After reading this title you may be asking yourself the following…What do you mean? You are a sales training organization, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be selling me on why I should want to use you?
Well, my answer is no, not really. We should be mutually qualifying one another to ensure it’s a good fit. We need to talk about what goals you want to accomplish from a sales perspective and, even more importantly, why you want to accomplish them. We also need to determine the gaps between where you are now and where you’re trying to get to. Once we’ve identified what the gaps are, how quickly you want to bridge those gaps, and how much time and money you’re able and willing to invest to make that happen, we can have a discussion to co-build a program that makes sense for both parties.
Sometimes we meet with people that don’t feel we are a good fit for what they’re looking to accomplish, and that’s ok. Sometimes we meet with people that we feel aren’t a good fit for us to work with, and that’s ok too. You might be thinking that the disqualification comes down to criteria like industry, location, number of sales people, etc. Quite frankly, the disqualification typically comes down to issues over expectations of what you will get, how fast you will get it, and what you have to do to get it.
Listed below are three of the most common discussions we have upfront to outline expectations and determine whether or not there is a fit.
1) Time Commitment
I often use the analogy Sandler Training is like trying to get in shape. In a world of instant gratification, people want to see immediate results. If we run on a treadmill for an hour, none of us will see an immediate weight loss of 20lbs. Why would we send our sales team to a one hour lunch and learn and expect them to increase sales by 20% right away? Sounds crazy, right?
Most sales training companies have a delivery model of workshops, seminars and boot camps. The challenge is salespeople get temporarily excited but fail to apply what they’ve learned. Knowledge is not power. The application of knowledge is power. No real behavioral change happens overnight.
To be considered a good fit for Sandler Training, there must be a mindset that it’s going to take some time. Much like a personal trainer, the first step is to educate, the second step is implementation, and third step is to correct poor form, adjust the speed, etc. The more time you spend with a personal trainer, the better the results tend to be.
2) Participation from Sales Leaders
Sales leaders may want and need to improve sales results but may be unwilling to actively participate in the training and coaching. After all, you should know what to do already, right? The challenge is that no matter how much time is spent with an outsourced firm, your own sales leaders will be spending much more time with your team. So, if management doesn’t know the sales process and how to apply it, it’s impossible to reinforce the methodology in pre-call planning or post-call debriefing meetings with your team.
Another downside with lack of participation by leadership is that the mentality often becomes, “If my manager doesn’t spend the time to get good at it, why should I?” Salespeople know when it’s a “check the box” mentality. Meaning that we’re doing this program just to act like we’re doing something, but we’re really not committed to it and this too shall pass.
To be considered a good fit for Sandler Training, sales leaders must be involved in the training and coaching. At the very least, a basic understanding of the sales process and sales techniques is required for success of the program.
3) Coach-ability
Some people spend time with a personal trainer at the gym but aren’t willing to try anything new, push through their comfort zones, or have a positive attitude. Even though they are paying for the trainer and attending sessions, they are not likely to receive the results they set out for. The behaviors and techniques you’re already doing have taken you to your current level in sales. If you’re looking for different results, you must be receptive to a new approach, even when it may feel uncomfortable. Much of the Sandler process may be completely counter to what you may have learned before.
You must be willing to look at yourself in the mirror and get honest feedback on where you and/or your team can improve. There’s often a tendency to get defensive and justify shortcomings, which simply reinforces the status quo. Individuals and companies come to us to get advice, but are sometimes unwilling to listen to it. If you already think you know what to do, why did we talk in the first place?
To be considered a good fit for Sandler Training, the team must be coachable. Meaning they are willing and able to try new techniques, push through comfort zones, and have a positive attitude.
It’s certainly a possibility that by reading this article you decide we aren’t a good fit for what your company is trying to accomplish. As I said before, that’s ok. Buying and selling can feel a lot like dating. To create a trusting, long-term relationship with each other both parties should be clear about their expectations. It’s not only important to know who your ideal client would be but also specifically who your ideal client isn’t. We’ve found that being open and transparent about expectations can eliminate mutual mystification and heartache. If you decide you may be interested in Sandler Training, it might make sense to read “Do I Really Need Sales Training”
