Sales training is organised and carried out very differently in each business.  Many companies regularly train their staff in a planned way, whereas others train sporadically.

Training sales people is not cheap. There are direct costs, there are also the cost of lost time that the sales people could have spent actively selling instead. It is therefore important to ensure sales training is effectively planned, organised and implemented. This article covers some of the key areas relating to the planning of training, together with who should be responsible for managing the whole process. Consider how your business compares?

Who is responsible for deciding the training programme? In a large business the sales manager and/or in-house sales trainer are responsible for these decisions.  However, in smaller companies the Managing Director or Senior Executive is responsible for training.

Who sets the budget? In large companies only a third of the budget is set by management with the most important role being led by training departments. This is followed by the sales managers. In smaller companies, the order the reverse: in most cases responsibility for the budget lies with management, followed by the sales managers.

Technical competence primarily controls budgeting for training matters in large businesses, in smaller ones the responsibility follows the hierarchy.

Who plans and organises sales training? In over 90% of large businesses, the training department is responsible. In smaller businesses either the business or the sales management have the responsibility. It is surprising that with such an important task there is often very little co-operation between the responsible parties.

Who delivers the sales training? In the majority of large companies in-house trainers carry out the training and in the third of all organisations, they are supported by the sales managers.  In smaller companies, the training is often carried out by the Sales Managers. However, more and more companies are seeking external provider to deliver sales training programs.

Co-ordination and communication. Trainers should obtain feedback from leadership at every step. Even if this starts by increasing the costs of planning, the improved communication between the sales manager and trainer will lead to a better prepared and, above all, more targeted training sessions.  In this context intensive questioning of those to be involved in the training is critical.

Who sets specific, measurable goals? Business management, sales management, training departments and training suppliers must determine the training goals and outcomes together in partnership. Agreement of goals and outcomes prior training delivery ensures everyone pulls in the same direction and the training is therefore designed to achieve these goals.

Once the goals are defined, they should be communicated to all that involved in the training. In particular, it is very important that the goals are explained to the attendees and that this happens prior the training session. Participants should be briefed on what they will learn and the reasons why they need it and what they are going to learn! This should be conducted by their line manager. 

Who selects the delegates? Where courses are aimed at various levels it is important that the delegates attend the appropriate level of training. Therefore before every training course the standard of the participants’ knowledge should be identified. This assessment should be by their line manager, often in partnership with the trainer. The following classifications can be applied to parts or individual subjects within a general course and can therefore be used to focus delegates on particular areas for improvement.

Vague idea.  The attendees know that this problem/phenomenon exists. Example: they have heard or read the term ‘Trade Marketing’, but do not know what it is about.

Partial knowledge.   Knowledge is partial or superficial.  They have heard something mentioned but do not know the reasons why.

Understanding.   The subject being discussed is well known theoretically. The training course participant can correctly explain what ‘Trade Marketing’ is.

Experience.  Delegates are not only able to talk about the subject expertly, but they have already worked successfully in some fields.

Specialist competence.  Participants have a complete mastery of the subject.  They are experts in theory and in practice.

Overall view.   Delegates do not only have a mastery of the special subject, but they see it in a broader context at the same time. They understand not only the possibilities, but also it's limitations.

Who assesses the sales training? In very few business, whether large or small, does management get involved in the assessment of effectiveness of the training. This is surprising as sales training is an extremely important and costly measure.

The question, “What has it yielded?” is as justified as it is difficult to answer.   The idea of simply observing a salesperson’s turnover development following their attendance on a training course falls short of the mark.

So how can you measure the effective uses of training? There is a four-stage assessment procedure that in its basic principles is over 30 years old and is now being increasingly used in these times where budgets are closely scrutinised. The following four different effect levels are considered:

Level 1: Reaction. Immediately after the training course the participants are asked to fill out an assessment form where they express their satisfaction with each part of the course. The questionnaire provides feedback and should be used to improve any parts of the course that were seen to be weak.

Level 2: Learning success. Did the training course improve the salespeople’s knowledge, attitude towards sales, attitude towards the customer, influencing skills etc…? Tests can easily be followed by a standardised questionnaire.  The assessment of this level, as with level 1, can be carried out directly after a training session. It can also be compared to previous knowledge and behaviour.  However, it can only be compared afterwards if an initial test with the same questions was carried out prior to the training.

Level 3: Behaviour. Has the training course altered the sales person’s behaviour? Do the course participants use their newly obtained skills in their sales negotiations, in their working style and in their dealings with customers and colleagues?

Remember, behavioural changes require time and opportunity. A sensible amount of time to monitor behavioural changes is generally two to three months after a training course. This assessment also presupposes that the sales person’s behaviour before attendance at the course has been recorded. 
Level 3 is the most costly for assessing.

Level 4: Results: What effect has the training course had on the figures? Take into consideration turnover, the amount of discounts granted, costs per sale, number of complaints etc. A before and after comparison is again informative.  The comparison of the performance of sales people who have been on the training course with that of salespeople who have not is ideal.

This short summary of the possible evaluation methods available to you for training shows that you need to prepare for sales training courses and assess them afterwards if you want to be able to note any changes - ie success.  It is the same whether you have the training course in-house or externally.

There is another advantage of systematically evaluating training: it is easier to get approval for more training budget for the next year the effect of the sales training courses you have invested in can be proven.

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