Sales effectiveness metrics can help managers make sure that sales training isn’t just an empty exercise. Although organizations have longed coached sales representatives on their approach to lead generation and client interaction, there’s no guarantee that salespeople always use these best practices all the time.
Newer employees can take a while to fully internalize training, leading to them developing temporary bad habits that become permanent. More tenured staff allow some of their training to erode over time, or fall into “old dog” syndrome when you’re trying to change up your sales team’s approach. A lackluster showing from a few employees can bring down the performance and productivity of the whole team. To improve your employees’ ability to put instruction into action, it’s important to upgrade your sales training program to reflect today’s most pressing challenges, according to Business 2 Community contributor Richard Ruff.
So how can managers institute training and ensure that it actually works? They can use saleseffectiveness metrics to help evaluate employee performance according to the training guidelines. In turn, they can reward employees who demonstrate that they use and succeed with their salestraining.
When to change up your sales training
If your sales training program seems to have hit a wall, it may be time to look at a change. While it can be hard to drive a rethinking of traditional approaches, in many cases your approach could be hampering your competitive advantage. Entrepreneur contributor Eddy Ricci recently highlighted a few signs of a sputtering sales training program. A lack of accountability was a recurring theme – it’s difficult to know if programs are working if you can’t measure their progress.
“Whether you are training rookies or veterans that need a boost, the training needs to have a measurable outcome that both the trainees and the company will benefit from,” Ricci wrote. “It can be production based (revenue, sales, new accounts) or frontline activity based (appointments set, leads generated, mentor meetings witnessed). If there are no measurables, then the engagement and worth of the training will be subdued.”
The benefits of sales effectiveness metrics
Sales effectiveness metrics and software can provide feedback about how employees perform according to their training. It institutes a system of checks and balances that employees canclearly understand, as well as indicate how improved internalization of sales training can lead to additional compensation levels. Making sales training stick is a process that takes time and visibility. Sales effectiveness metrics can give personnel a road map for the practical use of their sales training and improve their adherence to company policy.
