The Problem with Sales Training
Training is a process and not an event.
At SalesForce Training & Consulting Ltd. we encourage the concept that “training is a process and not an event” and work with our clients towards long-term skills development plans that have a positive impact on their people and the company’s bottom line. While a one or two-day training workshop can add tremendously to a company’s conference agenda, and generate significant enthusiasm, we want to ensure all of our clients are aware of the limitations of this model. Because a one-off workshop on its own, does little to generate significant and measurable business results.
While many sales people/managers enjoy coming to training courses because they feel that they are getting new knowledge (and they usually are), far too few of them take that knowledge and turn it into increased sales revenue. The reason - effective training requires changing behaviors, and as human beings, our natural tendency is to resist change. Changing long standing behaviors is uncomfortable and awkward, especially in front of potential clients, when a sale is on the line.
And this is not necessarily good news for sales managers and organizations that have made substantial investments in training and seek an improvement in overall results.
The actual practise of applying the training to the field where it is applied with success over time is better know as the transfer of training, or learning transfer. In essence, it is the crux of why any organization should invest in sales (or any form of) training in the first place.
The SalesForce model is one that encourages maximum transfer. At SalesForce, we are proponents of the Kirkpatrick Model for evaluating training programs. We start with the desired results (L4) and work backwards to determine the key behaviours to be performed (L3). Our programs our then designed to we can evaluate these two dimensions, along with the gains in knowledge (L2) and the participant reaction (L1). Through a variety of methods, our programs are designed to enhance the learning opportunity by maximizing the potential that the participant will keep the training fresh and apply the concepts in the field. And, of course, see positive results and income growth.
Our complete solutions arecompletely customized to the needs of each client, in which we bundle our education with both pre- and post-training support to insure in-field implementation of the program objectives.
Without in-field implementation, there can be no ROI.
