Sales training carries importance all over the world because companies need to earn handsome profits. The companies are investing in this training, but the trainer must have some outstanding qualities for him to cast an impression on the audience.

Facilitators’ experience matters

The facilitator is a crucial component of sales training, given the amount of investment that goes into it.

Also, the participants devote a lot of time to such training, especially when they have to travel to the training venue or even when virtual training is imparted. As per research, an exorbitant amount is spent on such training, amounting to $2,326 for a sales employee.

A sales trainer must appear trustworthy to the listeners and for that, he can share anecdotes with them about his experience. That’s when; the audience pays more attention to the lessons imparted in the training.

The training experience is a crucial factor when deciding who should be a trainer. A sales manager who does not have such experience is not an apt person for the job. A facilitator with experience in the training domain knows how to do this job and engage the audience because of good conversation skills and delivery of speech like, including intonation in voice. However, the trainer can still consult the sales manager about any appropriate skills to be included in such training.

Large-scale training requires experts, not amateurs

Also, when training has to be done on a large scale involving sales executives from all across the country, an experienced facilitator is most suited to handle a large audience. The essence of sales training is adult learning, which implies that theoretical knowledge is simply not enough for adults to imbibe some new concepts. They require practical exercises like role-play, which is crucial for retention of knowledge. A trainer needs to devise such exercises, and therefore experience matters.

The sales trainer must be perfectly matched to the industry in terms of his experience. For example, someone who has no experience in selling tech products can’t guide on how to do so. With the pandemic, the online selling experience also matters. So, an efficient sales trainer must have dealt with selling products through virtual means also.

Technically advanced trainer

Sales training is delivered through online mode now due to the social distancing norms being followed. The learners are only called to the class when their doubts have to be answered. So, a trainer must have complete knowledge of the video conferencing tool. He must know how to include live polls in the session apart from allowing the participants to annotate. Therefore, having a trainer with a technical bent of mind is quite significant.

So, before hiring your sales trainer, ensure that you study his resume to find the relevant experience as per the above factors. When you have to expend so much money, neglecting any aspect of the trainer’s experience can result in unfulfilled sales goals.

How can companies impart sales training through informal methods?

Interviews with new clients

The company can also make sure that the successful sales executives share the tricks of the trade with others. There can be a video session with an important client who has just been won over by a sales executive. In this interview, a webcast, the customer can share how his doubts were cleared by the salesperson. And how he was explained the USP’s of the company’s products so that the audience can also use them in the future sales pitch. Such an interview aims to make the sales executives acquainted with the challenges posed by the competition against the company’s offerings.

Through this approach, the salespeople in the company can learn about the customized approach followed, crucial in case he is a big client. Such interviews can also be JIT tools for sales employees who find it tough to resolve specific doubts of the customer as to why the product is overpriced as compared to the competition.

How can sales training help in understanding a buyer’s needs?

The training programs must consider the buyers because he makes the purchasing decision. Once the sellers can’t comprehend what the buyers require, the entire sales process is a waste. Hence, the sellers must have a complete clue about the different kinds of buyers and what can be challenges created by them i.e. their pain points. So, after knowing such points, how can buyers be influenced to get the product? For example, when you understand the emotions of the prospective buyer i.e. why he needs to buy a product, you can use it to your advantage. All the pain points are highlighted through his personality. Drawing on all pain points is a better strategy of selling a product rather than being verbose about its advantages which might not concern a prospect.