In many instances, company employees who receive the least amount of training are the salespeople, and yet they are the ones who can quite literally make a company more profitable. In terms of startups, good salespeople can get the ball rolling, and the money coming in.
So why isn’t more training offered to them? Could it be because selling is a skill believed to be natural? Or because we think they’ll do better learning ‘on the job’? Whatever the reason, startup sales training is imperative to the success of any business, and should always be prioritized. That said, it’s just as important that the training is substantial enough to cover all aspects of the sales role, including learning how to use CRMs effectively, such as what you can expect from outsourced, professional sales training.
Let’s look at some of the ways undertrained salespeople could be holding your business back:
A lack of understanding about your products and services could lead to missed sales
When you invest in third party training for your sales team, you help them gain a fuller, more comprehensive understanding of the products and services you’re selling, as well as of the industry itself. This will help them promote your brand in a more targeted manner, and not only will customers trust their guidance, but your brand, too.
Not being able to accurately diagnose a customer’s issues, could lead to negative experiences
When a salesperson isn’t able to diagnose a customer’s problems or circumstances accurately enough, they’re then not able to offer as effective a solution as your company might otherwise have been able to offer. This can lead to dissatisfaction and an unwillingness to trust the company and brand as a whole.
Sales training can help customers have faith in your brand, and see you as leaders within the industry.
Changes in technology and trends that your salespeople aren’t aware of, could leave your company playing catch-up
By their very nature, all markets are dynamic, and without professional sales training to help your team keep up with the market and understand it fully, your company could find itself lagging behind its competitors, and losing potential customers to brands with their finger on the pulse.
Whether it’s changes in technology, customer requirements, or legislation, having a sales team who aren’t up to date with these changes as and when they happen, could lose your business its place in the industry.
Hiring sales training consultants is a necessary, essential step for any business seeking to build upon its resilience and profitability, and is something that can help turn a company’s fortunes around, with very little effort. It’s also worth noting that while professional sales training is an investment, it’s typically one that provides companies with an exceptional return, particularly if made ongoing. The majority of companies who do invest in sales training, recover the full cost of it within as little as six months or less following completion, and then can sit back and enjoy the results being delivered, year after year.
