How Bespoke Sales Training Unlocks Your Team’s Potential

Overview:

• Introduction
• Bespoke sales training benefits
• Bespoke training for different levels of employees
• Bespoke sales training for remote employees
• Some final thoughts

Introduction

Nobody could have failed to notice the seismic shift in the expectations of employees that has taken place over the last few years. The pandemic forced many organisations to rapidly develop ways in which their teams could operate remotely, and while many aspects of life have returned largely to normal, many employees and employers found that remote working had benefits which persisted. Many workers now enjoy greater flexibility in their working practices – with significant benefits for both employee and employer.

But this hasn’t been the only shift – the pandemic generated significant churn in the labour market, with many people either sadly losing their jobs or choosing to move on. This, combined with subsequent political and economic uncertainty, has led to a great deal of introspection on how we spend our time, money and energy – and nowhere is this more acutely visible than in what we are looking for from a job. One recent survey of 5,000 UK workers found that 40% of them felt their employer should provide more training opportunities to help them progress, and 33% plan to move jobs to develop their skills. Losing and replacing staff is demoralising, time-consuming, inefficient and expensive – the Society for Human Resource Management estimate the typical cost is 6-9 months of their salary – and it can be even higher for more specialised, skilled and senior roles.

So clearly, training has a significant role to play in improving retention, satisfaction and performance – but clearly it still comes at a cost. This challenge can be acutely demonstrated in the field of sales training, where performance is predominantly measured against the ability to hit a sales target, manage a sales pipeline and nurture prospects or customers to deliver revenue goals. There are many different elements to the profession of selling, with multiple skills that need to be continually developed and refined to consistently deliver optimum sales performance. In the US alone $70 billion is spent per year on sales training with the average employee training costs said to be around $2,000 per year. Business leaders will understandably want to maximise their returns on investments of this size – meaning they should strongly consider bespoke sales training rather than a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.

At a headline level, focused and customised sales training is important for any business to drive long-term growth; 85% of salespeople report on being taught how to close deals, but only 24% report on being coached longer-term sales skills such as effective time management, proactive business development, managing a sales pipeline, key account management and more. The modern salesperson no longer just uses traditional sales methods to carry out their job, instead they utilise multiple systems, tools and processes to support their activities such as CRM, AI, digitalisation, email marketing and social media – all of which create new training needs and opportunities. According to salesforce only 26% of sales professionals say that they receive 1:1 coaching and mentoring from their managers on a weekly basis, which highlights a future skills-gap and potential risk to business leaders.

An off-the-shelf training programme like our Firestarter Academy that is designed for business leaders or sales professionals looking to spend less money, time and resources on training may find that opting for this approach simply suits them better than a bespoke programme. However, for SMEs and large corporates with specific challenges that can’t be solved through a standardised training model, they would be better off investing in a tailored programme that is specific to their company’s values, challenges, and goals. The following benefits outline what can be achieved from a bespoke training programme:

Enhanced sales performance

A focused and customised sales training programme can lead to improved sales performance by equipping salespeople with the skills and knowledge needed to make the most of modern sales tools and techniques. For example, Acme Corp may find that they have a new shiny CRM system but their team don’t yet know how to get the most out of it; by working with a bespoke sales training provider they can factor in your specific needs for CRM training, something that you won’t get from a standard training programme.

Better customer engagement and satisfaction

The impact of personalised sales approaches cannot be understated; over half of customers believe that personalisation improves brand satisfaction. With bespoke training, the training provider can produce highly relevant on-brand examples to teach salespeople the art of understanding customer personas and pain points, which combined with personalised communication, can result in stronger relationships, higher customer retention rates, and increased customer lifetime value.

Retention and talent development

“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” – Henry Ford

Picture this, you’ve just been hired as a new salesperson and your employer puts you through a training programme to get you up and running in your new role. If you’ve experienced a sales training programme that doesn’t help fulfil your personal development goals, it’s likely that your tenure at the company isn’t going to be as long as that of someone who has gone through a bespoke training programme which responds directly to those goals.

Bespoke training for different levels of employees

When it comes to sales training, we find that one size doesn’t always fit all. Sales professionals aren’t always at the same level in their careers, so each require distinct approaches to their training to maximise potential and success.

Somebody at the very first stages of their sales career is likely to benefit greatly from an off-the-shelf solution which gives them all of the basic tools and techniques they need to start making progress. Equally, many organisations have employees who have some responsibility for sales, but also have other areas of focus to attend to. Again, an off-the-shelf solution is likely to be more cost effective and almost as beneficial as a much more fully-featured bespoke sales solution to somebody whose focus is not exclusively selling.

However – A new salesperson with some experience under their belt starting a new job typically requires a comprehensive introduction to the company’s products or services, and sales processes. They will benefit most from hands-on training, personalised onboarding modules, and tailored opportunities to quickly grasp the fundamentals and build their effectiveness in their new role. Similarly, a salesperson in a more senior role who is already familiar with the company will require more advanced training to refine their skills and overcome specific challenges.

Meanwhile, senior sales executives and team leaders that operate at a strategic level require training that goes beyond the basics to address complex issues and leadership challenges. They benefit from strategic insights, leadership development programmes, and coaching opportunities to sharpen their strategic thinking, inspire their teams, and drive overall sales performance.

Despite their differences in skills and experience, salespeople of all levels have on thing in common and that is the need for continuous training. By investing in the ongoing development of your whole sales team this not only helps you stay ahead of the competition but fosters a culture of growth.

“Unlocking the potential of your sales team through training is not just an option, it’s a necessity in today’s competitive landscape.” – Firestarter Business Solutions

Bespoke sales training for remote employees

With bespoke sales training generally considered a hands-on approach, how does a bespoke sales training programme work for remote employees? Well, the process is rather like that of an in-person training programme, training companies can still carry out the initial exploration such as producing a thorough needs assessment of the sales team’s strengths and weaknesses followed by developing a customised training plan. It is only in the delivery stages where the process differs to that of the traditional approach in that appropriate technology platforms and tools are selected to facilitate the delivery of the training. This may include video conferences through Microsoft Teams or Zoom, e-learning platforms such as Articulate 360 or Talent LMS, video training via Synthesia and collaboration tools like Showpad to create an interactive and engaging learning environment.

Bespoke sales training for remote employees combines the personalised touch of an in-person programme with interactive technology, and ongoing support to empower salespeople regardless of their physical location.

Some final thoughts

Making the right choice between bespoke and off-the-shelf training solutions is crucial for business leaders that are aiming to drive growth and success. While off-the-shelf programmes may offer convenience and cost-effectiveness for some, they often fall short in addressing the specific needs and challenges of individual organisations.

Bespoke training programmes can provide a tailored approach that caters directly to a company’s unique values, challenges, and goals. Through personalised content, interactive learning experiences, and ongoing coaching and mentoring, a bespoke training programme can be delivered to salespeople at all levels of their careers as well as being flexible to remote workers to support companies making the shift towards an increasingly remote work environment.

Bespoke training solutions are often adopted as the superior choice for driving business growth and maximising sales potential. By investing in tailored training initiatives, businesses not only equip their salespeople with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed but such programmes also foster a culture of continuous learning setting companies apart from their competitors.

If you’d like to find out more about how a Bespoke Sales Training programme can be built for your business, get in touch with us today!