10 biggest sales training mistakes and how to avoid 2 of 10

2. Companies Teach Too Much Strategy and Not Enough Execution

Look on the shelves in a typical sales office and you’ll find scores of sales books, sales tapes, sales videos, program workbooks, manuals, guides, etc. – all filled with the latest sales techniques or the trendiest strategy-of-the-day. No doubt these techniques and strategies all had value when they were taught. They probably delivered one or two good ideas that one or two people implemented to some degree. But now they’re just old ideas, stored on the shelf and in the deep recesses of a salesperson’s mind.

Let’s face it, there is no shortage of new sales strategies in the world. There are tons of programmes and ideas and sales concepts that trainers will gladly come in and teach to your sales team. And this, unfortunately, passes as a “sales training program” for many people. They simply bring in one or two new trainers each year to teach their strategy.

While learning all this strategy is fine…there is a glaring problem – no one is focusing on execution!

By execution we mean the simple act of performing the fundamentals of what makes salespeople successful (which we’ll cover in later points).

It’s like a farmer who brings in consultant after consultant, trainer after trainer – all arriving with their strategies and ideas on how to run a successful farm — meanwhile he never plants a seed…tends to the weeds…or harvests a single plant. But he does know HOW he SHOULD do it!

The answer is to shift the focus away from JUST learning new strategy and on to the execution of the fundamentals.

We’re not suggesting that the farmer shouldn’t learn new ideas, we’re simply saying that the new ideas will go much further if he’s paying attention to the fundamentals of good farming!

If/when you are ready for some sales training that focuses on execution, call me on 0412 921 292.

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