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Chapter 10
Sales Training: Objectives,
Techniques, and Evaluation

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Learning Objectives

Identify the key issues in sales training.

Understand the objectives of sales training.
Discuss the development of sales training programs.
Understand the training of new sales recruits and
experienced salespeople.
Define the topics covered in a sales training program.
Understand the various methods for conducting sales
training.
Discuss how to measure the costs and benefits of sales
training.

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Sales Training Issues

Who should be trained?
What should be the primary emphasis in the
training program?
How should the training process be structured?

on-the-job training and experience?

formal and more consistent centralized program?
web-based?
instructor-based?

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Sales Training Objectives

Increase productivity
Improve morale
Lower turnover
Improve customer relations
Improve selling skills

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Obstacles to Introducing Training

Top management not dedicated to sales
training
Lack of buy-in from frontline sales
managers and salespeople
Salespeoples lack of understanding of
what training is supposed to accomplish
Salespeoples lack of understanding
regarding application of training to
everyday tasks
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Well-Designed Training Program

Analyzes sales force needs
Sets specific, realistic, and measurable training
objectives
Allows for adequate development and timely,
effective implementation
Subjects itself to evaluation and review
What do we want to measure?
When do we want to measure?
How do we do it? What measuring tools are
available?

Modifies to achieve greater effectiveness

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Recent Shifts in Training New

Sales Recruits
Companies with less than $5 million in annual sales are
spending more on sales training per new hire - $5,500
worth of training per salesperson.
Training in smaller companies has increased from 3.3
months to 4.4 months.
Smaller companies are placing more emphasis on
training than several years ago.
Companies are spending time and money on training
experienced salespeople
Companies with more than $5 million in annual sales,
are spending less money on training
Source: Christen P. Heide, Dartnells 30th Sales Force Compensation Survey: (Chicago:
Dartnell Corp., 1999)
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Recent Shifts in Training

Experienced Sales Personnel
Experienced sales reps are given, on average,
32.5 hours of ongoing training per year at a cost
of $4,032 per rep
Continuing increasing amounts of training
reflects a commitment to provide ongoing
learning opportunities for senior salespeople
Companies are spending an increasing amount
of time on product training and less on training in
selling skills
Source: Christen P. Heide, Dartnells 30th Sales Force Compensation Survey: (Chicago:
Dartnell Corp., 1999)
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Sales Training Topics

Product or service knowledge

Market/Industry orientation
Company orientation
Selling skills
Time and territory management
Legal and ethical issues
Technology
Specialized topics

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Product Knowledge
Enables a salesperson to provide prospects and customers
with the critical information for rational decision-making
Involves
Knowing how the product is made
How the product is commonly used, and
How it should not be used.

Customers often want to know how competitive products

compare on

price
construction
performance
compatibility with each other

Companies that produce technical products spend a

greater amount of time on product knowledge
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Market/Industry Orientation Topics

How a particular industry fits into the overall
economy
Knowledge of the industry and the economy
Economic fluctuations that affect buying
behavior and require adaptive selling techniques
Customers' buying policies, patterns and
preferences in light of competition
Customers' customers and what satisfies them
Needs of both wholesalers and retailers
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Company Orientation Topics

Company polices that affect their selling
activities
How to handle customer requests for price
adjustments, product modifications, faster
delivery and different credit terms
Sales manuals that cover product line
information and company polices
A well-prepared sales manual gives a sales
representative quick answers to a customer's
questions
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Time and Territory Management

Sales trainees need to learn to manage
time and territories
80/20 rule applies:
20% of the customers account for
80% of the business and
Require a direct proportion of time and
attention

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Legal/Ethical Issues
Federal law dictates corporate action or
avoidance of action in areas of marketing, sales
and pricing
Sales personnel need to understand the federal,
state and local laws that constrain their selling
activities
Statements made by salespeople carry both
legal and ethical implications
Lapses in ethical conduct often lead to legal
problems
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Technology
Notebook computers
Presentations
connecting to company intranet or extranet
delivering documentation quickly and accurately

Home offices eliminate the need to go to another office

Salesperson can be almost totally self-sufficient with

high-speed network connection

computer
printer
cell phone

Effective computer use affords sales personnel more

face-to-face customer contact time
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Specialized Training Topics

Overcoming price objections

Holding the line on price
Working the trade show
Problem solving

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Keys for Effective OJT

1. Teaming - Bringing together people with different skills
to address issues.
2. Meetings - Setting aside times when employees at
different levels and positions can get together and share
thoughts on various topics.
3. Customer interaction - Including customer feedback as
part of the learning process.
4. Mentoring - Providing an informal mechanism for new
salespeople to interact and learn from more
experienced ones.
5. Peer-to-peer communication - Creating opportunities for
salespeople to interact together for mutual learning.
Source: The Education Development Center (www.edc.org)
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Classroom Training
Trainee receives standard briefings in

product knowledge
company polices
customer and market characteristics
selling skills

Formal training sessions avoid wasting

executive time
Classroom sessions permit use of audiovisual
materials and technical resources
Interaction between sales trainees builds
camaraderie
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Measuring the Costs and Benefits

Sales training consumes substantial time,
budget and support resources
Relationship between sales training and
revenue is difficult to measure

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Broad Benefits

Improved morale
Lower turnover
Higher customer satisfaction
Managements commitment to quality and
continuous improvement
Measuring changes in skills, reactions and
learning assists both new and experienced
sales personnel
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Key Terms

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sales training analysis

on-the-job training (OJT)
role-playing
electronic training methods
sales training costs

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Mark W. Johnston
Rollins College
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Greg W. Marshall
Rollins College
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