5 ways your employees can benefit from a bespoke sales training course
There's a huge choice of sales training courses available for your business to utilise, and there's a very good reason why this choice is so broad: there isn't just one right approach to sales training. Here are several powerful reasons to approach your staff training efforts in a bespoke manner.
Bespoke training can assist in meeting specialised needs
Naturally, every company wants to be successful; however, not every company will find success in the same way. Different companies can adhere to different business models that, nonetheless, all bring desirable results.
Your own business might, for example, be largely focused on maximising short-term profits or developing more long-term relationships with customers, as Marketing Donut notes. Tailoring your staff training can help ensure that you are working towards such specific goals.
You might want to update, rather than revamp, skills
One big problem with one-size-fits-all training is that, if you enrol your employees in it, they could spend too much time being taught subjects and methods with which they are already familiar.
You might have a sales team that is already accomplished in a wide range of sales areas but simply needs to add a few more specialised skills to its repertoire. In that case, bespoke training can be ideal; we offer sales training courses in subjects as specific as telesales and exhibition selling.
You can target specific areas of weakness
If your sales team has been pursuing what you had long deemed a "winning formula" that, nonetheless, isn't quite delivering all of the right results, look closely at where exactly it is failing.
If, for example, you find that your profit margins are faltering, this may be a sign that poor negotiation skills are at fault. Fortunately, we run an in-house course in negotiation skills. Meanwhile, if you are struggling to win repeat business, our customer service course could help.
Bespoke training can help staff pursue lifelong learning
In sales, just as in business in general, employees can continue learning. They will never know everything that there is to know about how they can do their job.
For that reason, it is ideal to foster lifelong learning in your sales personnel. However, lifelong learning means allowing people to develop themselves independently and, therefore, take their own path. Bespoke training opportunities can help them do this.
You could identify employees who have leadership potential
If you are currently the sales team's leader, you should remember that you can't be in your current position forever and so should diligently look for future candidates for that position.
By letting your employees attend sales training courses, you could soon see potential leaders starting to emerge. "Some individuals just need someone to believe in them", remarks Business 2 Community - and developing your fledgelings' skills can indicate your belief in these people.
You can start on the path towards this development by looking at the choice of sales training courses listed on our website and getting in phone contact with us on 020 3859 0707 to learn further.
Tips from some of the best sales training companies
If you feel that you have much to learn in the area of sales, you could be very excited by the idea of utilising a shortcut in your learning by taking advice from sales training experts. Fortunately, many of the world's most reputable sales training firms have staff who are happy to impart their specialist know-how. Here are some of the most worthwhile sales training tips you may ever read.
Don't spend too much time with unpromising prospects
As a salesperson, your objective shouldn't be to get business from every single prospect you meet, but instead, find the best prospects and then spend much of your time on them.
Mike Machalowicz has provided a description of "the 80/20 rule" on the American Express website's OPEN Forum. He notes that the greatest salespeople are aware of this rule, "where 80% of their commission comes from 20% of their clients. So they pay a lot of attention to their best clients."
Consider the client's emerging and future needs
The late former Apple CEO Steve Jobs once commented, as quoted by The Guardian: "A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."
So, how are you supposed to discern what your clients really want? By conducting as much research as possible about that client. Through doing this, you could find issues that your client might have in the future - when you could also present them with just what they need to solve the problem.
Don't be afraid of your clients saying "no"
Believe it or not, repeatedly hearing "no" from a client can actually work out well for you in the long run. If they instead repeatedly uttered "yes", that word could be diluted in significance - to the extent that the client doesn't end up sticking for very long with what they have said "yes" to.
However, should a client reply to you in the affirmative only after rejecting several other options you put to them, they are unlikely to change their mind, as they should be confident about their choice.
Think long-term when pitching to enterprise customers
Closing sales to enterprise customers can be tricky; however, Steve Anderson has revealed on the HuffPost site that devising a long-term strategy is key to overcoming this difficulty.
He advises that, if you are aiming to sell to a particular enterprise customer, you should first get in touch with sponsors and supporters of the client's company, as these people will know about the firm's unique value and be content to discuss it with you.
Take an especially personal approach to enterprise customers
Irene Backer acknowledges that, if your company is small, you could struggle to sell to enterprise buyers, as they are generally risk-adverse and so likelier to buy from bigger companies. However, she says that you can still tell the client about the more personal touch your firm could provide. Taking sales courses that we offer can help you further build on your promotional plan here.
5 sales shortcuts and bad habits to avoid
In sales, the best habits aren't necessarily the ones that come most easily. When you are rushed off your feet in the attempt to clinch that really exciting deal, you could too readily opt for the most immediately convenient option, rather than the one likelier to generate long-term success.
That's not strictly to say that shortcuts should always be avoided; it's simply a matter of discerning which ones could pay off and then the ones which could... well, make you pay.
Researching a prospect while on the phone with them
Multitasking might sometimes seem an effective method of squeezing more into your day, but your juggling act shouldn't extend to conducting thorough research on a prospect while calling them.
When this contact is on the phone, you should give them your undivided attention. If you instead attempt to scroll through their website and social media pages while cradling the phone on your shoulder, you could miss crucial details or sound insincere, Business 2 Community warns.
Sticking to a schedule when reaching out to prospects
Putting together a specific schedule or routine and then rigidly following it can be great for helping you keep all of your responsibilities organised. Along the way, you may opt to always call a prospect at a very particular time, such as just after your lunch break.
However, their schedule could be very different to yours. Perhaps their own lunch break happens slightly later than yours, and so they aren't actually in the office when the phone there is ringing. By varying the times at which you call or email, you could stand a bigger chance of catching them.
Putting details in memory rather than on paper
Resist convincing yourself that, by simply committing key details to memory, you'll definitely remember them. Unfortunately, our memories can be unreliable and let us down at inopportune times. There's a simple technique for preventing this happening: write down and suitably label crucial details when first told them. Noting details in this way could take just seconds at a time.
Pursuing deals alone, without seeking team help
If you independently spot a really good opportunity to make a sale, don't conceal it from the rest of your team while choosing to pursue it alone.
You might want to go ahead with this due to believing that, should the deal close, you would get all of the credit - and save face if it doesn't. However, should you actually proceed with a deal, you might lack the team support necessary for seeing it through, Inc. cautions.
Attempting to close too many deals
You may be tempted to chase a huge number of deals because you are convinced that sales are a numbers game where, the more opportunities you chase, the more you stand to triumph with.
However, it's possible that every single one of those deals are clinched and the firm ends up with more work than it can handle. At Frosch Learning, we have sales training professionals who can help you prevent blunders like this.
Things you should consider before expanding your business
The prospect of expanding your business can feel very exciting; however, it would not be without risks if you were to follow it through. Therefore, you should remember to temper your excitement with a dose of realism - whether you are interested in opening a new online or retail store, win new clients, or add to the variety of your company's products or services.
Before you put an expansion into action, you need to both think about and plan it properly. Skimping on this preparation could risk you ruining the business that you have carefully built up.
Could you expand without sacrificing the existing business?
Naturally, you would be delighted if your company develops a turnover of many millions of pounds. However, you shouldn't be too quick to assume that this kind of growth will happen instantaneously if you are still struggling with the much smaller company that you currently run.
Is it often difficult for your firm to make financial ends meet? Do you find that your relationships with existing clients and customers are frequently strained? If the answer to both questions is "yes", then you should wait until you have mastered these challenges before turning your attention to the possibility of an expansion. You should also probably disregard the expansion option if you intend to sell the company within five years, Entrepreneur advises.
Can you afford the initial financial outlay that would be necessary?
Yes, an expansion could help you bring in more money by exposing your firm's offerings to more people. However, that extra money won't start coming in until after you have heavily invested in setting up the expansion. You would need to account for various expenses cited by Business 2 Community - including those of opening a new base, recruiting, and the extra marketing expenses.
Fail to heed the warning about these costs and your business could end up faced with debt that it has difficulty paying off. Hence, if your company isn't turning a profit or you lack other means of accessing the required funds, you should probably rule out expanding... for now. Otherwise, you could face an even longer wait for profit to emerge.
Would your team be able to take on the challenge?
Let's assume that you have looked at your funds, time and opportunities and ultimately decided that, yes, all three could effectively smooth your path to your company's expansion.
However, there might still be a weak link if you haven't thought carefully about your company's current workforce. Extending the firm's reach will bring additional daily challenges for which your team's previous experience might not have adequately prepared them.
Your team would need to be suitably motivated and committed to handling these new challenges. Your workers might also need to upgrade their skills base - and our courses in sales training, leadership and management, business development, and more can help do just that. You can call us on 020 3859 0707 to learn much more about these courses and how else we can assist your business.
How to succeed in your first sales role
When many people get their first job, often it is in sales - and this shouldn't overly surprise, given the variety of the skills this can help generate. Joel Goldstein, a globally renowned speaker on entrepreneurial matters, has cited the common saying that "if you know how to sell, you can do anything." He has also provided guidance for excelling in your first sales job.
Seek a mentor
To draw heavily on metaphors, you might be Luke Skywalker, but that doesn't yet mean that you can skillfully wield a lightsabre. You still need to find your Yoda who can teach you the ways of the Force - and it might be in your sales team that you come across someone who could mentor you.
The company might already run a mentoring program; turn to your sales manager for clarification on this point. If there isn't a mentoring scheme, you could still ask your manager to recommend a contact who could be approached if you want someone to be your mentor.
After finding a mentor, you should ask them for various pieces of information. Those include what they have learned from their time with the company, how to handle excessively demanding clients and effective tactics for promoting the firm's products. Taking initiative in this way will impress your manager, Goldstein enthuses in a Lifehack article.
Educate yourself about the product's merits
You will struggle to make people enthusiastic about a product if you aren't yourself keen on it. Make sure that you know what benefits the product offers and try that product yourself. This means that, if it is food that you are endeavouring to sell, you should taste a sample of it and read through the nutritional information.
All of this is vital because, if you lack enthusiasm about the product, potential customers will be capable of sensing this even while you are promoting what is supposedly good about it.
Familiarise yourself with your new company
You should aim to provide the same kind of experience as your cohorts on the sales team. It wouldn't be ideal if a customer asked you something about a particular product or service and you realised that you will need to put them on hold while you seek a manager's assistance.
You should instead aim to always speak with confidence and answer any customer questions without faltering. Fumbling when certain questions are put to you will leave you looking short of experience and organisation. Therefore, it would be advisable that you thoroughly research the business and its offerings before your sales efforts get underway.
Look for suitable opportunities to progress
Once you are excelling in the entry-level sales role, you should seek a team leader position, as recommended in an article for The Guardian. You should also extend your learning by undertaking sales courses from our company, Frosch Learning, which can assist you in making that big leap. More details about these courses are available when you give us a call on 020 3859 0707.
How sales management training can help with the bottom line
In helping your company to grow, you can benefit from knowing the difference between the "top line" and "bottom line". The first of those terms refer to the firm's gross sales or revenues, as Investopedia explains; meanwhile, the "bottom line" is what remains of your company's income following the deduction of all expenses from revenues.
Therefore, knowing the bottom line is hugely valuable for making sure that your company is remaining financially efficient. In this article, we are going to detail how sales management training can make that bottom line even more attractive.
You can confidently look to the future
Whilst sales leaders are, of course, tasked with boosting their company's sales and revenue, a mere third of reps satisfy or exceed quota, according to the Salesforce.com blog. Hence, there is clearly much room for improvement - and a skilful sales manager can help promote this.
You can help produce effective sales managers when you put your staff through sales management training just like the great range of courses we offer here at Frosch Learning. In addition, investing in training can also send out a positive message to people who are considering joining your company about the quality of your staff and the expectation of future employees.
This positive message would arise from the fact that the company is clearly spending on its sales team's future success, rather than increasing expectations and quotas while leaving reps to have to use outdated sales technologies. Millennials are particularly insistent on using the most recent technology.
Moreover, if the training bears fruit by leading reps to satisfy more ambitious quotas, the salaries and commissions will also be higher. This, in turn, will make joining the sales team a more attractive prospect for people outside the company and so make your recruitment efforts easier.
Training should be ongoing, not one-off
A study by the Aberdeen Group has revealed that the process of recruiting a sales rep and getting them on board can last 7 months, while there are a further 5-11 months before the rep is educated and comfortable in their role. However, training shouldn't just be a "one-and-done" matter.
We say this because an individual can forget 87% of what they have learnt during training in under a month. Thus, training should be delivered on an ongoing basis to ensure that the sales knowledge is consistently reinforced. Such training can also ensure that employees know about the most recent products and processes relevant to their work and industry.
With the use of the correct tools, businesses can be responsible for a minimum reduction of 30-40% in ramp-up time. Furthermore, mistake frequency can be lowered and job satisfaction boosted. Our sales management training can assist in bringing all of these achievements within easy reach for your company.
Our website includes comprehensive details of the courses we have available, which you can also enquire about by phone via 020 3859 0707 and email through info@froschlearning.co.uk.
5 powerful ways to motivate your team (without giving them a pay rise)
Naturally, every business leader wants a team of highly motivated employees who will fight to not only do everything asked of them but also do it all well. However, you might be reluctant to utilise one of the most recommended methods of motivating workers...
That method is boosting their pay packets. Perhaps your reticence stems from a slightly shaky economy - or maybe, quite simply, you don't have the necessary money. Here are some alternative strategies that won’t involve dipping into your money pool.
Set challenging tasks
You can't expect members of your team to develop their skill base if you don't challenge them with the tasks that you provide them with. This means not simply handing them all of the same responsibilities to which they have become accustomed.
When presenting the task, make sure that the challenge remains reachable for the person, HuffPost advises. The task should also still be in the realm of what they are interested in pursuing.
Provide opportunities for self-development
Of course, we have just detailed why your personnel can develop themselves when you put challenging tasks in front of them. However, if there are very specific skills that you would like them to learn, you can fast-track this process by providing your staff with formal training courses.
At Frosch Learning, we offer a broad choice of training courses for businesses. These courses include business development, sales training, and leadership and management.
Cultivate a pleasant working environment
Recent studies have shown that employees are more attracted to an enjoyable working environment rather than money. This is promising news, as you could find that improving your work environment and employee culture is a much simpler financial goal in comparison to increasing your payroll budget.
Ultimately, the workplace should be a nice place in which to not only work but also relax and have fun. Cultivating such a place could help to develop strong and productive employee camaraderie.
Show your appreciation of your employees' work
Something else that can often make a stronger positive impression than a pay rise is employee appreciation. Show your workers how much you genuinely appreciate the distinct contributions that each of them make. You can show this appreciation in many different ways, explains Fast Company.
For example, you could use staff meetings to shine a spotlight on achievements or give particular employees extra responsibilities if they are capable of them. Remember to encourage and support them with any new ownership.
React appropriately to honest mistakes
Mistakes can often happen easily and unintentionally. When one does occur, you should avoid punishing the employee who has blundered. Instead, you should encourage a learning experience from the misstep to avoid it being made again.
Of course, you can still reduce the likelihood of mistakes arising in the first place if you give your staff a high standard of training. You can phone us on 020 3859 0707 to arrange exactly that.
5 ways to improve your company's sales at exhibitions
There is much promise to promoting your company at exhibitions - especially considering the high number of people they can attract and the many networking discussions they begin that then end in business deals.
Nonetheless, it can be disappointing if you set up what looks like a great booth only to notice your competitors' booths attracting much more attention. What is their secret? They might simply be aware of the following tips for generating excitement in exhibition attendees.
Make a good first impression with a well-designed booth
The first impression you make on someone can be a reliable indicator of how your relationship with them will unfold over the long term. That's been shown by studies cited by HuffPost.
Furthermore, first impressions can form quickly. For instance, it can take just one-fifth of a second for an opinion of a website to emerge - and design will influence 94% of this opinion. For this reason, you should make sure that your booth looks creative in an appealing way.
However, don't limit yourself to a booth
You shouldn't make your exhibition promotion strategy too dependent on a booth, behind which you could spend excessive time waiting for people to stop and chat to you.
Rather than stay in "hope mode", consider apparel business Cutter & Buck's example cited here by Entrepreneur. At a Las Vegas exhibition, Cutter & Buck set up a sophisticated suite to which strictly its key targets were invited. This tactic helped the company to cost-effectively make connections.
Remember that bigger is not always better
Think twice about lavishing millions of pounds on big booths and sponsorships every year out of fear that you won’t stand a chance of getting enough notice otherwise. Your brand's power is likely to be forged more through great relationships than visually striking signage.
Particularly direct your attention towards improving the way in which you follow up on client interest. This can assist you in keeping up momentum that starts at the exhibition itself.
Provide an interactive experience
Don't settle for just a static panel which is there simply for looking at and reading. Instead, enable people to enjoy an interactive experience with your brand. Should that experience be a genuinely fun one, crowds could soon form - and people could grow to better understand what you offer.
If you are stumped about how to provide that interactivity, consider that a touch screen can work well for businesses of many different kinds.
Act proactively to draw attention
Getting people interested at an exhibition can call for much more than simply falling back into that "hope mode" we warned you about earlier.
Perhaps you could have a book written that attracts plaudits and even lands you time on an exhibition stage where you can garner lots of valuable exposure. Exhibitions also provide an opportunity to distribute great products that get many attendees excitedly talking and increase your brand awareness.
Our sales training courses include an exhibition selling option which your staff could pursue as a means of building upon what they learn from this article.
Top Tips for Presenting
Presenting information clearly and effectively can be challenging. Whether you want to convince a board that your company is right for them, or you’re trying to engage an entire crowd, you need to be able to get your key business messages across concisely and with passion. To offer some assistance, we’ve put together five top tips for presenting your next sales pitch.
Show you’re passionate
Passion is something that salespeople cannot fake. If you’re not passionate about what you are presenting, the chances are that your audience will be disengaged and uninspired. Make sure that you understand your product or service inside out – and, above all else, be passionate about what you do. Passion is known to build trust with your prospects, and it’s impossible to make a sale without trust.
First impressions count
The first two or three minutes of your presentation are the most important, so make them count. If you can, deliver the defining aspects of your pitch or presentation in your opening sentences, and use some ‘hooks’ that engage your audience. Whether that’s “I’m going to show you how to add 10% on your annual turnover” or “the secrets I’m going to share today will change your business,” you need to make an impact. If you miss the opportunity to excite, your audience will switch off.
Keep your presentation short
With new research suggesting humans have a shorter attention span than goldfish, it’s more important than ever to keep your presentation short and sweet. Run through your presentation with friends or colleagues and get their feedback – is everything on your PowerPoint relevant and important to the discussion? If not, cut your presentation down and focus on only the key aspects.
Get closer to your audience
Many professionals use their presentation podium as a place to hide, but stepping out into the audience and getting closer to your participants is one of the best ways to boost engagement. Your podium can often act as a barrier between you and your audience, so removing this barrier will help you build business rapport and make the connection that you want to make.
Remember the shortcuts
Don’t stumble when it comes to technology. Not only will it make you look inexperienced and unprofessional, but it will make you nervous and increase your chances of stumbling. Pressing the ‘B’ key while you are in a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation will hide your presentation so you can discuss something off topic, while the obvious back and forward buttons will move your presentation along. If you want to be really organised, invest in a clicker or remote control.
The key to any good presentation is preparation. If you’re new to presenting or you just want to improve your skills, don’t hesitate to take advantage of the presentation training offered by Frosch Learning. Whether you’re selling to a group or team selling, we have a range of courses to boost your confidence, your skill and your ability to generate results.
Top 10 tips for a new manager
A role in management can be challenging. Whether you’re new to the business or accepting a promotion with additional responsibilities, we have put together ten tips for new managers.
Training is always useful
Across the country, there are hundreds of useful training courses on offer – including the leadership and management courses offered here at Frosch Learning. In addition to the new skills you’ll learn in such a course, you’ll show your seniors that you’re passionate about development and growth.
Don’t let the power go to your head
As much as you’ll appreciate the additional powers and responsibilities you have as a manager, you need to be careful that your new role does not go to your head. Be relatable and approachable, and you’ll be able to liaise with your colleagues and get the results you need.
Don’t be afraid to exercise your power
As a manager, there will be times when you need to exercise your power and authority, so don’t be afraid to do so when necessary. If you can’t give direction and feedback to your employees, or you can’t address issues with performance or punctuality, you won’t fulfil your role effectively.
Get to know your colleagues
One of the best ways to improve the effectiveness of your management is to get to know your employees. Through carefully planned staff get-togethers, socialising events and one-to-one meetings, you’ll be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your employees and find out what they need from you in the process.
Understand your role
Although the most important aspect of your role is to manage others, your boss is likely to have clear expectations and objectives that they would like you to meet. Understanding these will allow you fulfil your role to the best of your ability.
Work out the culture of the organisation
When you enter a new role, it is important that you adapt to the culture and attitudes of the existing employees. Your new peers are likely to be useful in helping you understand the inner workings of your organisation, but be sure to throw yourself in deep to enhance your understanding of the company.
Look to your role models
The chances are, you’ve probably worked for a range of managers throughout your life, so take the best parts of each one and try to avoid their bad habits and shortfalls. If you have a managerial role model, focus on them to get you through the difficult beginning weeks in a new management role.
Compare your leadership
As any new manager will discover, it is likely that employees will have become accustomed to a particular managerial style. To allow them to adapt more easily, you should encourage discussion regarding your management and that of their previous manager, and take on board feedback.
Talk to staff who applied for the management job
Although some managers may find this uncomfortable, talking to staff members who applied for the same managerial position you were offered can be useful. Acknowledge their disappointment, and ask for their ideas to make them feel like they are part of the process.
Don’t make too many changes at once
Even if you have hundreds of ideas for change, be careful about implementing organisational changes too quickly. Instead, take time, ask for feedback and roll out your changes over a longer period to give employees a chance to adapt.
By following our useful tips, you’ll be able to deliver clear and effective management that will impact on the success of your organisation.