Sales Training is a Waste

Written by Chris Collie

All too often, well intentioned sales leaders enroll their sales representatives in expensive sales training programs only to see little or no return on their investment in increased performance.

This is largely attributed to the practice of training professionals finding it convenient to reuse the same content across disparate environments, while ignoring the reality that one size does not fit all in the real world. In many instances, employee's careers are assessed negatively when they fail to improve their sales performance after attending sales training.

Canned

Not many managers would go to a doctor who treats all patients the same way. While each patient may not be well, the cause and treatment are different for each patient. The cause of under-performance or poor performance of a sales person or team can be very different from one person or industry to the next. The sales process for telesales will be very different to consultative relationship selling, for example. Sales leaders must take time to ensure the sales training is tailored to their specific employee and industry needs. Great training content delivered to the wrong audience is of little value.

Not Practical

Airline pilot training requires many hours of theory; however, a typical pilot will spend many hours in flight simulations practicing and learning how to apply the theory. In many sales training classes participants sit for hours listening to an instructor outlining the latest 10 step process in closing the sale, without any time devoted to the trainee practicing the skills. In a learning environment adults retain only 5% by lecture and as much as 75% by doing or practice! Carefully interview the training company to ensure your employees will not experience a lecture fest and enough time is devoted to practice.

Limited Post training Support

Most studies indicate that it takes anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks to break a habit. When I travel abroad and have to drive on the other side of the road it requires great focus and concentration to break the habit of driving on the right...and my life depends on it! Many principles taught in sales training classes are new to some participants and despite their best intentions, on returning to work, revert to old habits.

Adding insult to injury, employees armed with new sales techniques return to work to be supervised by someone without any understanding of the new concepts and cannot provide any coaching support. In some instances, supervisors discourage newly trained employees from using new approaches they do not understand and encourage employees directly or indirectly to return to techniques the supervisor is more familiar with. Resources invested in first ensuring trainees have adequate support mechanisms in place to coach and motivate employees on return to the workplace are well spent.

Someone once said

"In theory, practice and theory are the same. In practice they are not."

Chris Collie -
	Chris Collie, Assistant Vice President Leadership, Education and Development AND President of Chris Collie Associates . He had been Director of Employee Development and Human Resources for Interval International. He is responsible for global Employee Development for Interval. He oversees all leadership, management, systems and quality management training for the organization and external customers. Read More >>
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