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Sharpening your sales team’s skills is a crucial task. A study by McKinsey and Company found that training can increase a company’s revenue by up to 20%.
However, staying on top of the latest trends can be an arduous task. That’s why it pays to partner with the sales training companies. These professionals bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table to help you take your team to the next level.
Your participation is an important part of the training process. After all, you best understand your team’s goals and needs. So, here are tips on how to ensure a winning collaboration.
Set clear objectives
Before you kick off any partnerships be crystal clear on what you want to achieve. Having clear-cut goals lets instructors know the outcomes they need to deliver. It also allows you to calculate the activity’s ROI and adjust as needed.
So, define your short and long-term goals. You can use the popular S.M.A.R.T approach. Here’s how you can incorporate the SMART acronym in your goal-setting.
- Specific. Spell out what you want to achieve so that everyone involved can visualize the targets.
- Measurable. Specify the metrics you’ll use to check whether the program is a hit or miss.
- Achievable. Unfeasible goals will demoralize your team so avoid being over-ambitious.
- Relevant. The best goals align with your values, mission and company vision.
- Time-bound. Have a specific time-frame for when you’ll assess progress.
Do your research
It’s tough to get a square peg into a round hole. You could force it, but you’ll cause irreparable damage. Similarly, when looking for an instructor, it pays to ensure they’re the right fit.
So, ask your peers in the industry whom they would recommend and why. Talking to other companies in the same industry will help you narrow down your search.
Once you have the top picks of potential sales trainers, do your research. Check out customer reviews and performance records. The best sales training companies will have a track record of success and positive reviews.
Communicate effectively
Once you’ve selected a partner, maintain an open line of communication. Set up a regular check-in schedule ahead of time. Use this as an opportunity to check that the exercise is on track.
If there are any issues, it pays to address them head-on. The earlier you spot a problem, the easier it is to rectify it. Keeping the conversation going also encourages open feedback from all involved, making the engagement more fruitful.
While you may not take everything the company says as gospel truth, remember to keep an open mind. Don’t let your painstaking efforts go to waste by blocking their feedback if it’s not what you want to hear. After all, you’re paying for their expertise.
Being receptive to feedback, negative or positive, allows sales training companies to do their best work and give you tangible results.
Also, don’t be afraid to share feedback on their performance to get the best possible results from your partnership. Offer specific and constructive criticism when necessary. This communication helps the instructor better understand what works best for your team and what needs improvement.
Get your team excited about training
An enthusiastic instructor is a key ingredient for success. However, even they’ll struggle to hit your goals if participants don’t want to be there. So, get your team excited about the process.
When your team’s excited and engaged, they’re more likely to soak-up the training. They’ll also find it easier to apply it in their day-to-day activities.
Here are a few ways to get your team excited.
- Clearly explain the tangible benefits.
- Organize fun and engaging team-building activities.
- Offer incentives and rewards for hitting learning milestones.
- Celebrate successes achieved with new skills.
Build long-term relationships
Sales trainers have a huge impact on companies’ learning activities. If your team gels with them, it bodes well for your future success. So, if you find one who hits the ball out of the park, stick with them.
By continually working together, instructors get to know your team better. They get a strong understanding of the challenges your team is facing and how to best tackle them. It also shows that you value their expertise.
By partnering with the right sales training companies, your team can soar to new heights of success. However, collaboration is key. So, use these tips to bring value to the union.