SALES FORCE TRAINING

Sales force training is an effort made by the employer to provide the sales force with job related knowledge,skills,attitude and culture that would result in improved performance in SALES,PRODUCTIVITY & PROFITS.

US companies spend more than $7.1 billion annually on sales force training. In any organization maximum allocation of training expenditure goes for training of SALES FORCE On an avg.a sales person spend 37 per yr in training programmes.

TYPES OF SALES TRAINING

Type of training offered by the organization depends on the experience possessed by the recruit.

Initial Sales Training:

It is offered to all new sales employees in the organization. It includes cos history,policies,standards,product information, Knowledge regarding selling skills New hire is also given training through field supervision.he is made to accompany a sales manager or experienced sales executive for sales calls.

Both initial training as well as field supervision is done by sales manager or by professional sales trainer

Follow up or Refresher Training/devlp.Prog

Cos need to reinforce the skills and knowledge imparted in initial training by conducting follow up training sessions. It results in updating of sales force with current information on selling techniques. Should be held in coordination with sales manager ,so that he can ensure that the time spend away from the field is productively utilized.

GE provides classroom training for 20 days a yr to ensure that the product knowledge is up to date. Sales Performance International, a consultancy and training co, in a survey found that sales force forgets over half of what is learnt within 5 weeks of completion of training

Training by the Manufacture to the Distributors sales Force:

To equip them with product knowledge. Eg.Daimler Crysler

SALES TRAINING PROCESS

A-C-M-E-E Model

Aim of Training(Why?)
Content of Training(What?) Methods Of Training(How?) Execution of Training Programme (Who, When ,Where,What ?) Evaluation Of training Programme

Assess Sales Training Needs:

It is to understand the specific goals for training for individual sales person eg product knowledge,selling techniques ,declining sales force performance etc. Sales Manager should assess the training need for both newly appointed sales force &existing sales frorce.

Methods used for Assessing the Training Needs

Sales manager observation

Sales manager spends time with the field sales person and if he observes the need based upon his specific short comings.

Sales force Survey:

To identify training needs a survey among the sales fprce is done..& if the results are positive,there is a need .
The cos where personal selling is the key mkting stratergy

Customer survey:

Customer survey is used to identify sales training needs. Eg 3MG2

Performance testing:

Sales trainers evaluate the performance of the salespersons on presentation skills, product knowledge,crm..etc to determine the training needs

Job description:

It clearly defines the duties,responsibilities and the key tasks of the sales persons.so its a tools for assessing training needs.

Salesforce Audit:

Its conducted once a yr.the sales force audit asks questions on training programmes and their adequecy,contribution & revision.

CONTENT OF TRAINING PROGRAMME / POPULAR

TRAINING NEEDS

Product Knowledge
Its advantages,application & limitations Done when product is new or when product is modified

Customer knowledge
Types of customers Knowledge of customers business Customers needs Buying motives In case of international clintel knowledge about customs etc

Competitive knowledge
Competitors product Strengths,weakness Stratergies &tactics in regard to prices,discount,payments

Sales techniques:
How to sell Retaining the customers Negotiating skills

Company knowledge
Cos vision,mission,values,objectives,policies,procedures Channel partners Credit policy

METHODS OF SALES TRAINING

Behavioral Learning -Role playing -Case studies -simulation games Absorbtion Training/Self Study -audio Cassettess -Manuals,books -CD-ROM

Class room/conference Training -lectures -demonstrations -Group Discussions

On the Job Training -Job Rotation

On line Training -EPSS -Interactive Multimedia Training -Distance Learning

CLASS ROOM /CONFERENCE TRAINING

Lectures

Used by trainees to present more information to large no. of participants in short period of time.

Demonstrations:
Product knowledge is given by demonstration & use of product Eg whirlpool corporation used this technique newly hire persons are asked to live in a house fully equipped with appliances so that they learn by using the products

Group Discussions:
Exchange of ideas and thoughts would be useful for new recruiters Other forms could be Case Studies & Panel discussions

BEHAVIORAL LEARNING
In this Training, the behavioural mistakes are corrected & desirable behaviour is described Role Play:

Trainer critically assess the role play, tell the positive points and suggests the area for improvements. The trainees learn about the importance of product knowledge ,about customers,competitors.

Case Studies:

They are beneficial to salespersons for better understanding the consumer behaviour ,commercial terms and learning objectives

Simulation Games:

These are preprogrammed computer packages& are based upon reality. The games have learning impact on the decision making,by allowing the sales trainees to make the decisions regarding sales forecast,pricing,advertisements,size of orders etc. The trainees are gives feedback regarding the outcome of their decisions.

ON THE JOB TRAINING

According to a survey 84% of cos use this method

In this method the new salesperson accompanies the senior sales person for some time to observe the senior making calls,sales presentations, & how he overcomes customers objections Later on the new sales person makes the call & the senior person observes him & provide him with the feedback

IBM uses this method of training and gets best results.

On the job Rotation:

In this the new sales person works in different jobs for short time. Eg in FMCG co. the new sales person works in retail shop,cos logistic deptt,field selling for stipulated time period

Mentoring

They provide advice,support,information.

ONLINE TRAINING
It costs 30 to 60% less cost and 50% of time is saved. It is used to focus on basic skills & customer updations

Types
Electronic Performance Support System(EPSS) Distance Learning

ABSORPTION TRAINING/SELF STUDY

It includes supplying product manuals,Articles,CDROMs to the sales people. Topics covered are Sales lessons, time management skills & motivational speeches

EXECUTION OF SALES TRAINING

Execution of sales training involves 5 important decisions, which are also components of designing the sales training programme
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Who will be the trainee? Who will conduct the training? When should the training take place? Where should the training be done? What will be the budgeted expenditure for the training programme?

1.

1.Who will be the trainees?

1. 2. 3.

New & existing sales people. Intermediaries(distributers,dealers) Sales Managers(talent development programmes for middle level managers,Wipro,Ford)

2. Who Will conduct the training?

Line sales personnel 2. Staff trainers 3. Outside Trainer Any one or combination of the training methods could be used
1.

3. When should the training take place?

Need for training does not end at the completion of initial training programmes sales people require continuous or periodical trainings also. Eg in TISCO every employee has to under go a training of 10 days .on going educational programmes called L earning for ExcellenceIn Advice & Profession ,includes both classroom & series of workshops for salespeople at different stages of Professional development

4.Where should the Training be done?

Centralised Training(Head office) Decentralised Training(branch,regional office,on the job)

5.What should be the budgeted expenditure?

An approval from top mgt is reqd. before starting the training programme

Execution of programme
It includes the preparation of time table Arranging internal/external Trainer Making travel arrangements for participants Arranging the place & teaching aids,manuals

EVALUATION OF TRAINING PROGRAMME

It is very difficult to evaluate the training programmes cz its hard to decide which future sales performance variation is due to training cz other factors like -economic conditions -change in competitive stratergy -motivation level -change in marketing & sales stratergy because these factors also have bearing on the sales & profit performance of the sales force.

But its impt for cos to measure the effectiveness so as to evaluate whether the expenditure is worthwhile & to improve the design & implementation if sales training programme. In evaluation Co must decide: -what outcome will be measured -how these outcomes will be measured -when to measure these outcomes The outcomes fall into 4 major categories:

Reactions:
These outcomes point out the participants perception or reactions Reaction of trainer& trainee can be measured by interviewing or through questionaire Usually done after the completion of training session

Learning:
This outcome measures how much knowledge,skills or attitude were learnt/absorbed by the trainee. In this the information collection methods are tests & interviews. Usually done before & after the training sessions

Behaviour:
This out come measure whether there is any change in trainees behaviour The assesement is done by immediate superior though self assesement or through the customers

Results:

They point out whether the outcome of training has improved performance results & benefits are more than the cost incurred. It could be done by assessing the Sales,Profit,Customer Satisfaction,no.of new customers,mkt penetration Methods used to collect the data are
Companys data(on sales,profits,no.of new customers) Market survey(for customer satisfaction) Mangers judgement

The results can be measured either quaterly or halfyrly