Investing in sales training is essential if you want to be successful as a business. In the United States, billions are invested annually in sales training. There is a widespread belief that anyone can sell, so there is little to no investment in sales training in some organizations. A paradigm shift and attitude shift toward sales training is necessary because it is what generates income. Whether you are a manufacturer of tangible goods or a provider of an intangible service, enough sales must be recorded for the business to continue operating. It means that it would be irresponsible to employ sales people and allow them to “go ahead” assuming they know what they are doing. Let’s explore some reasons why it is important to invest in sales training with a special emphasis on the service industry. As we focus on the service industry, we need to broaden our definition of a vendor to include anyone who is the company’s link to its customers. They interact with the customer and the way they handle it has a great impact on the customer’s purchase decision.

1. Trained salespeople ensure sales success, goodwill, and customer satisfaction because they better connect with customers, know the company and its products, are trustworthy, and credible. This credibility makes it easy for the customer, especially for intangible products that he cannot touch, feel, smell, etc. People buy from you before they buy the product.

2. The business environment is extremely competitive. It is “dog eat dog” and sometimes there is little differentiation in terms of the products offered, eg financial services, hospitality. Therefore, a high-caliber sales force can be a source of differentiation and competitive advantage.

3. There are many skills that are demanded in today’s sales situation and you need to equip your staff on an ongoing basis, for example with communication skills, information technology skills, problem solving, emotional intelligence and management skills. , to name a few. . You can’t assume your equipment is equipped without investing in them.

4. Sellers can better adjust their thinking to company culture, brand values ​​and project an image aligned with what their brand stands for. I remember working for a certain courier company that was the market leader at the time. We had the feeling that that sense of pride and confidence in the company’s products instilled in everyone from the courier, the salesperson to the executive. It was the result of constant training.

5. Trained sales staff can build trust and credibility with customers more easily. Tangible products are generally considered easier to sell because you can demonstrate features and benefits, and you can “show and tell.” The customer knows exactly what the product looks like before buying and it is easier to compare. What makes a service more difficult to sell is the fact that it is intangible, so trust and credibility become very important. Most sales training programs specifically address this topic.

6. Most people will do better if they knew better. I don’t think anyone sets out to wake up in the morning to go to work to be unproductive. John Maxwell says, “Good leaders set their followers up to succeed, while bad leaders set them up to fail. Deliberate training is important because not everyone with a brilliant resume is on the job. The company has sales targets to achieve, therefore training gives one the tools to produce good results in perpetuity.

7. The service industry relies heavily on brand image and perceptions. It is important to ensure that all customer-facing personnel project the correct image. I worked in a courier company where the business manager who had strong experience in the hospitality industry insisted that whenever sales conferences or any other scheduled sales training workshop or seminar take place, the customer service agents , the operations staff and even the credit controller that managed the client. accounts participated. The results spoke for themselves

8. One of the biggest challenges I faced in my early sales years was overcoming objections. Today, customers are better equipped with information about products, including the ones you sell. Train and equip your staff to be at the forefront to skillfully overcome objections and close more sales.

9. For new hires, training makes them fit into the new role, absorb product knowledge, and get down to business smoothly.

10. One of the main issues that service delivery companies should focus on is providing an enjoyable customer experience, handling customer complaints as well as serving difficult and demanding customers, and taking corrective action when they arise. things go wrong. You are judged on the basis of the perception you create about your product and at the point of consumption, where the customer is delighted or disappointed. You need to spend a lot of time, energy and resources to ensure that you win all the time in satisfying your customers.

In conclusion, I believe that training should be continuous after the induction that occurs when one joins the company. I recommend that the training be done monthly if possible. Whether it’s a workshop, conference, or in-house training on Friday afternoon, make it happen. While technology has made it possible to benefit from a wealth of online courses, interactive videos, white papers, and e-books, it does not replace the old training workshop. It’s an opportunity for team building, peer bonding, and time away from the office, which is good for the team. Develop a budget for the training schedule. I recommend that you invest in sales training for your team.