Training on the sidewalk

Much of the frustration with sales training today is that some of the salespeople who need it most don’t apply the training in the field. They seem to understand training, but they keep making self-defeating mistakes that have become habits. They can answer all the training questions correctly in class, they excel in role plays and exercises, but they do not improve in front of the client.

The assumption is that the sales training has failed; however, when we test sales professionals, they have learned the principles.

The problem is, we want “results”, not just well “trained” sales people.

Why preseason “training ground” works.

Right now, the NFL is busy preparing for the regular season. They do this every year to introduce new plays and techniques, train new players, and reinforce the skills of veterans.

Players do a lot of classroom training at every camp. They are busy studying theater books, watching movies, analyzing strategies … then they march to the field and bump into each other for a couple of hours. So where does learning happen? The most important part of learning occurs when the trainer observes the exercises and corrects the techniques.

When Bruiser makes a mistake in his footwork, the coach can stop the play, correct Bruiser, and then repeat the exact situation again until Bruiser gets it right.

The classroom theory ends when the pads continue and the work begins in the trenches of the camp. When the regular season rolls around, the team is ready. But the training continues, before, during and after each game. Improving never ends.

What lessons can we learn from the NFL’s training methods?

Training begins in the classroom.

Players must understand the game plan before they can be expected to carry it out. Motivational training does not take place in the classroom until the player has mastered the skills. The most motivated, dedicated, hardworking and “spirited” player will be physically and mentally destroyed if they don’t have the skills to perform! (The rotation begins when people are told to “hold on” and then given nothing to “hold on to”).

Classroom training should be principled, skill-focused, specific, and realistic. All successful training is based on a set of principles that support the corporate strategy or philosophy. The seller must understand the correct address. Are we taking a long-term consultative approach or are we selling by price in hopes of capturing volume? (i.e., street vendors sell boxes; sales professionals sell solutions that help the customer make more profit.)

Next, the salesperson must understand basic sales skills. How will the seller establish a favorable sales relationship? How will you ask open-ended questions that uncover the customer’s needs? How will you ask questions that make the customer recognize the value of a solution, before the seller places the order? How will the sales professional handle premature pricing questions? How will you ask for a commitment?

In your industry, training must be very specific. The foodservice sales professional must understand how the product is applied to the customer’s menu, how it will work in the customer’s kitchen. Specific training should address how product knowledge is used in sales situations, ensuring that the salesperson is responding to customer needs rather than pushing boxes.

Realistic training focuses on sales situations and events that will occur every day in the field, not on vague generalities. The salesperson must work and learn from the case studies and role plays based on the actual sales challenges. These training techniques help the salesperson recognize and understand how sales principles apply to actual field experiences.

Improvement and good habits start in the field.

Like NFL players, our players will get the most meaningful learning experience when on the field, looking the customer in the eye. As you watch this year’s soccer games, take a close look at what happens, on the sidelines. You will see position coaches frantically involved in lively training sessions with their players. Coaches will prepare plays or physically show players how to handle blocking and tackling situations.

Your players need the same type of training on the field. And you can provide that training while the experience is fresh in their minds and right before they practice the new idea or skill on the next sales call. We call this “curbside” coaching and it can be the most productive learning experience a sales professional will ever get.

Selling them in improvement.

The best sales coaches recognize that the greatest opportunity to improve sales skills is in the front seat of the sales professional’s car. Our job here is, first, to get the student to recognize what went right and what went wrong on the last sales call. The best way to do this is ASK THEM rather than TELL THEM. It is like selling; things go better when we ask the customer what they need, rather than trying to tell them what they need.

Immediately after the call, the manager can begin training by asking, “Tell me what do you think went well?” This gives the sales rep a chance to talk about the successes of the call. If you can’t think of anything that went well, then you should. People need to know what they are doing right so they can keep repeating those things. Here the manager has the obligation to reinforce the strengths of the sales representative, recognizing good work.

Next, the salesperson must acknowledge what is not working, so the coach will ask a question such as, “What do you think could have been improved on the call?” This gives the sales rep a chance to talk about what went wrong on the sales call. This is where coaching skills are most important and it is very practical, but it is not “constructive criticism”. The coach who constantly focuses on player fouls does little more than frustrate the player.

Again, instead of telling them all the things to do, ask them, “What do you think you should do differently next time?” This allows the sales representative to think of options for improvement. It allows them to think and develop their own recipes for a cure.

You may develop a response that the coach finds unacceptable. When this happens, the manager tends to rush with the “correct” answer. This is counterproductive, imagine telling the buyer not to use a particular technique to do their job. Instead, tell the representative, “That’s an option, what else could I try?” This gives the sales rep a chance to think again, rather than defending their first ideas.

Coaching should be an experience that the salesperson and coach look forward to, not an experience to be avoided. Coaching is conversational and non-threatening. It is a discussion on how to improve and grow. It is an opportunity to take education in the classroom and make it work in the field.

Your training can be three times more effective.

Studies from the American Society for Training and Development find that 70% of actual job skills learning occurs on the job. They estimate that classroom training only accounts for 30% of learning. And seasoned NFL coaches seem to agree, to be 100% effective, we need to do both sides of training.

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