What training do I require to be good at sales?
Sales is an exciting and varied career that can take many paths, where you can experience incredible highs and be financially rewarded for your hard work. The buzz of making a good sale is hard to beat. You know you’d be a great salesperson - you can talk the talk, but walking the walk requires extensive training. In order to be truly good at sales, you should be trained in many different areas to allow you to make the most of your career.
But what are these? What training is needed to be good at sales? We have collected some of the top training tips you will require to be a sales superstar. Read on to see what it takes to be the next big thing in your field.
Sales skills
This may sound obvious, but every level of salesperson can benefit from learning and refreshing basic sales skills. You should regularly go over ways to find prospects, how to make an effective cold call or write a personable cold email, and closing a deal. You should also regularly train in how to give a demonstration and how to create a proposal.
A fantastic way to either teach or refresh these skills is through role-play activities, or watching videos. You can also include live, real-life demonstrations of phone calls and pitches, gaining access to a range of different ways to learn ensures that everyone has a chance to learn in their own style and solidifies the lessons being learned.
The market
Depending on where you work, your sales strategy and Unique Selling Proposition will be different. Understanding what it is that you offer the customer and being fully trained in every area of what makes you unique when compared to the rest of the market will vary. However, it is important to keep refreshing this knowledge as companies, and what they offer, grow and change.
See where you fall in the market. This will allow you to know how to better appeal to your core customers, and help you relay to them how you beat the competition hands down.
Customer journey
A vital trait that is often overlooked in sales is truly caring about the customer. In the hunt to get the next big win, it can be tempting to overlook the importance of empathy. However, cultivating a culture of empathy towards the customer, and awareness of the customer journey, is very important to create a truly dynamic sales representative.
Understanding how the customer thinks and feels allows you to predict what they might need and meet them where they are.
Exercises that are based in situations that you may encounter every day are a great way to learn how to utilise your empathy in different settings. Introducing newer salespeople to established customers can help with this, and reviewing common pain points is a fantastic way to prepare for different areas that the customer may struggle with.
CRM systems
Are you familiar with the customer relationship management (CRM) system? If not, get ready to learn! Knowing CRM systems inside out is a leading skill in sales. It isn’t all flashy presentations and creating perfect proposals. Being trained in CRM systems is vital in the modern sales environment.
This is the central place where customer data is stored, and you should receive in-depth training on how to make the system work for you. This is an incredible skill to develop and can help you to build stronger knowledge of your customers, leading to better relationships - which is, after all, the beating heart of a great salesperson.
The process
Learning about the sales process of each company you work for is as vital as understanding what it is you offer. Even if you have previous sales experience, you will need a refresher when joining a new company - from up-selling and cross-selling to what to do when you close the deal. Every business has a different process and strategy, and you must be open to learning as if it’s the first time all over again.
You should be taught in-depth about the process for your company, covering subjects such as the methods of lead generation that are used and how the sales pipeline is defined, stage by stage. You will also need to know how you identify a suitable prospective customer and how you lead them through your process.
Every company is different - so get ready to learn how to deliver the best experience for your customer in a brand new way, wherever you are.
Self-reflection
An important skill to develop as a salesperson is the ability to self-reflect and self-assess. Developing better awareness of how you work allows you to self-evaluate as you grow into your role, giving you an opportunity to keep from falling into bad habits.
Assessment should also be offered by the company training you, as they know what skills to look for and how to best develop them. Being receptive to feedback is a leading skill that you should work on - absorbing as much advice on sales is a great way to grow.
Teamwork
Do you see sales as a career for the lone wolf? This could not be further from the truth! The team you have around you is a vital component of your personal success, and developing your teamwork skills through regular group exercises can help you to get to see different perspectives and discover new ways of doing things.
Even the most experienced sales representative can benefit from team-building exercises, so don’t shy away from working with others to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Are you ready to undertake this training and pursue an exciting career in sales? Or are you looking to develop your sales team into a force to be reckoned with? Smart Sales Consulting offers sales coaching and remote training to allow you to be the best you can possibly be. Get in touch to find out how we can help you to develop your skills and become the brilliant salesperson you were meant to be.