What do I have to do to develop a great sales team?

An ideal sales team of veteran salespeople would allow each dealership to maximize revenue.  In reality, sales departments experience a high level of turnover.  As a result, there is no easy answer to this question.

Focusing on what we can’t control while ignoring what we can is a pathway to frustration and declining success.  Fearing turnover is no excuse for not investing in training your sales staff.  A sales force influencing your income pipelines without intensive training is something to fear.  Smart businesses accept that some turnover is inevitable and still provide proper training.

The practice of “On the Job Training” where a salesperson shadows existing staff is not effective.  Most people cannot absorb skill sets visually and improper training also leads to higher turnover rates.

Effective training for salespeople does not have to be a complicated task.  The key is to provide your people with tools that will foster and encourage success.  Experiencing success on the job increases longevity.

Key Ingredients for Successful Sales Training

• Learn to view you sales staff as an asset and not an expense.  See each member of your team as a protector of your investment.  The best way to protect this investment is to train, train, train.  They will either get better or they will get worse, there is no other option.
• Be sure that your sales training is specific to your goals and not generalized.  Give your team proven ideas, tips and strategies they can use.  Avoid unrealistic goals and promising theories.
• Be consistent in your sales training.  If you have it scheduled for every Tuesday at 11 AM, then be sure and conduct the sales training every Tuesday at 11 AM. Sales training will never be important to your sales staff unless it’s first important to you.
• Be sure to reinforce what you are training.  Nothing will dilute training quicker than not practicing what you preach.  Teach a skill set and have your staff practice, practice and practice this skill set.

About the Author

Stephanie Young is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Manus Group, where she is an active blogger, social media contributor and spokesperson for one of the nation’s leading automotive recruiting and training firms. Stephanie is a former Forestry Queen and still continues to promote her platform encouraging young woman to pursue their interests in STEM field careers.

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Copyright © 2014, Stephanie Young All rights reserved.