The 3 Biggest Training Mistakes Sales Managers Make

Have you ever spent loads of time training your salespeople, only to see them constantly make mistake after mistake? Did they even listen to you when you were showing them how to do their jobs? How on earth did you manage to hire such an incompetent group of people? Hold on. It isn’t always their fault. It could be yours. Maybe your training hasn’t been paying off. Maybe there’s something missing during the sales department activities. Maybe you’re not helping your trainees achieve the “aha!” moment. Before you ask yourself what on earth you’re doing wrong, take a look at the following three biggest training mistakes sales managers make. If you recognize and avoid those mistakes, you’ll become a more effective manager with a stronger group of salespeople.

Mistake #1: Neglecting to figure out whether or not the trainee has the motivation to succeed

Jim Carrey once said, “People need motivation to do anything. I don’t think human beings learn anything without desperation.” A salesperson is practically nothing without motivation and the will to succeed. Many organizations make the mistake of hiring seasoned sales people without noticing that they’re burnt out and unwilling to put in their 100 percent. Why waste time training a salesperson who has no intention to act? Your time is valuable. Use it to uncover whether or not each trainee has the motivation to succeed.

Mistake #2: Failing to practice with the trainee

As the popular saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you want your salespeople to be exceptionally successful, you need to observe them in action and give them pointers to help fine-tune their performance. Simply piling a bunch of information on them isn’t enough. Instead, hold their hand through all the sales department activities and have them practice every task and technique until they’re comfortable with their own role.

Mistake #3: Not analyzing the key metrics to see if the training has paid off

One of the most important parts of being a manager is to analyze the results. You can’t just train someone and then move on to the next task without knowing if your training session has had an impact on the person’s performance. Look at the trainee’s performance before the session, and then compare it to his performance after the session. For example, you can uncover how many calls the trainee had to make in the beginning until he booked an appointment, and then compare it to the number of calls he took to get an appointment after the training session. If you see a 20% lift, your training has paid off.

Bonus tip: Don’t train the same task twice.

Instead of giving training sessions over and over again, document what you’re training. Write down all the steps and tips for existing or new team members to review in the future. That way, you’ll save yourself more time, you won’t become burnt out as a sales manager, and everyone will start off with the same information. Observe, communicate, and analyze. If you do those three things while training, you’ll be more likely than not to end up with a competent and successful group of salespeople.

That being said, sales managers can make three critical training mistakes that can hinder the success of their salespeople. Neglecting to determine whether trainees have the motivation to succeed, failing to practice with them, and not analyzing the key metrics to see if training has paid off are the most significant mistakes. Therefore, to create a stronger group of salespeople, managers must ensure that trainees have the necessary motivation, practice with them to fine-tune their performance, and analyze the results to determine if the training has paid off. Additionally, documenting training information can save time and ensure consistency in the future. By following these tips, sales managers can become more effective in their roles and lead their teams to success..