales training programs available, covering every possible sales strategy, concept, technique and style. And they come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges.

However, this “check-off” mentality can be deadly to salespeople, sales management and eventually the entire sales organization. It’s like visiting a doctor and simply buying the cheapest, easiest, least disruptive solution she’s got around the office – “I guess I’ll take that blue pill…it looks easy to take, and cheap too!” Is that what the patient NEEDS? Who knows?

The potential problem of course is the patient may have a dangerous disease raging beneath the surface…and because there was no exam, no evaluation of their condition, and no solid recommendation…the solution the patient is buying may eventually kill him!

We find that many organisations simply don’t understand enough about their own needs, their own fatal shortcomings, their own weaknesses within their salespeople and sales systems, to even know WHAT training to seek out. Thus they end up buying based on the cost of the programme vs the solving of their needs (they’re not sure what their needs are!).

The answer is to look carefully and honestly at what your sales organization NEEDS, vs what you (or salespeople) may WANT. The solution may be harder to swallow and not as tasty as a sugar pill…but it just might save your organisation in the long-run.

If/when you are ready for some sales training that is designed to succeed, call me on 0412 921 292.

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