The secret to successful training

Editor’s note: Paul Kirch is CEO of Actus Sales Intelligence, a Fort Worth, Texas, business and sales consulting agency, and Actus-360, a technology services providor. He can be reached at 214-295-6111 or at pkirch@actussales.com.

I have a good friend who is an experienced salesperson and loves going through sales training exercises. He’s a sponge for the information that comes from experienced trainers and other salespeople he might respect. This mind-set has also allowed me to grow in my own capabilities – the “always be growing” mind-set that far too few people possess. He and I have discussed this on various occasions and are often in agreement with the benefits of training. Several years ago we were talking and he said that he never goes into training expecting to learn anything new. His thought process is actually one that more people should adopt when it comes to training: New concepts and strategies can be powerful but the largest area of improvement for a seasoned salesperson lies in what they already know. Wait … why should anyone go through training for something they already know? In simple terms, what works and what you actually apply are not always synonymous. You have probably sat in on a training session and said, “Yes, I really should be doing that.” Even an obvious action may not be a part of your routine or regular strategy. 

Training with an experienced sales coach is a great opportunity. New concepts and approaches are always popping up and some of them can really work wonders. However, the areas that can make the biggest productivity shift are those that fall into the category of a great reminder of what works but isn’t currently being leveraged. One area that often gets a lot of nods during training is reaching out with non-promotional content such as competitive intelligence you’ve gathered on a prospect’s biggest competitor. Or perhaps reports that share useful data, which can help open a door where there was resistance. Sales training can lead to a significant improvement in productivity simply by helping remind sales professionals of things they should be doing but aren’t.

This doesn’t mean that training should only consist of obvious and overused strategies. In fact, effective sales training finds powerful ways of bringing what works to a trainee with new ways of applying or reinforcing a concept. New concepts should also be put into applicable terms. This helps keep the content fresh and impactful as well as easily digestible. After all, training that is applied is the only form that is truly effective. This doesn’t mean every aspect has to be implemented but training for the sake of training is often a shortsighted approach. Training is extremely valuable only if it leads to changes in behavior and application.

Form a new habit

So how can you ensure lasting change? Far too often we view training as a cure or a magical tool. The real magic comes from application and repetition. If you have ever exercised after a long break from doing so, you know that your muscles will ache and feel weak. If you continue to exercise, you’ll eventually get past the soreness and the muscles will grow. Training is useless if never applied. You must exercise your new skills. It is also important that someone is holding the trainee accountable to ensure that change is occurring. In the past you may have thought training was useless or said, “We gave them training but nothing changed.” Or worse, you experienced a loss of productivity after training. This can happen if the intent is to put new skills into practice but it’s done in a halfhearted manner. Or the essence of the training was lost over time due to a loss of confidence in what you are applying. The best way to ensure that new skills or ideas are being adopted correctly is to do a follow-up evaluation. Holding the team accountable and measuring what’s working and what’s not is the best way to make training a powerful tool for growth. It also helps you see where growth is occurring.

Whether the training is new material or a reminder of what a person should be doing (but isn’t) the end result should be growth. Growth comes from application, evaluation and follow-up. It’s about accountability, not micromanagement.

I have been a sales coach for several years but this year I partnered with a sales training firm called Sales Training and Results Inc. (STAR). We shared the same philosophy on training and how there has to be a means of ensuring adoption. I’m now a certified trainer so I’ve expanded my ability to offer high-value training for the research industry. The lessons above are not lost on me, as part of my ongoing process is to continually apply the new skills. We should never stop growing. Training should always be a part of that process. Apply what you learn or the training may be wasted time and money. This applies even if you aren’t learning something new. Remember, the power to change quickly and easily often lies in those things we know but have forgotten to apply.

If you have questions or want to learn more, please feel free to reach out to me at pkirch@actussales.com.