Content area
Full Text
Keywords
Sales, Training, Effectiveness, Presentations
Abstract
This paper introduces a training technique that is designed to improve salespersons' selling skills through introspection and discovery of success drivers and inhibitors. We present the technique and the theoretical foundations that support it. We also discuss how the technique may be implemented and provide case example to demonstrate the application of the training mechanism.
Introduction
Among the various responsibilities facing sales managers, training the sales force is perhaps the most challenging. Sales training can be defined as the systematic effort to "identify, understand, and transfer `good selling practices' to sales personnel" (Moncrief and Shipp, 1997, p. 412). While evidence exists that suggests that not all organizations make a concerted effort at formal sales training, those that do stress training in a formal way often invest a considerable amount of time and money in the activity (Ingram et aL, 1997). This circumstance is not surprising since, according to one national survey, sales training was identified as the second most important factor contributing to sales force performance (El-Ansary, 1993). Unfortunately, the time and money that is allocated to sales training is not always well spent, as discrepancies sometimes exist between the skills and knowledge that are imparted and those that a salesperson needs to be successful (Kerr and Burzynski, 1988).
The specific focus of any sales training session can take a variety of forms, e.g. account management, prospecting, product knowledge, ethics of selling and so on. Regardless of the focus, however, the general aim of the sales training activity is to impart information and develop skills that increase the likelihood of a successful buyer-seller interaction in terms of sales, productivity and profits (Futtrell, 1999). Not surprisingly, the most common emphasis among sales training programs is placed on sales skills themselves (Honeycutt et at., 1993). Consistent with that emphasis, this paper introduces a sales training technique that is designed to improve salespersons' selling skills.
In the following pages we will present our training technique and the theoretical foundations that support it, discuss how the technique may be implemented, and provide data derived from an application of the technique to demonstrate its utility. Finally, a discussion of the technique's strengths and weaknesses is offered.
The sales introspection technique
Clearly,...