Training and Coaching your sales team is what makes the difference between good and great...
In many organisations, a few standout sales performers drive most of the revenue. What sets these top performers apart, and how can their strategies be shared with other reps? To answer these questions, Gartner conducted a survey of over 6,000 sales reps, analysing star and average performers across 44 different attributes. The findings unveiled five distinct profiles of sales professionals, each defined by specific skills and behaviours that shape their customer interactions.
The most prevalent rep profile is the “Relationship Builder,” and this makes sense to most sales leaders. These reps have enjoyable conversations — they seek to satisfy customer demands and resolve tension. However, this sales rep profile has the lowest proportion of star performers, at only 7%.
Average or core performers comprise similar amounts across all five types. However, when compared to actual sales performance, one profile dramatically exceeds the others in the likelihood of achieving star performance: The ChallengerTM.
On average, nearly 40% of star performers were Challengers. In complex sales situations, that number rose to 54%.
Whether sales reps are Challengers or not, the approach they use to engage the customer with information is crucial for driving sales success. With the vast amount of information available in the marketplace, salespeople play a key role in helping customers navigate through sources, address any contradictions, and effectively weigh trade-offs.
In 2019, Gartner research identified three seller approaches to information and highlighted one standout winner: Sense-Making. The Gartner Sense-Making approach focuses on sharing information thoughtfully to guide customers towards a clearer, more rationalised view of their purchase decisions. Customers working with Sense-Making salespeople are less likely to be sceptical and more likely to feel confident in their decision-making process. This ultimately leads to a higher percentage of high-quality, low-regret deals than other approaches.
No matter the individual personality profiles, traits, skills, or background of your sales team members, incorporating sales training and coaching is essential for enhancing their success.
Sales team training plays a crucial role in taking your team from good to great. It provides the foundation for developing the necessary skills and knowledge that enable sales professionals to excel in their roles. By investing in training, you are empowering your team to reach new levels of success.
Sales training is not the same as product training. Being able to run through a list of product features and functions does not get salespeople very far with prospects and customers. Of course, product training has its place, but don't limit training your sales team to only product training.
One of the key benefits of sales team training is that it helps your team members gain a deeper understanding of the problems your products and services solve. They become well-versed in the value propositions and the results customers can expect from your products and services. This allows them to effectively communicate and sell to potential customers. Training also equips them with the knowledge of your target market, enabling them to identify and engage with the right prospects.
Another important aspect of B2B sales team training is the development of essential sales skills. Training programs cover many skills, including prospecting, lead generation, negotiation, objection handling, and closing deals. By honing these skills, your sales team members become more confident and capable in their customer interactions, leading to increased sales performance.
To maximise the effectiveness of your sales team training, it is important to design a program tailored to the specific needs of your team. One-size-fits-all training may not address your sales professionals' unique challenges and requirements.
Start by conducting a thorough assessment of your team's strengths and areas for improvement. This can be done through performance evaluations, feedback from customers, and input from the sales team members themselves. Identify the specific skills and knowledge gaps that need to be addressed through training.
Once you have identified the training needs, you can then design a curriculum that covers the necessary topics. Consider using a combination of different training methods, such as online courses, workshops, role-playing exercises, and mentorship programs. This variety helps cater to different learning styles and ensures maximum engagement and retention of information.
Additionally, involve your sales team members in the training program design process. Seek their input and incorporate their suggestions to make the training more relevant and impactful for them. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to the training program.
Interactive training techniques are key to keeping your sales team engaged and motivated throughout the training process. Passive learning methods, such as lectures and PowerPoint presentations, can be monotonous and less effective in retaining information.
Consider incorporating interactive elements into your training sessions, such as group discussions, case studies, role-playing exercises, and simulations. These activities encourage active participation and provide practical opportunities for your sales team to apply their learning in a safe environment.
Another effective technique is gamification, which involves turning the training into a game-like experience. This can include quizzes, challenges, and rewards for achieving specific milestones. Gamification adds an element of fun and competition, making the training more enjoyable and memorable.
It is also beneficial to provide ongoing support and coaching to your sales team during and after the training. This can be in the form of regular check-ins, feedback sessions, and one-on-one coaching sessions.
Continuous reinforcement of the training concepts helps solidify the learning and ensures its application in real-world selling situations.
To determine the effectiveness of your sales team training, it is important to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly measure the training's impact on sales performance. This allows you to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to the training program.
Some common KPIs to consider include sales revenue, conversion win rates across the pipeline, average deal size (including discounts and transactional costs), and sales cycle length. By tracking these metrics before and after the training, you can assess the training's impact on the team's performance and identify any gaps that need to be addressed.
Additionally, gather feedback from your sales team members about their perception of the training program. Conduct surveys or hold focus group discussions to collect their input on the relevance, usefulness, and effectiveness of the training. This feedback can provide valuable insights for refining and improving future training initiatives.
Remember that measuring the impact of training is an ongoing process. Regularly review and analyse the data to make data-driven decisions and continuously improve the training program to meet the evolving needs of your sales team.
Sales team training is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. To keep your sales team consistently performing at their best, it is important to continuously improve and refine your training strategies.
Stay updated with the latest industry trends, sales techniques, and best practices by attending conferences, workshops, and industry events, as well as relevant publications, blogs, and podcasts.
Regularly assess the effectiveness of your training program and solicit feedback from your sales team members. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to the training curriculum and delivery methods.
Additionally, encourage a culture of continuous learning within your sales team. Provide resources and opportunities for ongoing development, such as access to online courses, mentorship programs, and skill-building workshops. Foster a growth mindset that values learning and encourages your team members to continuously enhance their sales skills and knowledge.
By continuously improving your training strategies, you can ensure that your sales team remains motivated, skilled, and equipped to deliver exceptional results.
To elevate your sales team from good to great, consider providing them with coaching or connecting them with a sales coach.
But what exactly does a sales coach do? How do they differ from a sales manager? And is it a worthwhile investment?
According to a HubSpot report, 71% of modern consumers conduct their own research before engaging with a sales representative. This emphasises the importance of your sales team offering more than just information readily available on Google.
Sales training is about regular product/process/sales methodology training for onboarding and product updates throughout the year. However, sales coaching needs to be owned by the sales manager to drive performance and career growth, decrease rep turnover, and create happier teams by adding value on a day-to-day basis. Sales coaching also provides an opportunity to improve Sales Productivity.
B2B sales coaching usually consists of three key steps: conducting a thorough sales audit, pinpointing areas for improvement, and establishing a development framework.
A sales audit involves a thorough and structured analysis of the sales team's overall performance, as well as a detailed assessment of individual sales representatives.
According to the 2019 Gartner Sales Dashboard Survey, 67% of sales leaders use gross revenue to monitor organisational performance, while 56% use aggregate sales funnel metrics. Regarding evaluating sales reps, 55% of sales leaders rely on revenue per sales rep to assess performance.
To ensure effective sales coaching, it's essential to consider that the metrics mentioned earlier are just the beginning. Other measurements like closing rates per rep, customer face time, or the number of appointments made can also be used to assess individual reps' performance. These metrics are outlined in the grid below.
Want to support and guide your sales team towards a noticeable improvement? Are you ready to help them recognise their strengths and leverage them to enhance sales performance?
If so, this comprehensive post is a valuable resource. It delves into the essence of sales coaching, its significance, the distinction between a sales coach and a sales manager, and common challenges in sales coaching. Additionally, it provides practical techniques and tips to address these challenges effectively, including tips on providing data-driven feedback to your salespeople.
Sales prospecting is about finding the right prospects for your business and connecting with them successfully. If you can’t nail it, there’s no guarantee your product or service will ever sell. That’s why:
In this guide, you’ll explore all about sales prospecting.
HubSpot Sales Hub effortlessly tracks key metrics and gains valuable insights into your team's performance. This allows you to make informed decisions and drive better results. Whether you need to monitor individual performance or analyse overall team progress, Sales Hub offers the necessary tools to stay on top of your sales game. Stay informed, stay ahead, and witness your sales team excel with the power of data-driven insights.
Are you wondering if your team is on track to meet its goals? It can be tough to gauge progress towards sales targets when dealing with scattered systems. Luckily, HubSpot's sales reporting software offers a range of free, ready-to-use sales reports to simplify the process. Take advantage of these resources to effortlessly monitor deal forecasts, prospecting efforts, and overall sales activities.
With sales representatives working remotely or on the field, it can be challenging to pinpoint why some reps meet their targets while others struggle. Understanding what strategies are effective is essential to help your team consistently achieve their goals. Utilising HubSpot's sales analytics tool provides immediate access to performance insights, allowing you to learn from top performers and offer guidance to those who may need additional support to improve their performance.
Talk to one of our expert B2B sales consultants to find out how sales training could help your sales team. Use this link to get in touch
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