Frequently asked questions about sales training

 

 

1.     What  kind  of  sales  training  works  best?   The best sales training is training which brings the results we are all looking for:  more stable, consistent managers and sales-people;  more sales, higher grosses, less turnover, and less turmoil at work.

 

To achieve that result, training must work from the inside out,  the training must focus on genuine growth and change.  Personal development must accompany any sales technique.  Managers and salespeople must learn about themselves, and then about the prospects.

 

Training must be founded on right principles:  honesty, character, integrity, and hard work.

 

Managers must learn and grow along with the salespeople.  The best training is that which brings managers and salespeople in the same room, at the same time, to learn the same things.  The more we divide up our people, the less our people learn to work together.

 

 

 

2.   What  is  people  skills  training?   People skills training focuses on personal beliefs, attitudes and actions.  It focuses on customers, salespeople and managers;  how they process information, what makes them tick, how they feel, how to listen to them, how to understand them, how to make them comfortable.   Salespeople must learn to listen, to help, to be sincere, to be honest, to have integrity, and to make sure the buyer gets what they want, need and can afford.  The manager must do the same for the salespeople. 

 

 

 

3.   Should managers have people skills training?  

 

Yes, because salespeople sell just like managers manage. 

 

Mean managers produce mean salespeople.

 

Kind managers produce kind salespeople.

 

The public no longer has to put up with mean salespeople, or mean managers.  Good managers, those managers who actually get along with the salespeople will sell more and gross more, and keep customers longer than the old school, high pressure, high turnover, hard sell managers.

 

 

 

4.   What form should good training take?   A three day boot camp is the best place to start.  In those three days, everyone should be scheduled for training.  In that time, if the maximum amount of employees attend, including managers, your staff can learn enough together to sell more, earn more and do more, than any short term benefit from sending two salespeople at a time to any out of town spot anywhere in the country.

 

 

 

5.   What will we learn in three days?  The 26 core competencies form the basis for the training.  When managers, salespeople and employees are all on the same page, that foundation prepares everyone to work together, accept responsibility, and focus on customer wants, needs and budgets.   Employees will learn to get out of their own way and focus on the customer.  Focusing on the customer,  if performed with every customer, will accomplish more than any selling system or new technology ever created.

 

 

 

6.    Should I pay for individual assessments?  You may, if you want, or you could just observe what people do during the training.   You can usually tell after the first day who wants to learn and grow and support the dealership.  It does not take long to separate your “A” players, from the “B” players, from the “C” players.

 

 

 

7.    Can you define A, B and C players?   Every dealership rises or falls based on the individual talents of their people.  “A” players grow, learn and change.   “B” players will grow, learn and change with help and training.  “C” players are absolutely un-trainable.

 

 

 

8.    Tell me about the “C” players.    Okay, “C” players refuse to learn, grow or change.  Problem is, “C” players usually include most of the veterans, and some of them are selling 20 or more cars a month.  But the real problem is, their refusal to learn, grow and change filters to your other people, and the bad attitudes spiral downward.  The sad truth is that most dealerships are held hostage by the 20 cars a month “C” players.  It is those “C” players who hold everyone else back, who force the new salespeople out, and who keep the dealership from continuing growth and profit.

 

 

 

9.   What should I do with my “C” Players?   If you keep them, they will cost you a fortune.  If you let them go, you can work with the people who want to learn, grow and change.  The customer is learning, growing and changing.  If we let “C” players keep us in the old school ‘60’s selling mode, if we let them keep everyone else from growing, they own the dealership and are directing the focus.  If  you  have  the  courage  to  let  them  go,  you  will  sell  more,  make  more,  and have  more  fun  at  work.

 

What happens is that your “A” players spend all their time dealing the problems created by the “C” players.

 

 

 

10.   What if my managers are “C” players?   Well, a “C” manager will cause the “A” players to turn over, will burn out the “B” players, and surround himself/herself with “C” players.  “C” players will simply destroy your dealership.

 

 

 

11.   Isn’t it a little harsh to let the “C” players go?  No, they can’t change, and won’t change.  That’s what makes them “C” players.  If they change, they are “B” players. 

 

It is not harsh to let them go.  Losing your “A” players is harsh.  Losing customers is harsh.  Losing money month after month is harsh.  Bankruptcy is harsh.   Getting rid of the people who are holding you back is kind, it is good, it is beneficial. 

 

 

 

12.   What do I do after the three day boot camp?

 

You hold your managers accountable for helping the salespeople to help the customers, daily.  You decide if you need reinforcement training to keep your people learning and growing.

 

 

 

13.   What is reinforcement training?   Reinforcement training is weekly, monthly or bi-monthly training.  It is on-going, regular training. 

 

 

 

14.    How do I pay for reinforcement training?  The easiest place is to take the money from the advertising budget.  Even advertising companies are now saying that advertising is out and PR is in.  Funny thing, if you check, you’ll probably find that it was your “C” players who were spending all the advertising money anyway.

 

 

 

15.   When does the training stop?   Probably when you’re making too much money and selling too many cars.   You could ask the Boston Red Sox, or the Steelers, or Jim Tressel, or Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden or Steve Spurrier.  When does training stop for them?

 

By the way, what do you think Bobby Bowden or Joe Paterno would do if his managers came to him and said, “Hey listen, we think our players don’t need anymore training this year.  With the money we save, we’re going to buy new uniforms so we’ll look good for the Bowl games on TV.”

 

Can you imagine?  Those winning coaches would have some new managers in a heartbeat.  It is the “C” players who think that they know enough to stop training for the salespeople. 

 

Those dealerships who have the best training have the most

“A” players.  They sell the most, and the make the most money.  They learn the most, they change with the customer, and they keep growing.

 

Think about what college football would look like if they just kept hiring new players, gave them two days training in Chicago and expected them to block and tackle and score?

 

Networks wouldn’t allow those teams on TV.  Why?  Because the game would be horrible.  No one would watch.

 

Which teams get on TV regularly?   The best ones,  THE  ONES  WHO  TRAIN  THE  MOST.  

 

If  your  dealership  was  a  college  football  team,  would  a  network  put  you  on  TV  at  8:00  Saturday  night?

 

Real  training,  real  learning,  real  growing,  real  changing never  stops.  When  training  stops,  everything  good  in  the  dealership  stops.

 

The team that trains the most, plays  the  best.