Keeping your team sharp by way of training is one of the best ways to keep the spotlight on your business and sprint past competitors. That said, not every course is designed to bring you the best results, so it’s critical to find one that does. This article will go over some key factors to keep an eye out for when picking the right sales team training program.
The program’s content
It’s important to find a program with a curriculum that aligns with your needs. So, before you commit, ask for an outline, and ensure that the program goes through the critical areas that can help your reps deliver. Some essential topics include:
- product knowledge
- customer service skills
- presentation
- persuasion
- closing and sales negotiations
Some programs exclusively hammer in on specific topics. So, if you notice that your salespeople are lagging in a specific area, it helps to choose a course that provides more depth in that domain.
How the content is delivered
It’s important for training programs to be interactive because people learn differently. Some people need to have visuals in the content to allow them to grasp it. Others require auditory delivery to keep their minds engaged. While yet others are hands-on learners needing active stimulation to understand.
Interactive training delivers a broader, well-rounded approach with a wide range of activities that can cater to different learning styles. When your courses are sensitive to your team’s needs, they are more likely to capture their attention and improve engagement, leading to better results. Consider choosing courses that include interactive methods, such as gamification.
Feedback options
It’s important for learners to be able to show what they understood and get feedback in return so they can identify where they need to spend more time revising. Training that doesn’t cater to immediate feedback often falls short of its goals.
So, when choosing a training program for your team, it helps to take a closer look at their feedback methods. The best programs throw in a variety of feedback options such as quizzes, simulations, and exercises. With more solid feedback you can bring your reps up to speed faster and mold a stronger business.
Customizability
While training programs are often not fully customizable, the best sales training typically has a certain degree of flexibility. A program that has some wiggle room allows you to focus on specific areas that your team may need help with. You can also drop some parts that may not align with your training needs and objectives.
Also, a customizable course allows you to weave in some content that reflects the day-to-day realities that your sales team faces. Once the reps see how practical the training is, it’s more likely to resonate with them, leading to stronger buy-in. In addition, your reps can quickly use the knowledge in real-life situations to make your training more practical and useful.
The amount of practice
A course that offers a one-time theory session with no opportunity for practice is often a recipe for disaster. The forgetting curve derived from Ebbinghaus’ studies as far back as the 1800s showed that people easily forget. The studies found that if what you learn is not drilled in, you’ll lose about 70% of the information within 24 hours.
So, it’s critical to choose a program that offers several opportunities for practice to help retain more information. For instance, a program with a series of quizzes offers a better learning opportunity than one with a single test at the end of the course.
Is it tried and tested?
It helps to find a course that has stood the test of time with a track record of success. Established programs have had the chance to iron out beginner’s knots and sharpen any rough edges. As a result, well-recognized courses often deliver a smoother experience.
In addition, programs that have been around for longer typically have references and testimonials, which you can look up. If customers generally rave about the success of the training program, it’s often a pointer to how well it can work for you.
Also, consider the businesses that the sales training company has worked with before to see how much confidence others have in the training program.
The company’s responsiveness
Choosing a responsive training company can help lighten your load. Rather than being left alone to figure out the program’s features and kinks, you can get help quickly. Also, it helps to choose a company that’s willing to understand your needs and objectives.
If the provider has your needs in mind, the customizable parts of the course are more likely to hit the sweet spot when it comes to training your reps.
The best sales training for your team
The quality of training typically determines how well your team can crush its targets. So, it’s critical to find a program that ticks all the right boxes. Have an in-depth look at the content and how it’s delivered. Also, consider whether the course gives room to dig in and get enough practice.
It helps to get a responsive and established company that offers some elbow room to sprinkle in some custom learning.
