Jim Giovianzzo Sales Training An Integral Part of a Company's Growth Strategy

Being an expert in sales is a dream for every salesperson. However, with evolving market trends, many personnel are unable to fulfill this dream. Lack of essential skills hinders a sales representative's performance in a field. Conventional marketing methods are increasingly becoming obsolete; therefore, it is important to update your sales team from time to time to beat the cutthroat competition.

There are certain vital skills peculiar to a good salesman. A sales training workshop has the power to sow the seeds that can instill effective selling skills and eventually lead to increased profits.

Learning the key skills will help the person to tackle the challenges in the dynamic market more competently. A salesperson is always self-driven to prove his abilities; with a little push, you can convert a good salesperson into an expert one.

In case of new joiners or "freshers" as we call them, sales force development is an essential activity as these individuals are keener to soak up whatever comes their way. This is the phase where they can learn new skills and are more open to feedback and comments.

Key Result Areas of a good salesperson:

Patience, honesty, good communication skills, and a positive attitude are some of the mandatory skills essential to be a successful sales person. You can seek guidance from a mentor and evaluate personal performance to check the improvement graph. These skills are no doubt essential for personal improvement, but one has to even think about the technical sales skills to escalate the profit graph.

Inculcating sales skill involves learning the nuances of selling. A sales training workshop could encompass the following:

a) Teaching the art and science of constructing a sales conversation
b) Making the participants aware about the importance of situation awareness
c) Teaching them the right body language while in a sales conversation
d) Teaching the principles and dynamics of negotiations

All these stages of skill development may involve simulating field activities for the salesperson to give him a real world experience.

Several other factors should be considered while deciding the sales training program. Some of them are mentioned below:

1) Personal ego (which is given the lowest priority) is in fact the vital factor that one must consider. If you want to be recognized as a good sales person, you must leave your ego at home while approaching the customer or clients.
2) When you meet a client you must be gentle and courteous in your behavior.
3) A sales manager must be a good listener. He should listen to customer grievances or address it with patience.
4) The salesperson must be loyal to the customer. This is the integral part of sales force development. Regular professional contact must be maintained to ensure repeat sales in the future as well.