Tanner 09

Sales Management: Shaping Future Sales Leaders
Training and Developing

the Sales Force
Chapter 9
9-1
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.
Learning Objectives
 Identify factors that help determine what types of
training are needed by sales personnel
 Summarize the inputs needed to design and
deliver an effective sales training program
 Explain why it’s important to assess the
effectiveness of a firm’s sales training and what’s
involved in the assessment
 Distinguish the elements that contribute to
effective and ineffective training programs
9-2
How Important Is Sales Training?
 Trained reps are more knowledgeable about
products and services
 Understand markets in which they operate and
the selling process
 Able to better understand customers and deliver
better service
 Achieve higher sales and incomes
 Greater job satisfaction because they’re successful
9-3
Training Ratings of “Best
Manufacturing Companies to Sell For”
9-4
Training Ratings of “Best Service
Companies to Sell For”
9-5
2008 Training Updates: Selling Power’s
Best Companies to Sell For
Training ratings
 Manufacturing: Microsoft is the
only company receiving a score
of 17
 16’s were received by Hoffmann-
La Roche, Shaw Industries, Tellabs,
Xerox, IBM, and Hormel Foods
 Service: ABF Freight System,
Roadway, IKON Office Solutions–
all received a score of 16
Source: “Best Companies to Sell For,” Selling Power,

Nov./Dec. 2008, 28(9), 17-20.
9-6
The Training Process:
4-Stage Training Cycle
9-7
9-8
Determine Objectives
Assessment of Training Needs at Different Levels
9-9
Identifying Knowledge, Skills, and
Abilities (KSAs)
Sources of Training Needs Information
Sources: Based on Erffmeyer, Robert C.; Russ, Randall K. and Joseph F. Hair, Jr. (1991). “Needs Assessment and
Evaluation in Sales-Training Programs,” Journal of Personal Selling & Sale Management (11) 1, pp. 18–30; and
Honeycutt, Earl D., Jr. (1996). “Conducting a Sales Training Audit,” Industrial Marketing Management 25, pp. 105–113).
9-10
Determine Who Needs Training
 Training needs may vary depending upon rep’s
experience level and the needs of the markets
 Training needs may be identified from:
 Quantifiable performance appraisal data
 Customer satisfaction or CRM data
 Training needs surveys taken by sales managers and
reps
 After identifying needs, create training and
development plan for reps
 Plan should include courses rep should take at career
milestones, training from outside vendors, job rotations
exposure, etc.
9-11
Self-Assessment Library
 Go to http://www.prenhall.com/sal/
 Access code came with your book
 Click the following
 Assessments
II. Working With Others
A. Communication Styles
1. What’s My Face-to-Face Communication Style?
9-12
9-13
Discussion Question
 Describe the concept of a KSA and how it can be
used in sales training
 What are some KSAs you might expect from a
new salesperson who has been in their job for
6 months?
9-14
What Content Is Needed?
Topics Commonly Covered
9-15
Content Will Vary Based on Target
Group
 Programs for new  Programs for more
hires experienced reps
 Company orientation  Advanced sales skills
 Product and market  Communication and
information presentation skills
 Selling processes  Technology skills
 Technology skills
9-16
On-the-Job Training
 Exposes new reps to practices, products, and
customers immediately
 New hire will learn to model the behavior of the more
experienced rep
 Refresher courses for more experienced reps
cover advanced sales skills
 How to work with larger or more complicated customers
or advanced products and services
9-17
Integrating Technology
 Keys to successful sales
technology training
include
 Ensuring that reps see
benefits of technology so
they will accept and use it
 Thoroughly training reps to
use technology both in the
field and out
 Providing adequate tech
support and follow-up
training
9-18
Professional Development Activities
 Professional speaking
 Account management
 Team selling
 Negotiating contracts
 Category management
 Other advanced training conducted as part of an
industry-wide seminar
 Summer institutes or graduate courses offered by
colleges, universities, and professional associations
9-19
Categories of Intellectual Behavior
Important for Learning
Cognitive Behaviors
Affective Behaviors
Psychomotor Behaviors
9-20
Bloom’s Categories for Developing
Effective Training Objectives
9-21
Bloom’s Categories for Developing
Effective Training Objectives
9-22
Staffing the Training Program:
Internal vs. External
 Generally, internal trainer will have more
credibility
 Exception: new technology, training offered by
developer
 Dedicated sales training team within the firm?
 Large number of people needing immediate
training?
 Outside technology partner to facilitate delivery?
9-23
Staffing the Training Program: Time
 How frequently is the training needed?
 Recurring program offered at regular intervals, it may
warrant in-house development
 Is the program needed on a regular basis or is it
only needed once?
 Can it be rolled out gradually or is it needed
immediately?
 How involved do sales managers need to be?
9-24
Staffing the Training Program: Costs
 How does outsourced training compare price-
wise to internal training?
 If internal, will there be extra costs for researching
content or creating materials
 Additional staffing costs required?
 Travel to training site?
9-25
Selecting Delivery Method
Instructor-Led  Face-to-face training
On-Demand  Access similar information online when and where

(Self-Paced) needed
Web/Conference  Presenter delivers info remotely to trainees’

Calls individual computers
Webcast /  One-way flow of communication

Webinar  Two-way flow of communication including feedback
Podcasting  Delivering info to rep’s iPod™ or similar device
 Web sites individual reps can put up on short notice

Wikis and post to
9-26
Frequency of Training Methods Used
9-27
Discussion Question
 Question: Which sales training
format is preferred? Blended (in-
person and online) or in-person?
 Answer: Blended
 Even though the combination in-
person and online course may
actually require more time
commitment, research indicates
sales personnel prefer it because
they can control when they receive it
and the pace they move through the
material
Source: Sales Performance International

9-28
9-29
Scheduling the Training
 Location
 Travel, lodging costs
 Lost selling time
 Psychological “readiness” of the trainees
 Timing of the training in the sales cycle
 Time to complete pretraining assignments
9-30
Facilitate Learning Transfer
1
Training and field conditions similar
2
Provide opportunities to practice
3
Variety of situations to apply new material
4
Identify important features of the task
5
Opportunity to practice in the field
9-31
9-32
Assessing the Results
 Only 28% of sales trainers have a definitive
method for measuring the value of their sales
training
Reaction
Learning
Behaviors
Results
9-33
Value to Individual
 Trainee feedback, training staff comments,

supervisory feedback
Reaction  Most frequently used method
 Don’t show if anything was really learned and
applied
 Measuring the amount of information participants

mastered during the program
Learning  Doesn’t necessarily reflect if material can be applied
productively back in the field
9-34
Value to Organization
 Identifies to what degree trainees applied training

principles and techniques to their jobs (learning
Behaviors transfer)
 Research shows this level of evaluation has only a
few shortcomings and is particularly useful
 Whether or not an organization achieved objectives

it sought by conducting training
 More sales, fewer complaints, higher svc rating?
 Difficult to tell if results are because of training or
Results
other factors
 Utility analysis: looking at economic impact the
training had by examining cost-benefit trade-offs of
training program
9-35
Discussion Question
 What are some reasons that organizations have
a difficult time evaluating the effectiveness of
training?
 Which measures do you feel are the best to
use?
9-36
Completing the Sales Training Cycle
 Compare training results with initial objectives
 Objectives met, program is considered a success
 Often program will go forward with only minor
modifications and updates
 Objectives not met
 Majority did not systematically set specific objectives for
their training programs
 Without objectives to guide development of training,
properly implementing and evaluating will be difficult
9-37
Award-Winning Sales Training
Programs
 Companies that have received awards for their
training programs share several characteristics;
the programs
 Include a front-end analysis of the performance, skills,
and knowledge gaps of a firm’s employees using both
internal and external metrics, such as customer
satisfaction
 Conduct analyses, surveys, and interviews of clients,
customers, internal business leaders, and employees to
identify the learning needs and desired outcomes at the
corporate, business-unit, and individual levels
 Link a corporation’s strategic objectives to the individual
objectives of its employees
9-38
Award-Winning Sales Training
Programs (continued)
 Incorporate learning objectives in employee
performance evaluations and promotional decisions
 Use career management systems to align the
competencies of the firm’s employees with its functions,
track the degree of employee learning, support
performance reviews, and enhance productivity
 Hold managers accountable for complying with the
individual development plans of their employees
 Use corporate universities to provide a variety of
learning models in creative and dedicated learning
environments
9-39
Best Practices for Sales Trainers
Needs Assessment
 Is the training tied to the organization’s mission and vision?
 Can you understand the true nature of the problem/issue at hand, and
what is needed to correct the problem?
 Is training the appropriate solution, or can the problem be corrected by
other solutions, such as changing the firm’s procedures, developing job
aids, or modifying jobs?
 Have you determined the learning objectives that will result in the
desired changes?
 Have you identified the knowledge and skills that will produce the
desired new behaviors?
 Can you determine the cost/budget constraints and develop suggested
solutions within these constraints?
 Can you identify the learning styles and needs of participants and
incorporate them into the program’s design?
9-40
(continued)
Content Development
 Does the program incorporate adult learning principles into all
aspects of the training?
 Does the content emphasize the essentials, not every possible
detail?
 Does the program provide participants with the materials they need
without overwhelming them?
9-41
(continued)
Technological Proficiency
 Is the instructor up to date in the use of most current technology?
 Is the instructor able to utilize the technology that best fits the
learning situation, rather than using technology for the sake of
appearances?
 Can the instructor bring the course material “alive” via an effective
presentation regardless of the technology used?
9-42
(continued)
Personal Professional Development

 Does the instructor have an interest in participants’ personal growth
and learning?
Evaluation
 Does the instructor seek feedback to improve the program?
 Does the program include an evaluation process to capture
information on the training’s effectiveness, learning retention by
participants, and the use of learning related to the firm’s day-to-day
business practices?
9-43
Role Play: Home Fire Lights (HFL)
 Home improvement company offering upscale outdoor
living spaces
 Sales training mgr took hands on approach
 Creative sales lab where trainees could work with new products
and design patio layouts
 “Selling involves relationships, and the best way to train for that
is in person, period!”
 All new hires had 2 weeks of training at HQ
 Follow-up training 6 months later
 Yearly new product update course
 HFL HQ is 110 miles from nearest metro area
 Sales training mgr resigned, reviewing plan for future
9-44
Role Play (continued): Assignment
 Break into groups of 2 or 3
 1 person is assistant sales trainer, has worked closely with
sales training mgr for 3 yrs, believes training program is one of
best in country
 1 person is a rep chosen by all sales mgrs
 % of training costs expensed to each sales mgr’s budget
 Many believe time out of field is cutting sales and profitability
 Outline the direction HFL’s new sales training program

should take
 Weigh pros and cons of different methods available
 Outline suggestions for new program
 Share results with class
 If you have 3 people, 2 need to convince president of approach
9-45
Sales Manager’s Workshop: Promedia
 You are district sales mgr for Promedia
 One major responsibility is to make sure all reps are trained and able to
sell complete portfolio of software
 Your boss emails concern about lack of field support for Financial
Project Tracking software
 Reps fired up about software at first, received training
 Newsletter for about 3 months, nothing for 18 months
 Harder to sell than anticipated
 Complexity, high cost, competition
 Reps would appreciate additional training, but they don’t want the
training program – they want to know how to overcome specific
issues related to selling the product
 Conduct opportunity analysis to identify where in the sales cycle reps
need extra training
9-46
Caselet 9.1: Justifying Cost
of Sales Training
 Chippewa Mowers mfgs and sells reel mowers
 Expanding markets and customer base
 Owner believes reps should be in front of
customer, not in front of computer
 Reps need to keep up with competition, produce
nice presentations and proposals
 Reps have difficulty with new CRM software
 Owner: “Joe, show me what I got for my sales
training investment”
9-47
Caselet 9.1 (continued):
Questions
1. How should Joe evaluate whether or not his
sales training was effective?
2. What approaches should Joe consider when
evaluating the effectiveness of his training
programs? Discuss the merits of each.
3. What ethical considerations are involved with
this decision?
9-48
Caselet 9.2: Transcontinental Imaging
Company (TIC)
 TIC has 1500 reps worldwide
 Regional rep Bob feels training isn’t meeting his
needs
 Training is via Internet, lectures, infrequent
seminars
 Professional Development—Building sales skills
 Work Group Training—Understanding the business unit
you work in
 Systems and Software Training—Understanding the
tools to perform your job
 Compliance Training—Focusing on ethics
9-49
Caselet 9.2 (continued): Transcontinental
Imaging Company (TIC)
 Bob has had 3 sales managers in past year,
feels neglected
 Each manager handles 40-50 reps
 Has trouble penetrating new accounts
 Pay is based on commission
 Requested training during reviews, but nothing’s
happened
 Called corporate sales training supervisor, Claire
Boston, who told him to read some books and work with
his direct supervisor
 Bob decides to resign
9-50
Caselet 9.2 (continued):
Questions
1. What potential areas of weakness can you identify in
TIC’s approach to sales training?
2. Do you believe that TIC’s sales training is appropriate
for its type of business and the number of salespeople
it has?
3. Did Bob Sullivan do the right thing in resigning? What
other steps could he have taken to improve his current
situation?
4. In this case, who should take responsibility for a
salesperson who needs help to perform at a higher
level? What do you think of Claire Boston’s advice to
Bob? What would you have said?
9-51
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mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.

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Sales Management: Shaping Future Sales Leaders

Training and Developing

Source: “Best Companies to Sell For,” Selling Power,

On-Demand  Access similar information online when and where

Web/Conference  Presenter delivers info remotely to trainees’

Webcast /  One-way flow of communication

Podcasting  Delivering info to rep’s iPod™ or similar device

 Web sites individual reps can put up on short notice

Source: Sales Performance International

 Trainee feedback, training staff comments,

 Measuring the amount of information participants

 Identifies to what degree trainees applied training

 Whether or not an organization achieved objectives

Personal Professional Development

 Outline the direction HFL’s new sales training program

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