Build It, But Will They Come?

Let's face it: Salespeople are active individuals who are engaged with customers. They do not want to take training. They want to be in front of their customers because doing so is what provides them with a paycheck. Additionally, most salespeople do not respond well to page-turner courses. Yet, this does not necessarily mean that your sales training needs to be designed for “gamers.”
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::/br::Here are several tips for ensuring that your sales training gets used:
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We all know salespeople are busy, so build training around their hectic schedules. Presenting short spurts of training in chunks allows them to have the flexibility they need. Therefore, give them bits of information. Also, make sure that each training segment builds on their existing knowledge. This will make them feel like you are not wasting their time by repeating material they already know.
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::/br::Let salespeople choose their own learning path. Salespeople are in their chosen profession because they want to control their own destiny. This love of choice should be available to them in the training you develop. Design your modules so that once the core or foundational knowledge is achieved, learners can pick and choose the order of the modules they take thereafter. Also, by allowing learners to “test out,” they are allowed to focus on exactly what they need to know. Perhaps, you might even allow them to gain access to such tidbits before they walk into a customer's office by creating training that can be accessed in a variety of ways, including their PDA or iPod.
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::/br::Salespeople like to get things done. The training they take should reflect this need. They are naturally problem-solvers for their customers. Training should allow them to practice problem-solving skills. Thus, create training that mirrors the problem-solving environment by integrating projects, fieldwork, case studies, simulations and games. Also allow salespeople to handle questions, objections and customer-facing problems.
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::/br::Enhance the salesperson's love of influencing people and events. Make the training an irresistible invitation to learn by providing rich media to reach multiple learning styles. The learning environment needs to be fun and interactive, with a sizzling sensory appeal. Engage learners in the environment by allowing them to see something and then do it rather than just being passive recipients who are told something. Remember, salespeople are doers, and this strategy allows them to connect to their strengths.
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::/br::It is no secret that, by nature, salespeople are competitive. They like to demonstrate their knowledge and be challenged. Allow your learners to post their winning sales strategies or document how they made a big sale. Instead of gizmos, try designing an auction. My organization, for example, once designed an online incentive auction. One month after launch, sales technicians increased registration for sales training by 32 percent and course completions jumped 250 percent.
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::/br::Salespeople will use the training you develop if you use strategies that build on their strengths. Create training that is easy to take with flexible timelines and customization. Make it active with instructional strategies and strong visuals. Show it rather than just tell it and allow salespeople to demonstrate their expertise.

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::/br::Finally, build an incentive program that matches their desire to compete and win.

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Seniye Groff is director of instructional development at Via Training in Portland, Ore.