Sales Force Training – The Role of the Sales Manager

The Sales Manager probably requires the widest range of skills than any other job in the company. On the one hand they have to be able to guide and direct the sales team and also have at least adequate selling skills. In addition, one of the most important responsibilities is sales force training.

The Sales Manager is charged with the responsibility to delivering the quota through the team. In order for the team to be successful they have to be trained. Therefore, the Sales Manager has to be able to train.

On the surface this may seem easy. It is easy to say that if you know how to sell you should be able to teach others how to sell. This logic is not necessarily sound. Training in itself is a skill. And, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you can train others to do.

To assist in training, a lot of companies have a training department. This is mostly for larger companies that have large teams. Even in those situations, the Manager has to reinforce what is trained. When there is not training department training rests with the Sales Manager.

Tips for Sales Force Training

One of the biggest barriers to the Manager being able to conduct sales training is time. They need to utilize the time they have with the team as effectively as possible.

One of the ways to “kill two birds with one stone” is to have sales training as part of the regular staff meeting. Whether the Manager meets with his team virtually online, or in person, they could set aside time in each meeting to cover a training topic. Reinforcement of key concepts in the sales meeting setting can have tremendous benefits in terms of sales results.

Another tip is to always look for ways to coach and mentor the. When the manager makes a call with a sales representative, they can use that time as training time too. Critique the call and give feedback on performance. Because the feedback is so close to the actual performance, the person being coached can really see how to apply the training lesson.

Have a sales tip each week. The Manager can either write or record a sales tip each week and distribute to the team. This can be very effective when the team is not in a centralized location. It serves as a way to have the team be consistent in using the pre-determined companies approach to selling.

In the final analysis the Sales Manager may have to be very creative when it comes to thinking of ways to incorporate sales force training into very busy schedules. No matter how short on time the Sales Manager or the sales force may be, it is vital for the long-term success to keep selling skills sharp. Without sales training and reinforcement of training concepts, the team will not maintain the desired level of excellence.