Sales training can sometimes have quite a garish and cliched image. If you are picturing a bell ringing and role play based motivational all singing and all dancing mantra chanting bonanza, then this article is for you. Sales training works best when it is customised for your specific industry, company or product however basic sales skills training can also be effective if done correctly. We can simplify the role of a sales person by defining it as someone who is responsible for making a proposition to a client. Basic sales training focuses on introducing techniques to make the most effective proposition to a client. The initial stages of sales training deal with actually motivating the sales person to pick up the phone and contact the prospective client. All disciplines of sales have strong routes in product knowledge which leads to belief in the product. A sales person has no problem in making a proposition to a prospective client that they believe in. Knowledge, skill and attitude are essential to success in sales and these can be instilled in the earliest stages of sales training. Product knowledge does not only cover the technical elements of the proposition but also enables the sales person to identify the unique selling points of their proposition which will make them stand out from their opposition. This instils more confidence and will positively affect their attitude to picking up the phone as once they are focussing on the unique selling points there is less chance of rejection. Projecting rejection is a common motivational problem for sales personnel and many a successful sales person has come crashing down due to an attitude problem. Breaking through any sales barrier is a matter of attitude combined with technique. Once the attitude is in place then the technique comes into play. Gatekeepers are what sales training professionals label the people who stand in the way of the prospective client you wish to proposition. There are many techniques for overcoming gatekeepers, one of the most successful being that of befriending. This means keeping records of their names, interests and effectively making them work for you. Other techniques focussed on in sales training include following up letters or emails and following up when scheduled. Once the contact has been made the proposition can take place. The technique focussed on in sales training to optimise the effect of the initial proposition that can make or break a sales relationship is called psychosomatics. This describes the process of establishing what sort of person the contact is and the way in which they like to do business. This information can sometimes be obtained by maintaining a good relationship with the gatekeeper. The psychosomatic profiles dealt with in basic sales training are split into four basic groups named by colour. The reds like to do business very directly and want all the information yesterday in a firm and confident tone. The blues like to do business via logic and numbers, so want to be lead toward the figures and finance with logical points. The yellows are more creative and tend to like more elaborate and dynamic sales pitches whilst the greens like to be tentatively lead through the proposition. Once the confidence and attitude are in place then the psychosomatic techniques learnt in sales training can be applied to cater the proposition to the particular client personality. Sales training is not only essential for breaking through the sales barrier but for effective account management and administration, there are many providers of sales training throughout the UK who can offer services from basic to custom designed.
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