Increase Sales Blog

The goal of sales training is to improve sales behavior leading to the completing the “Increase Sales Puzzle.” Yet in many cases, this professional development goal is never realized to its potential.  I was reminded of this when reading Kevin Eikenberry’s blog on Seven Key Actions to Greater  Personal and Professional Development.

Credit: Clipartof.com

Until newly acquired knowledge or information is taken in and then matched to existing schema (see Piaget’s Theory on Learning) behavior change cannot happen. One of the best questions to ask beyond “What I have learned?” is “What am I doing differently today than yesterday or last week?” This question also places responsibility back on the salesperson.

Individuals must have awareness about their behaviors. By asking this question of what are you doing differently helps for those within the sales training program to begin to make connections.

Then the next question is “What results have you seen or experienced from those changes?” Through this question, you have taken performance to the 4th level of evaluation as identified in Don Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation.

When sales training programs are constructed with a understanding of how individuals learn (and there truly is not that much difference between the learning styles of children and adults no matter what the experts say), then sustainability (behavior change) and a positive return on investment can be secured. Also any learning environment must be engaging and relevant to those attending the event.

Remember this Sales Training Coaching Tip:  One time learning events are the quickest way to drain your T&D budget without any positive return especially if you have not invested the time learning the talents of each sales team member through a thorough performance appraisal process.

You can complete the “Increase Sales Puzzle” when you invest the time to do it (sales training) right and not to do it quick (looking for the quick fix).