DMTraining: The Continuous Need for Sales Training

Digital Media Training
Cover image for  article: DMTraining: The Continuous Need for Sales Training

Why do experienced television/digital salespeople still need sales training?

Everything around us is constantly changing. This is especially true for sales professionals. Despite these changes, often times we still feel like we know what needs to be done so we continue doing the same things over and over again, year after year. But is this really the right approach?

Tenured professors at universities still attend conferences in their subject-matter area, in addition to those related to new teaching methods and ways to engage students. Professional athletes don’t stop training once they’ve won a championship. They continue practicing and improving their skills on a daily basis.

Sellers are no exception. With new emerging technology, social media networks -- even evolving company structures -- it’s imperative that salespeople constantly learn how to adapt their selling methods and approach.

Long gone are the days of sellers simply being “order takers.” Selling now requires a more educated and thoughtful outlook. Traditional and digital media sellers, junior and senior level alike, must focus on expanding their perspective through training.  Product training is obvious but what is often overlooked is taking the time to brush up on essential sales skills as well as the need to thoroughly understand the competitive landscape and how to successfully sell and position against it.

Being experienced can sometimes fool us into thinking we’re done learning or that we shouldn’t try new ways of doing things. Sales training brings into question how you’re talking about your offering and to whom, how you’re managing your time, and what you’re measuring.

Focusing on the words that come out of your mouth during sales calls is crucial. Yet after a while we stop listening to ourselves and also to others. We’ve been through the process so many times that everything is just déjà vu.

After doing the same things day in and day out, we feel like we’re experts. We do them in the best and most efficient way possible, right? But we’re not always hitting our goals … so there’s obviously some disconnect.

Stepping back with training will help us refocus on what we say and how we say it. It’ll help us make little changes that can make a huge difference in the long run. It will also help us reassess who we’re targeting and our approach to them.

Time management is something we all seem to struggle with. Most of the time we get so caught up in finishing lots of busy work that we rarely put the spotlight on doing tasks which are truly productive. Sales training shifts our attention to the activities that move the needle, such as prospecting and qualifying. Learning to prioritize and stop wasting time is something everyone can aim to improve.

Finally, sellers need to learn how to accurately track their activities. CRMs exist to keep a record of the entire sales process, yet they are rarely used properly and often extremely underutilized. Ensuring that the appropriate activities are being measured with the corresponding sales ratios is something that will help any seller improve. Knowing what’s actually working and what isn’t, where more time and energy should be expended, and how it all fits into hitting revenue goals is key for any seller regardless of experience or industry.

All salespeople can benefit greatly from sales training. By introducing new methods and changing habits that are no longer constructive, training assists sellers in working more efficiently and effectively.

The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage/MyersBizNet management or associated bloggers.

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