Mental Health in Sales FREE Training

Mental Health in Sales - Top Question from Google

How stressful is a sales job?

Here’s the short answer:

Sales can be stressful due to pressure, rejection, and long hours. However, it offers high earning potential, accomplishment, variety, and personal development. Whether it suits you depends on your personality and stress tolerance.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. The Hidden Toll - Why Mental Health Matters

The fast-paced, high-pressure world of sales can take a significant toll on mental health. While the pursuit of success and exceeding quotas can be motivating, the relentless pursuit of performance can often come at a cost.

Statistics paint a concerning picture:

42% of sales professionals experience symptoms of anxiety and 36% experience symptoms of depression, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) https://www.nami.org/Home. This is significantly higher than the national average of adults experiencing anxiety (31.1%) and depression (8.4%) in the past year according to the National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics.
Chronic stress, a common experience in sales, can lead to decreased motivation, cognitive decline, and increased vulnerability to mental health issues, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01702/full.

These statistics illustrate the hidden toll that the demands of sales can take on mental wellbeing. Ignoring these concerns can have detrimental consequences, not only for individual salespeople but also for the entire organization.

2. The Unique Challenges of Sales & Mental Wellbeing

Sales professionals face a unique set of challenges that contribute to elevated stress and risk factors for mental health issues compared to other professions. Here are some key factors:

Pressure to Perform: Sales are often commission-based, creating significant pressure to meet or exceed individual quotas. This constant pressure to perform can lead to anxiety, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy if they miss their sales goals.
Rejection Sensitivity: Sales involves frequent customer rejection, which can be emotionally draining and impact your self-esteem. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that salespeople experience higher levels of rejection sensitivity compared to individuals in other professions [https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-18724-001].
Unpredictable Work Schedules: Many sales roles require long hours, travel, and unpredictable schedules. This work-life imbalance can disrupt sleep patterns, create difficulty maintaining healthy habits, and contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Highly Competitive Environment: The competitive nature of the sales industry can breed feelings of inadequacy, envy, and imposter syndrome, further contributing to stress and anxiety.

By understanding these unique challenges, organizations and individuals can prioritize mental health support and create a more supportive work environment for sales professionals.

3. The Impact of Poor Mental Health on Sales Performance

The negative impact of poor mental health on sales performance is well-documented and can have significant consequences for both individual salespeople and organizations. Here’s a breakdown of some key effects:

Decreased Productivity: A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that employees experiencing symptoms of depression are 37% less productive than their healthy counterparts. This translates to decreased sales calls, missed opportunities, and lower overall revenue generation.
Increased Absenteeism and Turnover: Mental health issues can lead to increased absenteeism and employee turnover, further disrupting team dynamics and impacting overall sales performance. A 2018 report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimated that depression alone costs U.S. employers $170 billion annually due to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity while at work), and medical expense.
Diminished Decision-Making: Chronic stress and anxiety associated with poor mental health can impair cognitive function and decision-making abilities. A study published in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience found that stress can lead to impaired judgment, reduced creativity, and difficulty focusing, all of which can negatively impact sales strategies and negotiations.

These detrimental effects highlight the importance of prioritizing mental health support within sales teams. By creating a culture of well-being and offering resources and support systems, organizations can empower their salespeople to thrive and improve their performance.

4. Building Resilience: Strategies for Salespeople

The demanding nature of sales can undoubtedly test mental resilience. Fortunately, by developing coping mechanisms and adopting healthy habits, salespeople can learn to thrive in a high-pressure environment. Here are some key strategies:

1. Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that individuals with a growth mindset demonstrate greater resilience in the face of setbacks and are more likely to persist towards achieving their goals.

2. Practice Mindfulness and Stress Management: Techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, and regular physical activity can effectively reduce stress and improve emotional regulation. A 2017 meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that mindfulness-based interventions can significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

3. Seek Social Support: Building strong relationships with colleagues, friends, and family can provide invaluable support and a sense of belonging. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that individuals with strong social networks experience lower levels of depression and anxiety.

4. Celebrate Wins and Focus on Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate even small victories to maintain motivation and build confidence. Focusing on progress, not just the end goal, helps maintain a positive outlook and fosters resilience in the face of challenges.

5. Prioritize Self-Care: Make time for activities that promote relaxation and well-being, such as hobbies, spending time in nature, or getting enough sleep. Prioritizing self-care helps manage stress and prevent burnout, leading to increased resilience and overall well-being.

By adopting these strategies, salespeople can cultivate mental resilience and navigate the challenges of their profession with greater confidence and well-being. However, if in doubt please seek professional help here https://www.wellityglobal.com

5. Creating a Supportive Sales Culture

Beyond individual strategies, building and maintaining a supportive sales culture is crucial for promoting mental well-being and optimizing team performance. Here’s how organizations can create a more positive and empowering environment for their salespeople:

Open Communication and Feedback: Encourage open communication and regular feedback sessions. This allows salespeople to voice concerns, receive constructive criticism in a safe space, and feel supported by management.
Focus on Collaboration: Promote collaboration over cutthroat competition. Encourage knowledge sharing, team problem-solving, and celebrate collective wins. This fosters a sense of camaraderie and reduces feelings of isolation.
Work-Life Balance: Implement flexible work arrangements and discourage practices that lead to burnout, such as excessive overtime or constant after-hours communication.
Recognition and Appreciation: Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements. Public acknowledgement of successes reinforces positive behaviors and motivates continued effort.
Mental Health Resources: Provide access to mental health resources such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or online resources on stress management and mental well-being.
Destigmatize Seeking Help: Normalize conversations about mental health and encourage open communication about challenges. This reduces stigma and creates a safe space for salespeople to seek help when needed.

By prioritizing these elements, organizations can create a supportive sales culture that fosters mental well-being, boosts employee morale, and ultimately, drives improvements in sales performance.

6. Benefits of Prioritising Mental Health in Sales

Investing in the mental well-being of your sales team isn’t just the humane thing to do, it’s a strategic decision with demonstrably positive outcomes for both employees and the organization. Here’s how prioritizing mental health in sales can benefit your company:

Enhanced Sales Performance: Studies have shown a clear link between mental well-being and sales success. A happier, less stressed salesforce is more productive, resilient, and capable of handling rejection. A study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that employees who report higher levels of well-being are significantly more likely to be high performers [https://www.apa.org/].
Reduced Absenteeism and Turnover: Mental health issues can lead to increased absences and employee churn. By addressing these concerns, companies can experience significant cost savings and maintain a stable, experienced sales team. A 2020 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression].
Improved Decision-Making: Chronic stress and anxiety can negatively impact cognitive function. By prioritizing mental health, you empower your salespeople to make sound decisions, develop effective sales strategies, and ultimately close more deals.
Enhanced Customer Relationships: A happier, more well-balanced salesperson is more likely to project positive energy and build rapport with customers. This fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and increases customer satisfaction.
Stronger Employer Brand: Companies that prioritize employee well-being attract and retain top talent. By fostering a supportive environment, you build a positive employer brand that makes your organization more competitive in the talent marketplace.

These benefits highlight the strategic value of prioritizing mental health in sales. By investing in the well-being of your salespeople, you’re not just doing the right thing; you’re also creating a high-performing, successful sales team.

7. Getting Help: Resources for Sales Professionals

Prioritizing mental health is key to success in sales. If you’re struggling, know that you’re not alone. Numerous resources exist to support sales professionals across the globe.

For Sales Professionals in the UK:

Mind: A leading mental health charity offering information and support services: https://www.mind.org.uk/
The Samaritans: Provides 24/7 confidential emotional support via phone, email, or text: https://www.samaritans.org/about-samaritans/
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): Offers resources and guidance on workplace mental health for both employees and employers: https://www.cipd.org/en/
Business Partners Online: Provides free and confidential mental health support services specifically for small business owners and self-employed individuals: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/how-to-find-a-business-partner-online

For Sales Professionals in the US:

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): A national organization offering support groups, educational resources, and advocacy for mental health: https://www.nami.org/Home
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Provides mental health information and resources, including a treatment locator tool: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/
The Jed Foundation: Focuses on mental health resources and support specifically for teenagers and young adults, including those entering the workforce: https://jedfoundation.org/
The Trevor Project: Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, a demographic with higher rates of mental health concerns: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

For Sales Professionals in Australia:

Beyond Blue: A national organization providing information and support services for depression and anxiety: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/about-us/contact-us
Lifeline: Offers 24/7 confidential support for anyone experiencing emotional distress: https://www.lifeline.org.au/131114/
Headspace: Provides mental health services and resources specifically for young people aged 12-25: https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/
Black Dog Institute: Focuses on mental health research and education, with resources tailored for workplaces: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

Additional Resources:

Headspace National Support Line (Australia): 1300 22 4636
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US): 988
Samaritans 24/7 Helpline (UK): 116 123

In addition to these resources, many Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offered by employers can provide confidential counseling and support services. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your HR department to see what resources are available to you.

Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Taking care of your mental well-being is essential for success in both your personal and professional life.

8. FREE TRAINING

As part of our giving back Klozers are proud to offer free sales training for the B2B sales community. Course details:

Building a Sales Mindset & Mastering the Pressure Cooker of Sales

Learning Objectives:

By the end of your training session, your sales team will be able to:

Identify the unique stressors faced by B2B sales professionals.
Understand the negative impact of chronic stress on performance and health.
Apply five practical strategies to manage stress, anxiety, and pressure.
Develop a personalized plan to prioritize your mental well-being.

Course Duration – 90 minutes

Delivery – Live Online

To Request a FREE Course – >>>Contact Us Here<<<

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Online Sales Training – Supercharge Your Sales Team

by Iain Swanston

Designing the Best Sales Course

by Iain Swanston

Designing the Best Sales Course - Top Question from Google

How do you design sales training that drives ROI?

Here’s the short answer:

Identify key sales goals & customer pain points. Align sales training with business objectives and address specific buyer challenges.
Build a data-driven curriculum. Leverage your existing sales metrics & data to tailor content and delivery methods.
Develop engaging learning experiences. Combine interactive workshops, role-playing, and personalized coaching for maximum impact.
Measure & refine for continuous improvement. Track performance metrics and adapt training to ensure ongoing ROI and team empowerment.

Data: Our tailored training programs deliver higher conversion rates and boost employee engagement by.

Call to Action: Download our free guide to designing impactful B2B sales training or schedule a consultation today!

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Designing a Sales Course That Drives Results

In the B2B sales arena, where complex solutions meet with complex decision-making, your sales team is the tip of the spear. Their skills, knowledge, and confidence directly impact your win rate and revenue. But with the sales landscape constantly evolving, off-the-shelf training programs might not be the best way forward for you.

At Klozers we are passionate about delivering results, not training. Crazy as it may seem, there are still companies who are buying training so they can tick a box.

Even though we deliver hundreds of our standard sales courses every year, there are times where our clients have a unique situation and benefit from the ability to create a bespoke sales training program. We’ve put together this simple guide to help our customers design and build a customised training program.

This helps ensure they get the most appropriate training content, which in turn, drives genuine business results.

2. Why Investing in the Best Sales Training Program Matters

In today’s competitive B2B landscape, having a highly skilled and motivated sales team is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. However, simply throwing any old sales course at your reps won’t do the trick. Investing in the best sales training program possible is the key to unlocking their true potential and driving revenue growth.

Why is this so crucial? Let’s delve into the seven key facets of why the right sales training program can be a game-changer for your business:

Boosted Revenue: A well-designed program equips your team with the knowledge, skills, and techniques they need to close more deals and boost your bottom line.
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: When your salespeople are properly trained, they can better understand and meet the needs of your customers, leading to higher satisfaction levels and repeat business.
Stronger Brand Reputation: A team that consistently delivers excellent customer service through effective sales calls and meetings can help build a positive reputation for your brand.
Reduced Onboarding Time: A well-structured program can help get new salespeople up to speed quickly, reducing onboarding time and maximizing their productivity.
Elevated Employee Morale: Salespeople who feel confident and competent in their abilities are more likely to be engaged and motivated, leading to higher morale and lower turnover rates.
Sharpened Sales Skills: The program should teach essential skills like developing personalized presentations, overcoming objections, and building rapport, crucial for effective sales interactions.
Ongoing Focus on Learning: The best programs offer continuous learning opportunities through regular updates, online courses, and ongoing support, ensuring your team stays ahead of the curve.

So, what makes a sales training program the “best”?

There are many factors to consider, but some of the most important include:

Relevance: The content should be relevant to your specific industry, target market, and sales process.
Engagement: The program should be engaging and interactive, using a variety of methods to keep learners motivated.
Practical Application: The focus should be on teaching skills that can be applied in real-world sales situations.
Measurement: The program should have a clear way to measure its effectiveness, so you can track ROI and make improvements as needed.

By investing in a comprehensive sales training program, you give sales teams the tools they need to succeed. Remember, it’s not just about finding the most popular sales courses or the lowest price. It’s about finding the program that aligns perfectly with your specific business needs and empowers your team to build lasting relationships, win more deals, and ultimately, drive sustainable growth for your company.

Ready to take the next step? Explore the vast array of online and in-person training options available, from top-rated programs like Klozers. There’s a perfect program out there waiting to transform your sales team into a force to be reckoned with.

Remember, the investment you make in sales training today is an investment in the future of your business. Choose wisely, and watch your sales soar!

3. What Constitutes a Sales Training Course?

At Klozers all our courses are modular. This means that each course is made up of either 4 or 8 modules (1 or 2 day courses). These modules can be swapped for other modules at no charge.

Each of our modules last 90 minutes, so on a typical one-day training course we would deliver 2 modules in the morning and 2 modules in the afternoon. This is obviously then replicated for our two-day courses. The 90-minute modules allow time for breaks, and ensure the participants are never overloaded with information in any one session.

We’ve included a course agenda below as an example of what a typical 1 day sales training course would look like:

4. How Bespoke can the Training Content be?

With Klozers modular framework clients can design and create their own sales training course using any of the modules listed below at for no additional charge. Our modules are based on what we call the four “high value areas of sales” which are Finding, Klozing, Growing and Developing.

Regardless of what industry you are in the more time that your sales reps focus on finding companies/people to sell to, once they find them they have to take the prospect through a process to Kloze them and then once they have done all this hard work they need to Grow and keep their new customer. The last quadrant is “Developing” which is all about continuously developing your sales team in terms of productivity, skills and mindset.

For organisations that need a modules and a course designed exclusively for them, we charge extra for that design time. In terms of costs this varies based on your individual requirements.

This way the course can be up to 100% designed and bespoke to the needs of your organisation.

5. Choosing the Right Sales Training Modules

The training modules listed for each of our sales training courses on the website are the most popular modules for that particular course. Indeed, many companies take our sales training courses as is, however, you are equally welcome to change the modules if you believe there is another module that is more suitable.

In order to ensure that you are choosing the right modules you can follow our simple guide below:

Step 1: Diagnosing your Sales Training Needs

Think of your sales department as a high-performance engine. Before making any adjustments to increase performance, you need a thorough diagnostic. Here’s how you can do this:

Data Dive: Analyze sales metrics, KPIs, customer feedback, and call recordings to identify common strengths and weaknesses. Areas like prospecting, objection handling, closing techniques or sales process might need to be a focus.
Skill Gap Assessment: Use questionnaires or interviews to gauge individual skill levels and knowledge gaps. Are they comfortable navigating complex conversations? Can they effectively showcase your value proposition? What sales skills do they need to improve to get to the next level?
Stakeholder Interviews: Talk to sales managers, marketing, and even customers to understand expectations, challenges, and desired outcomes. What specific behaviours would boost win rates?
OKRs: If your sales team uses an OKR framework you can design the training in a way that supports the delivery of the OKRs. What skills do they need to deliver their OKRs? Which OKRs are they struggling with?
Sales Strategy: You may have a new sales strategy that requires the sales team to approach sales in a different way. For example: can your sales reps open new markets in a different vertical? Can your sales professionals reach and hold a conversation with senior level decision makers in Enterprise accounts? Is your strategy focussed on inbound sales from new accounts, or are your nurturing existing customer relationships.

Step 2: Architect the Curriculum

Imagine your training as a strategic roadmap, guiding your team from Point A (current state) to Point B (sales mastery).

Define Learning Objectives: what would you like the sales team to be able to do that they currently cannot? What would you like your sales teams to be better at, than they currently are?
Training Modules: Break down the roadmap into logical modules addressing identified skill gaps. This could include prospecting strategies, value proposition development, negotiation tactics, or customer relationship management.
Choose the Delivery Method: Will it be in-person / instructor led workshops, live online sales training, pre-recorded online sales training, blended learning, or a mix? Consider your team’s preferences, learning styles, and geographical spread. As a guide currently our most popular delivery method is hybrid where we start the project with a one-day in-person workshop which is then reinforced by 90 days of remote sales coaching.

Step 3: Inject Real-World Relevance

Textbook scenarios rarely capture the dynamic B2B reality. To make your training impactful, inject real-world relevance. So where possible we recommend you include:

Include senior people: Peer learning can be very powerful and by including senior people from your team they can help the participants connect the training to real world scenarios from their personal experience.
Role-Playing: Consider setting aside one of your modules for roleplay so we can simulate real-world sales interactions like prospecting calls, customer presentations, or objection handling. This allows your team to practice in a safe environment, fostering confidence and refining their skills.

Step 4: Accountability

Learning is great, however, implementing what is learned is equally important. It’s vital to consider how you plan to hold the sales representatives accountable to integrating what they have learned into their daily sales behaviours. This should be carried out by the sales leaders in the organisation.

Action Plans: All the courses include an “Action Plan” for participants to complete.

It’s important that their line manager follows up on this after the training in order to hold participants accountable.

Step 5: Measure and Monitor Success

Training isn’t a one-time event. To ensure sustained impact, you need to measure and monitor success:

Pre- and Post-Training Assessments: Use the same assessments used in Step 1 to track individual and team skill development. Have they closed the identified skill gaps?
Performance Metrics: Monitor sales data after the training. Did win rates increase? Average deal size? Time to close deals, Sales Process compliance.
Team Feedback: Conduct surveys or interviews to gather feedback on the training’s effectiveness, engagement, and areas for improvement.

KLOZERS SALES TRAINING COURSES	KLOZERS SALES TRAINING MODULES (90 mins each)
Sales Fundamentals (Level 100)	Building your Sales Pipeline	Questioning Techniques	Objection Handling Techniques	The Art of Klozing
AI for Sales (Level 200)	Pre-call Intelligence & Strategic Targeting	Data Driven Negotiation and Deal Structuring	Hyper personalised engagement & Relationship Building	Competitive Intelligence and Strategic Differentiation
Consultative Selling Skills (Level 200)	Consultative Selling Intro	Building a Value Proposition	Collaborative Problem Solving	Negotiation, Klozing & Customer Success
Solution Selling (Level 200)	Uncovering Customer Buying Motives	Building a Value Proposition	Mastering the Sales Conversation	Klozing & Building Long Term Partnerships
SaaS Sales Training (SDRs) (Level 200)	Sales Mindset	Building a Value Proposition	Outbound Sales Prospecting	Needs Assessment Discovery & Qualifying
SaaS Sales Training (AEs) (Level 200)	Pre-demo Preparation	Selling Value not Price	SaaS Product Demos	Objection Handling Techniques
LinkedIn Sales Training (Level 200)	Building your LinkedIn Sales Arsenal	The Art of Persuasive Communication	Mastering the Sales Conversation	LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Telephone Sales Training (Level 200)	Sales Mindset	Building a Value Proposition	Telephone Sales Roleplay	Live Calling with Coaching
90 Day Sales Planning (Level 100, 200 & 300)	Principals of 90 Day Planning	Creating an Effective Action Plan	Communication & Collaboration	Accountability & Motivation
Outbound Lead Generation (Level 200)	Building a Value Proposition	Cold Email Outreach	LinkedIn Selling Skills	Telephone Sales Skills
Inbound Lead Generation (Day 1 of 2) (Level 200)	Introduction and Case Study Review	Strategy and Planning	Creating content that converts	Building High Value Assets
Inbound Lead Generation (Day 2 of 2) (Level 200)	Technical Requirements and Set up	Selling Online	Measurements & Reporting	Action Planning
Key Account Management (Day 1 of 2) (Level 300)	Unlocking the Power of Key Accounts	Understanding the Enterprise Landscape	Building Trusted Relationships	Crafting a Winning Key Account Plan
Key Account Management (Day 2 of 2) (Level 300)	Sales Negotiation and Deal Structuring	Implementing Your Key Account Strategy	Maintaining and Growing Key Accounts	The Future of Key Account Management
Sales Negotiation Training (Level 300)	Foundation of B2B Negotiations	Planning & Preparation	Mastering the Negotiation Dance	Beyond the Deal
Enterprise Sales Training (Level 300)	This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.	This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.	This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.	This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.
Bespoke Sales Training (Level 100, 200 & 300)	This course content is customised to meet your exact needs	This course content is customised to meet your exact needs	This course content is customised to meet your exact needs	This course content is customised to meet your exact needs
Sales Management & Leadership (Level 300)	Sales Benchmarking & Improvement Planning	Sales Leadership Styles	Sales Performance & Coaching	Hiring Sales Winners

6. Example: Building a "Value Selling" Masterclass

This is much simpler and easier than most people think, so here’s an example of these steps in action, and used to design a bespoke “Value Selling” masterclass for a B2B software company with customised modules based on their individual requirements:

Diagnose: Sales data reveals low win rates for high-value deals. Customer interviews point to weak value proposition articulation throughout the sales process.
Architect: The 1 day curriculum includes 4 x modules on 1) identifying customer pain points via consultative questioning techniques, 2) building compelling value propositions, 3) storytelling in sales presentations, 4. Objection handling and closing techniques.
Real-World: Case studies analyze successful high-value deals within the company. Role-playing within the sessions simulate questioning techniques, value presentations and objection handling.
Engage: Interactive exercises help participants build personalized value propositions. Peers from within the business who are regularly above target share their stories.
Monitor: Win rates for high-value deals are tracked monthly. Post-training feedback assesses the course’s effectiveness in improving value selling skills.

Remember, your bespoke sales training course is an investment, not a cost. By crafting unique sales training programs tailored to your unique challenges and opportunities, you’ll empower your sales team to become top sales performers. They’ll not just push products, but become trusted advisors, crafting solutions that perfectly align with customer needs and unlock mutual value. This leads to stronger relationships, higher win rates, and ultimately, sustainable business growth.

7. Sales Manager Training

The single biggest influence on any B2B sales professional’s success is their immediate line manager. Great managers create great sales reps, but sales management courses can give them the tools and techniques to be truly impactful. Delivering initial training sessions focused on the entire sales cycle, from inbound sales methodology to account management, is crucial. But to ensure your sales teams learn effectively, their line managers need to be on board too.

The right online sales course or onsite training program for sales leaders, ideally before rolling out training to the wider organization, can significantly improve your chances of sales success. Comprehensive courses from Klozers, focusing on business development, customer acquisition, and building trust, can equip managers to lead and support their teams effectively. They’ll learn specific techniques for nurturing leads, developing personal brands, and closing deals, with real-world exercises and actionable insights to solidify their learning.

Our free virtual courses can offer a convenient and accessible starting point for sales fundamentals, while more in-depth courses with sales simulations provide ongoing learning and enhanced user experience. Regardless of the format, choose a program with a similar structure to your sales process, covering aspects like price points, overcoming resistance, and handling objections. Most importantly, it should help managers build trust with their teams and cater to their specific needs.

Leading sales isn’t just about individual performance; it’s about team dynamics and collaboration. Sales team training programs focused on building trust, developing communication skills, and fostering a customer-centric approach can make a significant difference. These programs can teach managers how to effectively build support for new strategies and initiatives, while also providing them with the tools to manage their teams efficiently and mentor individual members.

Remember, the best sales training programs are those that are unique and tailored to your company’s specific needs. Consider factors like your industry, sales process, and target audience when choosing a program. Whether it’s focusing on digital products or mastering complex sales cycles, the right training can equip your sales managers to accelerate your business growth and lead your team to win more deals.

So, invest in your sales management team with the right training. It’s not just about improving individual skills; it’s about building a high-performing sales organization that can consistently attract customers, close deals, and drive sustainable growth.

8. Post Training Support

Here are some additional ideas to take your bespoke training to the next level:

Coaching: Consider our 90 day post coaching support to help your team internalise what they have learned during the training.
Peer Coaching: Encourage peer-to-peer mentorship and practice sessions. This allows team members to learn from each other, share best practices, and provide constructive feedback in a supportive environment.
Ongoing Reinforcement: Don’t let the learning stop! We can provide ongoing access to training materials, online resources, and refresher sessions to ensure continual skill development and knowledge retention.
Celebrate Successes: Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements. This keeps the momentum going, motivates further learning, and reinforces the value of continuous improvement.

Remember, your sales team is your engine of success – invest in your people, and watch your business soar.

We provide free consultations where you can ask any further questions you might have about specific aspects of creating your bespoke training course. We’re here to help you turn your sales team into sales champions!

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Klozers Bolsters Leadership Team

by Iain Swanston

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Klozers Bolsters Leadership Team with Appointment of Marc Smit as General Manager to Drive Expansion

Smit brings over 30 years of sales expertise and 17 + years in training experience to Klozers

[Edinburgh, United Kingdom – 01/11/2023]

UK based Klozers, a leading provider of sales training and coaching, today announced the opening of its new European Headquarters in Amersfoort, Netherlands, in conjunction with the appointment of Marc Smit as General Manager. The decision follows increased demand in Europe for their range of Professional Selling programmes throughout 2023.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

New European Office

Klozers Founder and Managing Director, Iain Swanston said “We are forecasting record growth for the mainland of Europe, mainly in the DACH and Benelux regions. Our new Amersfoort, NL office and the appointment of Marc Smit as General Manager, represents our commitment to our existing clients in the region. Marc has a great track record, not just in sales education, but also in Business Development, and we are looking forward to working with him.”

Smit brings over 17 years of experience in the sales training industry working at the highest level. Most recently, Smit worked as Partner at the European Institute for Sales, and previously as a Sales Performance Consultant at Miller Heiman where he helped clients achieve significant sales growth and profitability.

In his new role Smit will be responsible for leading Klozers Global Accounts Team and developing Klozers Worldwide Partner Delivery Network.

“We are thrilled to have Marc join our team,” said Iain Swanston, CEO of Klozers. “His extensive experience in sales training and his proven track record of success make him the ideal person to lead our new European operations. We are confident that under Marc’s leadership, we will continue to grow, expand our business, and help our clients achieve even greater success. “

Smit is a highly respected sales training expert and consultant. He is also a certified Miller Heiman Sales Performance Consultant and is passionate about helping sales professionals and sales teams improve their skills and achieve their goals.

“I am excited to join Klozers and lead the company’s growth and expansion.“ said Smit. “Klozers is a leader in the sales training industry, and I am committed to helping our clients achieve even greater success. I look forward to working with our team to develop and implement new sales training programmes and solutions that meet the needs of our clients.

About Klozers

Klozers is a leading provider of professional sales training and coaching. The company offers a wide range of sales training programmes, exec sales coaching and consulting services. Klozers clients include Fortune 500 as well as mid-market and large SMEs.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

15 Energizing Sales Kickoff Themes for Your Team

by Iain Swanston

Sales Kickoff Themes - Top Question from Google

What Should be Included in a Sales Kickoff?

Here’s the short answer:

Sales Kickoff Essentials:
– Visionary Leadership: Set clear goals and expectations, inspiring the sales team.
– Comprehensive Product Training: Make sales reps product experts.
– Skill Enhancement: Use role-playing and case studies to sharpen selling skills.
– Recognition and Rewards: Acknowledge achievements to fuel competitiveness.
– Team-Building Activities: Foster camaraderie and collaboration.
– Open Communication: Establish feedback channels for brainstorming and improvement.

The best sales kickoff is a dynamic blend of motivation, education, and team cohesion, setting the scene for the upcoming quarter/year.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

15 Energising Sales Kickoff Theme Ideas

Start: Setting the Stage for Triumph –

Before we immerse ourselves in these sales kickoff themes, let’s decipher the essence of their significance. The art of choosing a theme lies in its power to elevate team spirits, engender unity, and steer your sales squadron toward realizing their objectives. It marks the inception of aligning your team’s endeavors with the overarching goals of your enterprise.

Theme 1: “Unleashing the Inner Dynamo”
This theme is an expedition into the latent potential residing within your sales troupe. It beckons them to unearth their inherent strengths, surmount challenges, and tap into their latent capabilities. Facilitate workshops and motivational dialogues to kindle the flames of ambition within them.
Theme 2: “Expedition to Excellence”
Sales, much like life, is a continuous odyssey rather than a static destination. This kickoff spotlights an unwavering pursuit of improvement and excellence. Share stories from your team of individuals who embarked at the very base and scaled the organisational peaks of through sheer dedication and hard work.
Theme 3: “Sales Olympics Extravaganza”
Transform your kickoff into a spirited competition. Assemble teams, appoint captains, and bestow sales targets with the aura of “medals.” Recognize and reward the champions, rendering the event as exhilarating as the Olympic Games 😉
Theme 4: “Masters of the Cosmic Market”
Infuse a celestial dimension into your event, spotlighting the vast expanse of opportunities within the sales cosmos. Empower your team to think expansively, venture into uncharted territories, and metamorphose into the sovereigns of their sales galaxies. Think BAG – Big Ambitious Goals.
Theme 5: “Customer-Centric Champions”
Shift the spotlight onto the customer. Remind your salespeople that they are not just selling products, but are, in fact, problem solvers and fulfillers of needs. Foster a customer-centric approach in every sales interaction.
Theme 6: “Innovate, or Dissipate”
Innovation stands as the linchpin to remaining at the vanguard of the sales arena. Challenge your team to traverse the realms of ingenuity, seek novel solutions, and adapt swiftly to the ever-evolving sales landscape.
Theme 7: “Rise and Shine: Morning Motivation”
Start your kickoff with an invigorating morning session, replete with rituals, exercises, and motivational oratories to infuse your team with an electrifying surge for the day ahead.
Theme 8: “Sales Safari: Conquering New Horizons”
Lead your team on an allegorical safari, exploring fresh markets and territories as if they were uncharted, exotic realms. Cultivate excitement regarding the journey of conquering these untrodden territories.
Theme 9: “Sales Superheroes Unite”
Shine a light on the extraordinary capabilities that your sales cadre possesses. Analogize them to superheroes, emphasizing their ability to swoop in and save the day for their clientele.
Theme 10: “Dominating with Data”
In the era of data analytics, unveil the potency of insights to your salespeople. Harness data-driven strategies to amplify sales and educate them on the art of harnessing analytics for success.
Theme 11: “Harmonious Sales Symphony”
Draw a parallel between the sales process and a symphony. Every member assumes a pivotal role, and collectively, they orchestrate a harmonious melody. The emphasis here is on teamwork and unity.
Theme 12: “Champions of Adaptability”
Acknowledge the inevitability of change. Encourage your team to welcome change with open arms, adapt nimbly, and thrive amidst the dynamic sales world.
Theme 13: “Globetrotters of Sales”
Accentuate the global dimension of sales. Spotlight success narratives from diverse corners of the globe, (does a globe have corners?) underscoring the immense opportunities presented by a global marketplace.
Theme 14: “Decoding the Success Formula”
Unveil the clandestine ingredients of prosperity within your industry. Furnish insights and strategies that have consistently served as the harbinger of triumph.
Theme 15: “Future-Proofing Your Sales Journey”
Bring your kickoff to a close by casting your gaze into the future. Engage in discussions about emerging trends and technologies, enlightening your team on how to stay ahead of the curve.

Conclusion: Transmuting Inspiration into Triumph

A successful and memorable sales kickoff event transcends the realm of motivation; it drives genuine behavioural change. Armed with the perfect theme, you have the potential to establish a stage for a year brimming with extraordinary sales accomplishments.

Sales Kickoff Speakers

Once you’ve chosen the right theme our team can help you design and prepare for your event. Here is our team prepping for a sales kickoff for 65 people in Amsterdam.

We can provide expert sales kickoff speakers for either an in person sales kickoff or a virtual sales kickoff.

Bonus - 5 Virtual Sales Kickoff Ideas

1. Cyber Odyssey:
Transform your remote sales kickoff into a futuristic cyber adventure. Invite your sales team members to embark on a virtual journey through a digital realm filled with challenges, puzzles, and opportunities. Each milestone reached could represent a sales goal or a new product launch. Use gamification elements and immersive technology to keep everyone engaged and motivated.

2. Around the World in Sales Days:
Take your sales team on a virtual world tour, exploring different global markets and cultures. Each day of the kickoff could focus on a different region, with presentations, market insights, and sales strategies specific to that area. Encourage team members to dress up in traditional attire, and feature virtual tours or guest speakers from each region.

3. Salespalooza Carnival:
Create a virtual sales carnival with a lively and fun atmosphere. Set up virtual “booths” for various sales-related activities, such as product demos, sales strategy games, and skill-building workshops. Participants can earn “tickets” or points for participating and achieving specific goals, which they can later redeem for prizes.

4. Sci-Fi Sales Summit:
Transport your sales team to a futuristic sci-fi universe where innovative technology and cutting-edge sales techniques are the norm. Create a virtual environment that resembles a space station, complete with holographic presentations and futuristic sales tools. Explore AI-driven sales, virtual reality demos, and discussions about the future of sales.

5. Sales Olympics:
Turn your online kickoff into a competitive sports-themed event. Assign different sales teams to “countries” and have them compete in a series of sales challenges and games throughout the event. Award medals or trophies for the highest achievers, and encourage friendly rivalry to boost motivation and engagement.

These unique virtual sales kickoff themes can add excitement, creativity and motivate team members for the next quarter.

Final Thoughts on Sales Kick off Themes

Creating the right sales kickoff theme is crucial for a successful event. Whether it’s a yearly in-person gathering, or a virtual meeting, the theme you choose can really affect how motivated and unified your sales team is. A well-chosen theme not only keeps your team interested, but also helps them understand your company’s solutions, sales strategy, and goals for the new year.

For virtual sales kickoffs, coming up with creative ideas is important to keep everyone engaged, especially if people are joining from different places. This can include things like interactive sessions, inspiring speakers, and fun online activities. These ideas help your sales team improve their skills and understand how to sell better, setting the stage for future success.

A good sales theme can also help your sales and marketing teams work together better to achieve your company’s goals. By getting your sales team involved in team-building activities, training, and discussions about your sales strategy, you create an environment where everyone is motivated to work together.

In the end, a successful sales kickoff starts with picking an exciting theme and ends with everyone growing and working together as a team. This leads to a better way of selling that brings success in the year ahead.

Best Practices for a Virtual Sales Kickoff

Planning a Successful Virtual Sales Kickoff Event

A successful virtual sales kickoff event requires careful planning and a clear agenda. Sales managers should coordinate with the marketing department to ensure that both teams are on the same page regarding company goals for the fiscal year. It’s essential to schedule breaks and include fun activities such as virtual scavenger hunts to keep the entire sales team engaged.

Motivating and Engaging Team Members

To motivate team members, consider incorporating motivational guest speakers or keynote speakers who can share success stories and insights into effective sales strategies. Sales leaders can also share tips and conduct sales strategy sessions that focus on innovative solutions and customer perspectives. This helps build a stronger connection and rapport within the sales department.

Creative Sales Kickoff Meeting Ideas

When planning your sales kickoff meeting, it’s vital to include a variety of sales kickoff meeting ideas that cater to different learning styles and interests. Consider using video clips and live events to demonstrate new products or sales processes. Hosting interactive breakout sessions can encourage team members to collaborate and brainstorm new sales strategies. Additionally, integrating fun themes like a space-related theme or a great sales meeting theme can make the event more memorable.

Building a Cohesive Sales Team

Team building exercises are an effective way to foster relationships among remote attendees and in-person participants. Activities like virtual scavenger hunts or happy hours can help maintain a positive tone and keep team members motivated. These events provide a unique opportunity for the entire organization to celebrate wins, share experiences, and develop a better understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities.

Ensuring Effective Participation and Engagement

To ensure maximum participation and engagement, sales managers should use tools like Google Docs to facilitate real-time collaboration. Encouraging the use of icebreaker questions at the beginning of sessions can help attendees feel more comfortable and ready to participate. It’s also important to keep sessions shorter and more focused to avoid information overload and improve memory retention.

Incorporating Sales Skills Development

Integrating sales skills development into the agenda is crucial for a productive sales kickoff. Sessions led by sales experts on topics such as overcoming challenges, utilizing the latest sales technology, and effective sales presentation techniques can be very beneficial. These sessions should aim to equip team members with practical skills they can apply immediately in their roles.

Celebrating Achievements and Setting Future Goals

Finally, celebrate the past year’s achievements and set clear goals for the next year. Organize award ceremonies to acknowledge top performers and share major wins. This not only boosts morale but also instills a sense of ownership and pride in the team. Discussing the company’s vision and objectives helps align the entire sales force with the overall goal, ensuring everyone is motivated to achieve new heights.

How to Host a Great Sales Kickoff

Planning a Successful Sales Kickoff Event

Hosting a successful sales kickoff event requires meticulous preparation and a well-structured agenda. Whether it’s an annual sales kickoff or a virtual sales kickoff meeting, the key is to establish a clear objective and outline the meeting agenda. Sales meetings should be designed to stay engaged and focus on motivating the entire team. Consider including a mix of live events and virtual meetings to cater to both in-person and remote attendees.

Engaging and Motivating Attendees

To ensure your sales kickoff is impactful, it’s essential to incorporate motivational speakers and guest keynote speakers who can inspire and energize the team. Sales enablement sessions led by sales experts can provide valuable insights into effective sales strategies and the latest industry trends. Including breakout sessions and interactive activities such as virtual scavenger hunts can help maintain a positive tone and keep participants engaged.

Creating a Dynamic and Memorable Experience

When organizing a sales kickoff, think creatively about the event’s theme and activities. A great sales kickoff theme can set the tone for the entire event. Consider using a combination of fun and engaging activities like skits, icebreakers, and team-building exercises to foster a sense of camaraderie among team members. It’s also beneficial to include elements like video clips and live demonstrations to highlight new products and sales processes.

Maximizing Participation and Interaction

To maximize participation, utilize various platforms and tools to facilitate interaction. Virtual settings can benefit from tools like Zoom for live sessions and Google Docs for real-time collaboration. Encourage participation by including shorter sessions, interactive quizzes, and opportunities for team members to share their experiences and success stories. This approach helps in building a deeper connection and understanding among colleagues.

Recognizing Achievements and Setting Future Goals

Celebrate the successes of the past year and set clear goals for the coming year. Organize award ceremonies to acknowledge top performers and their major wins. This not only boosts morale but also sets a benchmark for the entire team. Discussing the company’s vision and goals for the fiscal year helps align the sales force and motivates them to achieve new heights. Incorporate a marketing update and product updates to keep everyone informed and on the same page.

Leveraging Best Practices and Learning from Experiences

Adopting best practices from previous sales kickoffs can contribute significantly to the success of your event. Learn from past experiences and continuously seek feedback to improve. Tailoring your approach based on the unique needs and preferences of your team can ensure a more effective and engaging sales kickoff. Invest time in planning and preparation to create a seamless and impactful event that leaves a lasting impression.

Ensuring a Smooth Execution

Pay attention to the logistical details of the event, such as the selection process for keynote speakers, scheduling breaks, and organizing meals. Ensure that all technological systems are in place and tested to avoid any disruptions during the event. A well-executed sales kickoff can significantly impact the sales team’s performance and drive towards achieving the company’s goals.

Hosting a great sales kickoff involves a blend of strategic planning, creative engagement, and effective execution. By incorporating these elements and focusing on the needs and motivations of your sales team, you can create an event that not only sets the stage for the coming year but also inspires and energizes your team to reach their full potential.

Frequently asked questions on Sales Kick offs

Answers from the team:

1. How can I pinpoint the ideal sales kickoff theme for my team?

– Delve into your sales team members persona, aspirations, and the narrative you wish to convey. Select a theme that resonates with team members and will boost team morale.

2. What components should be integrated into a sales kickoff event?

– Your sales kickoff agenda should include: success stories, sales presentations, training sessions, workshops, inspirational speeches, team-building activities, and a clear roadmap for the upcoming year are the cornerstones.

3. How can I gauge the effectiveness of a sales kickoff event?

– Monitor sales performance, team engagement levels, and feedback garnered from attendees to gauge the event’s influence.

4. Can a sales kickoff event be run as a virtual sales kickoff?

– Yes, with the right tools and meticulous planning, a virtual sales kick off event can be equally impactful.

5. How frequently should I organize a sales kickoff event?

– While an annual sales kick off is typical, consider the possibility of conducting such events on a quarterly or semi-annual basis to sustain ongoing motivation and enthusiasm.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Sales Graduate Training

by Iain Swanston

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Klozers Embarks on Mission to Empower University Graduates Through FREE Education, Aiming to Enable 100,000 Graduates to Build a Career in Sales.

[Edinburgh, United Kingdom – 05/09/2023

Klozers, a leader in B2B sales education, is proud to announce a groundbreaking mission dedicated to fostering the next Generation of Sales Professionals. Our mission is clear: to equip the next generation of sales professionals with the essential skills they need to excel in the modern sales landscape. We are committed to providing top-notch sales training to 100,000 graduates, completely free of charge, because we firmly believe that education should never be a barrier to success.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

Why We're Committed

1 in 8 Jobs are in Sales roles: Sales is one of the largest sectors within employment, and the communication skills required for selling in the modern world, are equally important in other roles, outside of sales.
Graduates need Help: Finding and retaining employment is arguably more difficult then ever. In addition, many Graduates are leaving University burdened with debt, and getting the first step on the wage ladder is hugely important.
Empowering the Workforce: At Klozers, we understand that educated, skilled graduates are the lifeblood of successful businesses. By imparting knowledge and expertise to navigate the sales landscape, we empower the workforce and contribute to the growth and prosperity of enterprises, both large and small.
Bridging the Skills Gap: In the rapidly evolving world of modern sales, staying relevant is paramount. We offer comprehensive modules covering vital topics such as Building your Sales Pipeline, Mastering Questioning Techniques, Overcoming Objections, and The Art of Closing, ensuring that graduates are equipped to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.
Long-Term Careers: Our commitment to free education goes beyond the numbers; it’s about nurturing graduates and supporting their skills development. By investing in the early stage growth of graduates, we can help them understand the benefits of a career in sales.
Driving Economic Prosperity: Empowered graduates lead to thriving businesses, vibrant industries, and prosperous economies. Through our mission, we actively contribute to the economic prosperity of the business community and society at large. This is our way of giving back.

How You Can Join Us

We invite the business community to unite with us on this transformative journey. Partner with Klozers, and together, let’s pave the way for 100,000 graduates to unleash their true potential in sales.

Your support is not just an investment in the future of your company; it’s an investment in the future of a generation, shaping a brighter tomorrow for all.

Join us as we build a community of skilled, confident, and accomplished sales professionals, driving the business world forward.

Partner with Klozers and become a catalyst for change and good – empowering 100,000 graduates to thrive in sales, absolutely FREE.

Check out all the free courses here: Online Courses – Klozers

For media inquiries, please contact:

Iain Swanston – sales @ klozers.com

About Klozers:

Klozers is a leading provider of B2B sales education, dedicated to empowering the next generation of sales professionals with the skills and knowledge the need to excel in the modern sales landscape. Our mission is to eliminate barriers to success by providing the modern sales training to 100,000 graduates, free of charge, ultimately contributing to the growth and prosperity of the business community.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Sales Training Simulations

by Iain Swanston

Sales training simulations - Top Question from Google

What is a Sales Simulation?

Here’s the short answer:

A sales simulation uses real life sales and customer service scenarios to provide companies with real insights into their sales systems and processes. In addition they provide employees with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in their roles and deliver exceptional service to customers.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Game changing experiences

Klozers Sales Training Simulation is designed to help businesses revolutionise the customer experience. Using proven business game techniques and expert facilitation, our simulation guides participants to discover and apply best-practice methods that have real-world application.

The simulation is a powerful catalyst for winning the hearts and minds across an organisation driving toward:

Modernized customer experiences
A unified customer-centric vision and culture
Streamlined customer support and success models
Increased customer retention and advocacy
Good-fit customers with growth and success potential

2. Training Simulation Options

We currently offer three simulation games/scenarios based on:

a) Business Growth Game

Winning new sales is no longer the sole responsibility of a sales force. By working together companies can drive faster growth and measurable results.

Our business growth game takes your entire team through a 2 year business transformation in one day. By allowing employees to view the business through the eyes of the customer we help you create a strategy and plan to accelerate your growth.

The simulation training takes your teams through the entire sales cycle, from the initial sales call through, closing deals, onboarding and renewals.

b) Sales and Marketing Training

The idea of sales and marketing being different units within a business has ended. Modern dynamic businesses no longer follow the traditional sales and marketing model. They align teams around growth and our simulation demonstrates in real time scenarios how to fast track your sales and marketing processes.

The simulations build on any previous sales training your sales team may have had and help sales managers demonstrate how every day sales decisions, sales processes, and front line sales reps, impact the entire customer experience.

These new skills help sales professionals navigate complex sales deals and and serve as the foundation of any effective sales development strategy

c) Customer Service Transformation

Churn and low CSAT scores kills every growth at best, and will kill your business at worst. Our training simulation takes your team through the systems and processes to drive improvements in customer service and sales.

By providing real life scenarios in a risk free environment we help teams build their confidence, develop their critical thinking skills and ultimately deliver sales success.

3. Live and interactive dashboards

We use state of the art business dashboards which are accelerated to allow the players to see the results in real time from the decisions and actions they take during the game.

The overall context of each game is always to make the organisation more successful. In addition we include dashboards for each “department” so they gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges within those roles.

Each game consists of three rounds which give all the sales team members the chance to learn and them implement the changes they believe will help to drive the organisation forward. Live leader boards show where the organisation is with respect to their competitors to ensure the game is realistic.

4. Assessments & Roadmaps

Whilst playing a training simulation is great fun and helps improve the culture and team building within the business it’s important to that each game delivers a business impact.

To that end, we have developed our own training process and use a series of assessments prior to training which allows us to uncover the unique challenges and business problems within each department. Our facilitators then focus the players on these issues during the game and start the conversation around what and how needs to be improved.

We also work in advance with your learning and development teams to identify the learning objectives that they are looking to achieve using the simulation.

The penultimate step in the process is to generate improvement plans and roadmaps to ensure all the learning points are captured and subsequently actioned.

Lastly, our trainers are on hand to deliver the soft skills and any sales training that your customer service and sales teams need to take them to the next level.

5. Tackling your customer challenges

Does your business need support with:

1. High Customer and employee churn

Indicating a lack of satisfaction and loyalty, which can harm the reputation and profitability of the business.

2. Poor fit customers with low growth potential

Without an understanding of strategic business selling some customers can drain resources and impede business growth.

3. Low satisfaction customer experiences

Low satisfaction can lead to decreased customer loyalty and negative word-of-mouth, harming a business’s reputation and revenue.

4. Breached service targets

Missing service targets can lead to dissatisfied customers, low trust, missed opportunities, and decreased revenue.

5. Siloed organisations, information and mindsets

A lack of effective communication and collaboration can create inefficiencies, reduce productivity, and hinder innovation.

6. Lack of scalability and sustainability

This can prevent a business’ growth over the long term, limiting its ability to adapt to changing market conditions and meet current and future customer demand,

7. Inefficient and costly processes

These can lead to decreased productivity, increased costs, and reduced profitability, ultimately hindering the organization’s ability to compete and succeed in the marketplace.

8. Low rates of FCR and limited self service

Leading to increased call volume, additional customer support costs, and increased customer dissatisfaction, as well as negatively impacting customer loyalty and retention.

6. Blended with traditional training

Whilst training simulations undoubtedly win the hearts and minds of the audience, traditional sales team training still plays an important part after the games.

Klozers provenance in sales training means that you can be sure, that in addition to the simulation training our team will work with you to develop an effective sales strategy, streamline your sales process, reduce your sales cycle and develop the sales skills of your sales managers and sales reps.

We have a range of sales, marketing and customer service training courses that we can then use depending on the assessments, game outcomes and roadmaps.

This holistic solution delivers the impact on teams that organisations need to drive real change.

7. What makes training simulations different

What sets our games apart from traditional training solutions are they are both fun and engaging in nature.

Employees love playing the games and immediately go from passive, to interacting with both the game and their colleagues.

In addition to the specific learning objectives that we would work with you to identify in advance, every game improves team building, team culture and performance. In addition to wining the hearts and minds of participants.

Organisations leave our training simulations with clear roadmaps with actions to make ongoing improvements to their business.

Our games are facilitated by experienced team leaders who customise each game to the needs of your business and your people.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

DISC Training for Sales Success

by Iain Swanston

DISC Training for SALES - Top Question from Google

What DISC Personality is best for Sales?

Here’s the short answer:

In all our years of delivering sales training and coaching we can honestly say that we have worked with great salespeople from every quadrant. Each DISC style has strengths and weaknesses and the best salespeople know how to manage these.

With that said, if you are selling into a vertical such as accountancy, where the group’s DISC culture is predominantly of a similar customer buying style, it is easier for salespeople who are from that same DISC style as the buyers, to build relationships and sell quickly.

DISC is about preferences, there are no right or wrongs and there are no can do’s and can’t do’s.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. DISC training for sales success

Disc training is a valuable tool for everyone who is customer facing, whether they be in customer service or frontline sales. If like us you believe that people buy from people, you will understand that DISC is an effective way to help salespeople build relationships, gain rapport and sell more.

Disc training helps salespeople better understand themselves and others, so they can be more successful in their sales role.

Our sales team training teaches people how to identify their own sales style, different personality types, and how to adjust their approach accordingly. With the right training, salespeople can gain powerful skills that will enable them to close deals and increase their overall sales performance.

2. What is a DISC personality test?

DISC is a personality test that helps us understand what we do and how we behave. DISC tests have been developed over many years from the original assessment, which was developed by William Marston Moulton who based his work around the teachings of Carl Jung and Jung’s book “The Emotions of Normal People”.

So what is DISC? Well every human being regardless of race, colour or creed has a preferred style of behaviours that they exhibit. Specifically, every Human Being has a preferred style of behaviours that fall into one of four categories D – I – S or C. Sometimes we are accused of labelling people, or putting them into boxes when we do this, but please do not be offended. This is no different to recognising that some people are left handed or that some people have blue eyes, or others have red hair.

There is no right or wrong, and neither is there a better or best DISC style. Each of the four quadrants has strengths and weaknesses and this just recognises that none of us are perfect.

Take a DISC Assessment Now!

3. What are the four DISC personality types?

DISC tells us that every individual has a “preferred” way of doing and behaving. These ways predominantly fall within four main types or disc styles. These DISC styles are: D Profile, I Profile, S Profile and C Profile.

Whilst many companies attach words to the styles such as D for Dominance or I for Influencer, we prefer not to, as words on their own can be subjective as individuals can draw different conclusions and meanings from the same words.

The Four most common words used to identify disc styles are:

D – Dominance

I – Influencer

S – Steadiness

C – Compliance

Not every individual fits exactly into the four quadrants and some share the traits of two or more quadrants. However, each individual does have a centre which is the DISC style they will default to under stress.

In addition to their natural sales style, some individuals have an adjusted style or work mask. Whilst the natural style never changes, the work mask can change based on the individuals perceptions of what they need to do to be successful.

4. What does DISC training do?

From a sales perspective a DISC sales profile has four main benefits as follows:

DISC assessments help salespeople identify and understand their own personal DISC sales profile. In addition to a 16 page report on their DISC sales style, each of our participants has the opportunity to book additional training and coaching.
DISC assessments helps salespeople understand different customer buying styles and quickly build stronger relationships with their customers, thus improving sales effectiveness.
DISC assessments helps sales leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses of their sales team and identify where they will need the most support.
DISC assessments helps sales leaders identify the best DISC sales profile among candidates as part of the hiring process.

5. How DISC training drives sales results

DISC sales does more than help improve communication and sales interactions. It empowers salespeople at every step of the sales process and gives each individual specific strategies they can use to improve their sales performance and the customer experience.

In sales we understand that each of us has a different way of selling and that’s what makes us unique. Without loosing our natural sales style, it’s important to acknowledge that our sales style will fit well with many customers, but it may not fit well with others.

Our DISC sales style, in certain circumstances may hurt us and negatively influence the prospect. By providing salespeople with their own disc sales profile you are enabling them to

Provide participants with the self knowledge and a deeper understanding of their own natural sales style.
Help participants explore their own natural strengths and weaknesses via the disc model.
Use the DISC sales model to quickly identify customers and their buying styles and then use that information to practice adapting their styles to each specific customer.
Discover specific strategies they can draw upon to improve sales interactions and further develop their own emotional intelligence.
Use DISC profiles by placing customers first and at the center of their communication style and build rapport fast.
Provide sales leaders with a disc sales map and list of sales priorities to help them manage, train and coach their sales team.

6. How much does DISC training cost?

Our DISC training costs £250 per person plus taxes and includes:

1 x DISC sales assessment complete with in depth information in a 16 page report and a DISC sales profile.
1 x Live, one on one training session delivered remotely with one of our DISC trainers.
For DISC sales of groups of 10 or more please contact us in advance.

We also provide DISC training on site, either on your premises, or at an external location of your choosing. Our workshops are highly interactive and designed to deliver the best possible DISC sales learning experience.
The DISC sales facilitation kit our trainers use is proprietary and not available to purchase.

Take a DISC Assessment Now!

How to Improve Sales Effectiveness

by Iain Swanston

Sales effectiveness - Top Question from Google

How do you measure sales effectiveness?

Here’s the short answer:

How you measure sales effectiveness will depend on your company goals and objectives. Here are 5 measurements or sales KPIs (key performance indicators) to get you started:

Revenue growth. Not everything should be about money, but if your revenue growth is stalled or even worse, going backwards you will need to take action.
Conversion ratio. At a big picture level you will need to ensure the sales team are converting new sales leads. For more detailed conversion ratios, examine the conversion rates between each stage of your sales process such as MQL to SQL.
Average deal size. Increasing your average deal size via cross selling and upselling is a great way to improve your sales effectiveness.
Sales Cycle. Your sales cycle is the time between what we call first contact with a prospect and when you receive money in the bank for your goods and services. The shorter the sales cycle the more efficient your process.
Customer satisfaction. Never forget your customers and ensure that any improvements to your sales effectiveness are not at the expense of customer satisfaction.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. What is Sales Efficiency anyway?

Sales efficiency is simply measuring the ratio of the value gained from the costs of your sales team and the revenue they generate. The greater the ratio then the greater the return and the more effective the sales unit are.

In order to track and measure your sales efficiency you will need to be familiar with all the costs within your sales and marketing departments. Ideally you will have identified your cost per lead and your lifetime customer value.

These sales metrics may vary across products, departments and even salespeople and are the key to any sales improvement plan.

2. Sales Effectiveness framework

Over the years we have found great value in simplifying our own systems and processes, which we then share with our clients. For the last 10 years we have focussed our sales strategy, planning and improvements around what we call the four high value areas of B2B sales. These are:

Finding: you have to find people, companies and opportunities before you can sell to them.

Klozing: once you’ve found a deal you need to be able to take the deal through a sales process and win it.

Growing: once you have done all the hard work of finding and klozing new paying customers you need to keep and grow that account.

Developing: lastly, finding, klozing and growing are all activities undertaken by sales reps and we need to keep them, grow them and build a winning sales culture, all with scalable sales processes.

If you simply spend as much time as possible in these four areas it’s almost impossible not to sell more and improve sales effectiveness.

3. Finding - Lead to Opportunity Conversion Rate

Before we can convert leads to opportunities we need to first measure how good we are at generating leads. What is our process for filling the top of the sales funnel with potential customers and is it scalable? Have we explored all the different channels available and then identified the most fruitful ones.

Furthermore it’s important to define what is a lead? How close are they to your Ideal Client Persona (ICP) and what process do we use to qualify them? In our own business we use MQL and SQL which stands for Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) and Sales Qualified Lead (SQL).

We deliberately keep this simple so in our world a marketing lead is simply a contact that has downloaded an asset from our website or attended a webinar, or following us social channels. An MQL is a lead that has actively asked to talk with us whether that be via our website, telephone or email. The key differentiator here is that we have never spoken to them.

Next up is our Sales Qualified leads and these are defined as people who have spoken to sales and meet the criteria of both our ICP and BANT (Budget, Authority, Need and Time) which is a simple sales qualification process.

In our own business we measure our conversion ratio of MQLs against deals closed. Most companies would use SQL against deals closed but our system works well for us and our conversion ratio of MQLs when last measured was 42.22% which we think is pretty good.

It’s also worth noting the importance of lead response time here. According to a Lead Connect survey 78% of customers buy from the first responder. Also sales conversions are 391% higher when the first response is withing 1 minute. Lastly, leads that older than 5 minutes receive an 80% drop in lead qualification. Speed is your friend in lead generation.

New Customer Acquisition Rates

Whilst conversion ratios are important, what is equally important is new customer acquisition rates. If you have a 100% conversion rate but you only generate and close one deal a month you are unlikely to get the sales results you want or need.

Wherever possible we would recommend a data driven approach and starting with your ICP. The most efficient marketing is laser targeted on the ICP which then generates a better quality of lead. Small changes in messaging and design can have a huge impact on this.

Often times an easy win for both marketing and sales is to use campaigns and special offers to increase conversions and new customer acquisition. Most often recognised as tactics for B2C we have had huge success with clients building campaigns around a special offer.

Interestingly the most successful special offers we have worked with clients on ended up being more expensive than the original offer. The art of selling is not about discounting, it’s about selling your product at your price.

For obvious reasons it’s important that your customer acquisition rate exceeds your customer attrition rate which we cover later in this article.

4. Klozing and Sales Performance

As previously stated Klozing comes when you have found a deal or opportunity, and you then take that deal through your sales pipeline and win it. Most companies will base their sales metrics and how they measure sales effectiveness on closing sales qualified leads.

These sales metrics are influenced or driven by the sales team’s ability and performance. Ability refers to the skills and traits of the sales team to close deals and performance refers to their output. You can have the most highly trained sales reps in the world but unless they perform and are highly engaged they will not close deals. We therefore define sales effectiveness as Ability + Performance = Sales effectiveness.

Let’s break down Ability first. If ability comes from traits and skills what does this mean in real terms?

Traits are important at the hiring phase – what are the sales reps hobbies out of work? Would you hire a gamer who is stuck in their bedroom overnight of the captain of the local football team? Sports people normally excel in sales because they have great traits, self discipline, good work ethics and they are team players.

Skills are obviously important, however, in sales there are a myriad of skills required some of which are more or less relevant depending on the role. For example an AE (Account Executive) will potentially need communication skills, presentation skills, objection handling and negotiating skills to close deals.

A salesperson focussed on selling to the public sector via bids and tenders would require a completely different skill set.

5. Growing - Retention and Expansion.

A major part of sales effectiveness comes from the ability to not just win new business but hold onto it and expand within those accounts. After all the most difficult and most costly part of sales, namely new client acquisition is done. Growth & retention via cross selling and upselling should be mandatory in every company strategy.

Often the first step in growing is to ensure retention and reduce customer attrition or churn. Companies measure sales churn in different ways for example saas companies may measure churn on their monthly paid subscriptions, however, some companies may be heavily geared to annual subscriptions and this then needs to be taken into account.

Our own belief is that reducing churn is the area of sales effectiveness that every sales organisation should address first. There is no point winning new business if you cannot retain it.

The Critical metrics most often used to reduce churn would be customer satisfaction, user engagement and changes in customer needs.

6. Developing - scaling people and process

In our experience developing falls into two main categories as follows, firstly the startups.

Many company founders and sales leaders rush to scale their business before they have the fundamentals in place. They want to hire an entire sales force before they have in some cases proven their value proposition, let alone put in place scalable systems and sales processes for profitable growth. One sales rep who can’t win deals quickly becomes 10 sales reps who can’t win deals which compounds the problems and adds to the existing workload of already time poor sales leaders. Step 1, focus on the value proposition and making it as attractive as possible. Step 2, focus on building repetition and sales effectiveness at scale not just on individual salespeople.

In Developing the second group we deal with are established businesses who need to either reduce costs (no necessarily the cost of people, but the cost of customer acquisition) or simply want to drive performance and an effective sales team.

For these companies the status quo and change is the biggest challenge. Tenured salespeople can be resistant to changes which needs to be taken into account when you are planning for improvements in sales effectiveness.

In many cases delivering sales training is the easy part, creating meaningful behavioural change across an entire team is the bigger problem. So big that many sales leaders simply put up with subpar performance and average output from their sales force.

These are actually the most rewarding projects as they always deliver the biggest impact.

7. How to boost sales effectiveness - key questions

Sales Enablement is one of the most common approaches to drive sales effectiveness across sales teams. Sales Enablement is a way of providing the right tools, content, sales training and resources that the sales teams needs to be win more deals.

In addition a modern Sales Enablement department would be responsible for supporting the implementation of the company’s sales strategy, their sales processes, and measuring sales effectiveness across the organisation.

If your sales organization does not have it’s own sales enablement team our recommendation would be to first get a baseline understanding of the overall sales performance of your sales team’s effectiveness.

Its important that any evaluation is from the top down and includes the sales leaders, the sales managers and every sales rep. This would include things like sales opportunities generated, best practices, win rates, quota attainment and effective selling skills and behaviours.

Key Questions

1. What data do I have?

Sometimes we let perfection get in the way of progress. What data do you have that you can take actions from?

2. What data should I have?

What data are you going to need to make the right decisions and how can I start recoding it?

3. What data is easy to collect?

Data itself and can end up overwhelming. Where possible make data collection easy, avoid adding workload to salespeople.

4. No data?

If you don’t have data score each section on a 1 through 10 with 10 being perfect.

5. Where are the easy wins?

Find some easy wins to give your project some momentum.

6. Which are the biggest leavers?

Which improvements are going to have the biggest impact?

Taking time out to take a complete measurement of the sales organizations overall effectiveness will provide you with a better understanding help you to identify realistic goals in terms of improvements that you can achieve.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Sales Consultancy | Unlock Your Sales Potential

by Iain Swanston

Sales Consultancy - Top Question from Google

What do sales consultants do?

Here’s the short answer:

We are professional sales consultants specializing in helping B2B companies by improving their sales performance and achieving their sales goals. We work with a wide range of clients, including SMEs, Mid-Market and Enterprise accounts.

Our sales consultants look at your business as a whole and typically work with clients to identify areas for improvement in sales strategy, sales performance and sales process. Whilst many companies come to us for sales training, we have learned that in some cases training is the wrong place to start.

Therefore, we only provide training that we know will be impactful and aligned with the companies overall sales objectives.

Sales consultants may also work with clients to develop marketing and sales materials, such as brochures, presentations, and proposals, and they may provide guidance on sales techniques and best practices.

Our goal as sales consultants is not just to increase sales, but to do so in a way that is scalable and profitable. Furthermore we love to leave a legacy after us in terms of an improved culture and continuous improvement in sales performance.

We do this by providing expertise and guidance on a wide range of sales and marketing-related topics, and by working with clients and their sales teams to develop and implement effective growth strategies.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Why is sales consulting important

No CEO, VP, or Sales Director can be an expert in everything. A proven sales consultant who is external to the business can bring different skills, experiences and perspective to your business. The reality is that there is nothing that we bring that any CEO or VP of Sales could do themselves. What we bring is speed – our teams knowledge and skills will fast forward your business quicker that you can do working on your own. In addition to speed our team brings:

Our consultants bring expertise and experience in sales and marketing to our clients. They can provide valuable insights and guidance on a wide range of sales and marketing-related topics, and they can help you identify areas for improvement in your existing sales approach and to develop effective strategies to achieve real sales growth.
Working with our consultants, we help our clients improve their teams sales skills, productivity and sales performance resulting in real business growth. Our sales consultants will help you to identify and address bottlenecks in the sales process, and they can provide guidance on best practices and strategies to increase new sales enquiries and sales.
Klozers sales consulting services are flexible and scalable, which makes them suitable for companies of all sizes and in a variety of industries. Companies can work with us on a short-term or long-term basis, depending on their needs, and they can scale their support up or down as needed.

We serve as trusted advisors to CEOs and Sales Directors by supporting not just their sales team, but their sales operation as a whole.

Every business is unique so we would love to talk to you and learn more about your business. Contact us now for a free and no obligation sales consultation.

2. Common Consulting Projects - Sales Process

Often B2B sales can seem complicated and we do our best wherever possible to simplify everything. Sales is a process and should have logical and measurable start and ending points. Without a process it’s simply not possible to achieve consistency in either results or performance and more importantly it’s not scalable.

Our sales consultancy helps you:

Identifying areas for improvement: we work with clients to identify bottlenecks or other issues in the sales processes that are preventing them from achieving their goals. They can then develop strategies to address those issues and improve the sales process.
Providing training and development: we can provide training and development to help your sales force improve their skills and achieve better results. This might include training on sales techniques, product knowledge, or customer service skills.
Developing sales strategies: we work at CEO and Sales Director level to develop sales strategies that align with their business objectives. This might include identifying target markets, developing sales processes and systems, and creating marketing and sales materials.
Analyzing data and market trends: we use data analysis from your CRM and market research to identify trends and patterns that can inform your sales strategy. We can then use this information to develop changes to the sales approach whilst if necessary retaining the original sales strategy.
Providing group pipeline coaching and individual one to one coaching support: we work with sales people to develop 90 day sales plans for their teams and then provide coaching to help the sales teams deliver on the plans.

As part of our endeavours to simplify sales we break each area of the sales process down into the four high value areas of sales. Which are Finding, Klozing and Growing – we’ve found if you focus all your energies on just finding more people to sell to, then improving your klozing to get more deals over the line and then ensure that you both retain and grow those accounts, its impossible not to sell more.

The fourth and last high value are of sales is Developing which is the constant development of skills, confidence and knowledge of the sales people themselves.

3. Common Consulting Projects - Sales Training

Klozers started as a sales training business back in 2014 and sales training and coaching is at the heart of our business. We’ve successfully delivered sales training across multiple countries and verticals, from frontline SDRs to boardroom sales leaders.

Developing bespoke training programs: our clients have typically tried generic sales training courses and come to us looking for something different – results. We work with clients to develop customized sales training programs that meet the specific needs of their people and their organization. These programs might include training on lead generation, sales techniques, customer service, or other relevant topics.
Providing training workshops: our sales consultants can conduct sales training workshops for salespeople, either in person or online. These sessions might include lectures, group discussions, and hands-on exercises to help salespeople learn and practice new skills.
Providing ongoing coaching and support: we have team of experienced sales coaches who provide ongoing coaching and support to salespeople to help them apply their new sales skills in the workplace and to overcome any situational challenges as they arise. This might include providing feedback and guidance on sales techniques, as well as encouragement and support.
Evaluating the effectiveness of training: our consultants can also help clients to evaluate the effectiveness of your in house sales training programs, by collecting data and analyzing the results. This can help clients to identify areas for improvement within their sales force and to refine their training programs as needed.
Sales Team activity: training and improvement to sales processes are important, however, many sales teams struggle to execute the right types and level of sales activity. Every sales team needs to be held accountable to delivering the sales activity required.

Our sales training can be delivered either in-person at a location of your choosing, remotely online or a hybrid of the two. All our training is aligned with the companies overall sales strategy and goals which ensures you will receive the outcomes, results and business growth you are looking for.

4. Common Consulting Projects - Sales & Marketing Alignment

Aligning sales and marketing within a business is important because it helps to ensure that both teams are working towards the same overall goals and objectives. Here are some examples of the type of projects we work on to align sales and marketing within a business:

Establish clear and common growth goals and objectives: The first step in aligning sales and marketing is to establish clear and common growth goals and objectives for both teams. Examples include setting overall OKR based goals for the business, such as increasing sales revenue or expanding into new markets.
Define roles and responsibilities: It is important for both sales and marketing teams to understand their roles and responsibilities within the entire sales process. This may involve defining the specific tasks and responsibilities of each team, as well as how they will work together to achieve the overall goals of the business.
Communicate and collaborate: To align sales and marketing effectively, it is important for both teams to communicate and collaborate regularly. To this end we are great advocates of “Growth Pods” whereby we remove traditional siloed sales and marketing departments and place professionals from sales and marketing into smaller pods where they work together with common goals.
Use data and analytics: By using data and analytics, both the sales team and the marketing team can better understand the needs and preferences of their customers, and make more informed decisions about how to reach and engage them.
Use shared metrics: Using shared metrics can help to align sales and marketing efforts, as both teams can track progress towards common goals and objectives. This may include metrics such as customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, or lead conversion rate.

Aligning sales and marketing is a subject close to our hearts as we have gone through the process as a business ourselves. We can show you exactly how we did it, including the results, warts and all.

5. Klozers B2B Sales Consultancy - Join us

We’re growing fast and keen to hear from experienced sales consultants who would like to join our team. Our clients quite rightly demand the best and here are some of the vast array of skills that you will need:

Sales and Marketing: sales and marketing are inextricably linked in modern selling so you will need to demonstrate expertise in all aspects of B2B sales and marketing.
Communication skills: you will need to be a natural communicator and be able to effectively communicate with clients, from CEO & Sales Director level, through to the front line sales team. You should be able to clearly and concisely convey information and ideas, and be able to adapt your communication style to suit different personas.
Analytical skills: we will help you analyse the data in your CRM system to help your clients identify trends and patterns, from which you will need to develop solutions for sales growth.
Problem-solving skills: we love working with our clients on complex problems and helping them find the best solution for their circumstances. We don’t believe in a one size fits all solution so you’ll need to be creative in terms of your problem solving.
Consultative skills: our genesis as a business was delivering consultative selling skills which is still our best selling course. Our sales consultants are our brand champions so you will need to be able to work with clients in a consultative manner, and build strong relationships based on trust and mutual respect.
Business acumen: sales never operates in isolation of the wider business and our sales consultants need a strong understanding of business principles and how to apply them to different sales scenarios. You should be able to analyze market trends and customer needs, and to develop sales strategies that align with clients’ business objectives.

Klozers are a full life sales and marketing consultancy meaning we cover everything from the initial value proposition development through to closing more sales deals. What this means to you is that we work in a fast paced environment and no two days are the same. It’s great fun and hugely rewarding.

We are currently recruiting consultants throughout Europe and North America so please feel free to call us for more information.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

90 Day Sales Plan | Free Download

by Iain Swanston

90 Day Sales Action Plan - Top Question from Google

How do write a 90 Day Sales Action Plan?

Here’s the short answer: To write a 90-day sales action plan, your sales team should follow these steps:

Identify measurable goals: The first step in creating a 90-day sales action plan is to identify your specific goals. These should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that will help you to achieve success within the next 90 days. The sales goals in your plan should always be aligned with the companies overall sales and business strategy. Focus your goals on sales activities and behaviours, rather than revenue – if you do the right behaviours the revenue takes care of itself.
Break down your goals into actionable tasks: Once you have identified your goals, you will need to break them down into smaller, actionable tasks. What is it that you need to do to achieve the goals? These should be specific and achievable steps that you can take to move closer to your goals. Again avoid thinking about revenue. As an example; look at your sales process and identify where you can either increase the volume new sales enquires generated and increase the conversion ratio of the deals you are generating.
Assign deadlines and priorities: For each task, assign a deadline and a priority level. This will help you to stay organized and focused, and ensure that you are making progress towards your goals. Use the 30, 60 and 90 day milestones to hold yourself accountable rather than waiting till the end of the 90 day period.
Create a timeline: Use a timeline or calendar to visualize your progress and keep track of your tasks and deadlines. This will help you to stay on track and stay focused on your goals. We’re great fans of vision boards so make sure all the salespeople create and maintain a personla vision board.
Monitor and review your progress with your Sales Manager: Regularly review your progress to ensure that you are on track to achieve your goals. If you are not making the progress you expected, adjust your plan as needed to get back on track.
Make yourself accountable: Planning is great, however, doing is better. The best sales plan in the world is worthless if you do not execute the actions within the plan. B2B sales can be a tough environment and it helps to have the support of others around you like a sales manager to help hold you accountable to your new sales plan.

Top tip: include the four high value areas of sales (Finding, Klozing, Growing and Developing) in your sales plan to ensure you allocate the right amount of time for your circumstances. For example some salespeople may need to focus on generating new leads, whilst others need to develop relationships with existing customers. Check out the FREE template below as an example of this.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

90 DAY PLAN TEMPLATE

Download a FREE copy of our 90 Say Sales Plan template and make this your sales year.

1. Why are 90 day sales plans important?

90-day sales plans are important because they provide a clear, focused framework for sales reps to work towards specific goals and objectives over a defined period of time. A well-crafted 90-day sales plan can help the entire team to:

Stay focused and organized: Sales is the easiest job in the world but the most difficult to be effective. With so many distractions planning is an important part of sales success. By breaking down goals into specific tasks and assigning deadlines and priorities, a 90-day sales plan can help sales professionals to stay organized and focused, and ensure that they are making progress towards their goals.
Track progress and make adjustments: Schedule weekly checkpoints to track progress, a 90-day sales plan can help sales professionals to identify areas of sales activities where they are falling behind, and need to make up the numbers to get back on track. In addition to sales activities the plan can help identify skills gaps where reps are doing the activity, but not getting the results.
Increase personal motivation and accountability: There is something comforting and reassuring about having a plan and then working the plan. By setting clear goals and tracking progress, a 90-day sales plan helps sales professionals to stay motivated and accountable, and feel more engaged in their work.
Enhance communication and collaboration: Often times the sales leadership in a company are unsure of exactly what their direct reports are doing. 90 Day plans are a great way to ensure that sales reps are working on the right activities at the right time. By working towards shared goals, your 90-day sales plan can help sales professionals to improve communication and collaboration with their sales leadership and colleagues in their team.

Overall, a 90-day sales plan is a valuable tool that can help sales reps to focus their efforts, track their progress, and stay motivated and accountable as they work towards specific goals and objectives.

2. Are 90 day sales plans for a sales manager different to one for a sales person?

A 90-day sales plan for a sales manager will be different from a 90-day sales plan for a salesperson, as the responsibilities and goals of the two roles differ.

For a sales manager, a 90-day sales plan may focus on goals such as improving team performance, increasing team productivity, improving the sales skills of the team, or building relationships with key clients.

It may also include tasks such as conducting performance evaluations, providing training and development opportunities for team members, or creating strategies to target new markets.

90 day plans are a great tool to help new sales managers to demonstrate an impact in a new position. In addition to their management responsibilities many new sales managers also have a sales quota and are directly responsible for a few strategic clients.

For a salesperson, a 90-day sales plan may focus on goals such as increasing sales revenue, closing new deals, or improving customer retention. It may also include tasks such as identifying and qualifying leads, making presentations, or following up with prospects and customers.

Like the salespeople’s 90 day plans, the sales managers plans should always be linked to the company’s overall business plan and sales strategy.

3. Who should create the sales plans - the Reps or the Manager?

Sales plans should always be created by the salespeople who are responsible for executing the plan even when they are new sales reps to the company.

Here are a few factors to consider when creating your 90-day sales plans:

a) Modern sales management is an extremely busy role and creating action plans for every member of your team takes time because of the variables involved.

b) Where new hires lack the skills or experience to create their own 90 day plans, sales managers should use the planning process to help train and coach their direct reports to be more self sufficient.

The sales manager should always be involved as they ultimately have to sign off the plans. However, giving responsibility to the salespeople, helps build their skills and more importantly give them a sense of ownership of the plan, which in turn provides better engagement across the team.

4. How do I choose the right Goals and Objectives for my plan?

The goals and objectives in a 90-day sales plan should be aligned with the company’s overall sales strategy. Your sales strategy is your long-term plan that outlines the approach and tactics that your company will use to achieve its sales goals. By aligning the goals and objectives of the 90-day sales plan with the overall sales strategy, sales reps and sales managers can ensure that they are working towards the same overall goals and objectives as the company.

Here are a few ways to align the goals and objectives in a 90-day sales plan with the company’s sales strategy:

Identify the measurable goals of the company: The first step in aligning the 90-day sales plan with the company’s sales strategy is to understand the overall sales goals of the company. These may include goals such as increasing sales revenue, expanding into new markets, or improving customer retention.
Determine how the 90-day sales plan fits into the overall strategy: Once you have identified the overall sales goals of the company, you can determine how the 90-day sales plan fits into the overall strategy. This may involve identifying specific tactics or approaches that the team can use to contribute to the overall sales goals.
Use OKRs to set goals: The OKR system is a business goal setting framework used by many companies to drive growth and improvements. We use this in our own business and with our clients who love it.

Overall, aligning the goals and objectives in a 90-day sales plan with the company’s sales strategy can help sales reps and sales managers to work towards the same overall goals and objectives as the company, and contribute to the success of the overall sales strategy.

5. How do I implement 90 day action plans with my sales team?

Salespeople can be a tough audience and they especially don’t like change or something they feel threatening. This is why it’s so important to take a collaborative approach and make sure you win their hearts as well as their minds. This is as much about Change Management as it is about sales.

With that in mind, facilitate a workshop and with your team:

Identify the goals and objectives of the team: The first step in creating a 90-day sales plan is to identify the specific goals and objectives that the team should work towards. These should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that will help the team to achieve success within the next 90 days.
Break down the goals into actionable tasks: Once you have identified the goals of the team, you will need to break them down into smaller, actionable tasks. These should be specific and achievable steps that the team can take to move closer to the goals.
Assign deadlines and priorities: For each task, assign a deadline and a priority level. This will help the team to stay organized and focused, and ensure that they are making progress towards the goals.
Create a timeline: Use a timeline or calendar to visualize the team’s progress and keep track of the tasks and deadlines. This will help the team to stay on track and stay focused on the goals.
Communicate the plan to the team: Once the plan is complete, communicate it to the team and make sure that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.
Monitor and review progress: Regularly review the team’s progress to ensure that they are on track to achieve the goals. If the team is not making the progress you expected, adjust the plan as needed to get back on track.

Remember the most powerful workshops are those where the salespeople get to talk, are heard and believe its their own ideas they are about to go out and execute.

6. How do I hold my sales team members accountable to the 90 day plans?

A culture of accountability is essential for any business to be successful and all sales plans are worthless unless they are delivered. If you are introducing sales plans for the first time you should set the activity bar low so it’s achievable. You can gauge this by the activity level of the top performer and by using them as a benchmark you can immediately remove the argument that it cannot be done because everyone is too busy.

Communicate the plan clearly: Make sure that the salespeople understand their goals and the specific tasks that they need to complete in order to achieve them. Clearly communicate deadlines and priorities, and provide any necessary resources or support to help them succeed.
Set up regular check-ins: Schedule regular check-ins with sales team members to review their progress and provide support and guidance as needed. These check-ins can be conducted in person, over the phone, or via video conference.
Track progress and review results: Use tools such as dashboards or performance tracking software to track the progress of sales team members towards their goals. Regularly review these results to identify areas where team members are falling behind, and provide additional support as needed.
Provide feedback and coaching: Offer constructive feedback, training and coaching to sales team members to help them improve their performance and achieve their goals. This can include providing guidance on best practices, identifying areas for improvement, and offering support and resources to help team members succeed.
Set consequences for non-compliance: Establish clear consequences for sales team members who are not meeting their goals or following the plan. These consequences could include additional training or coaching, reduction in commissions or bonuses, or even termination if necessary.

The art of sales management is to push your sales force, however, if you push too hard you will lose them mentally. Better still link their personal goals to your business goals and watch them push themselves.

Be sure to get include a “Commitment Statement” in your plan and get your Reps to read it an sign it. This is great for setting the scene and reminding them that they are responsible for their own results.

7. 90 day sales plan for new hires vs sales plan for existing salespeople?

A 90-day sales action plan for a new salespeople should be very different to this 90-day sales action plan which is designed for existing salespeople. In most cases the hiring manager will use the first 30 days to provide what we call non sales training to a new sales rep. As part of the initial onboarding and training process a new employee would be given training on the new company’s vision, the company’s mission, product training and industry knowledge,

Next up during the 60 – 90 day sales plan the training quickly focuses more on sales knowledge topics. This should include, the value proposition, target markets, generating new leads and key clients that need to be prioritised.

Here are some additional things you should consider for new sales team members:

Focus: A 90-day sales action plan for those in a new sales job should focus more on onboarding and training, while a 90-day sales action plan for existing salespeople, may focus more on specific goals and objectives. For example, new sales team members will need more support understanding their sales territory, the sales process, background to any key accounts they are taking over.
Tasks: A 90-day sales action plan for new hires may include tasks such as learning about the company’s products and services, meeting with key stakeholders, and observing sales calls, while a 90-day sales action plan for existing salespeople may include tasks such as making presentations, following up with leads, and closing deals.
Goals: A 90-day sales action plan for new hires may include goals such as becoming familiar with the sales process and building relationships with key stakeholders, while a 90-day sales action plan for existing salespeople may include goals such as increasing sales revenue or improving customer retention. It’s important that every new sales rep understands how the company defines success and

Overall, the focus and tasks included in a 90-day sales action plan may vary depending on the specific needs and goals of the sales team or individual, as well as their experience and expertise in sales. It is important to choose goals and tasks that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) in order to maximize the chances of success. This includes weekly personal goals, following the companies sales processes, and producing high quality work that measurably impacts their sales quota.rep

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Mastering the Art of Asking For The Order

by Iain Swanston

asking for the order - Top Question from Google

How do you ask customers for the sale? (The short answer)

You should always remember, people do not like being sold to, but they love buying. With this in mind the best way to ask for the order, is not to ask for the order. If you use a consultative sales approach the customer will realise for themselves that there is a good fit between what you are selling and their needs. The best sales professionals never have to ask for the order. They simply create the right conditions for the buyer to buy.

If you are using a traditional sales approach in B2B sales, there are several ways to ask customers for sales, depending on the context and the relationship you have with them. Here are some examples:

If you are in a business setting and have already established a relationship with the customer, you can ask for a sale by stating the benefits of your product or service and explaining why it would be a good fit for their needs. For example, you could say, “Our product has been proven to improve efficiency and save time, which I think would be valuable for your business. Would you like to discuss a purchase?”
If you are cold-calling or contacting potential customers for the first time, it’s important to be polite and respectful. Start by introducing yourself and your company, and then explain how your product or service can help them. For example, you could say, “Hi, my name is [Name] and I’m with [Company]. We offer a [Product/Service] that can help [Benefit]. Can I schedule a call to discuss how it could benefit your business?”

Overall, the key to asking for the sale or indeed anything, is to be polite, respectful, and informative. Show the value of your product or service, and be prepared to answer any questions they may have.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Why it's important for salespeople to ask for the sale?

Not everyone is familiar with, or uses a consultative sales approach. Therefore, it’s very important for those using traditional sales methodologies to ask for the sale. Asking for the sale is the final step in the sales process, and it’s what ultimately determines whether the salesperson is successful in making a sale.

By asking for the sale, the salesperson is taking the initiative and putting the decision in the hands of the customer. This can be a powerful way to persuade the customer to make a purchase, and it can also help the sales person to close the deal more efficiently.

In addition to winning more sales, asking for the sale is also a crucial part of building a successful sales career. Sales is a profession that requires persistence, confidence, and the ability to handle rejection.

Asking for the sale helps sales professionals to develop these skills, and it can also help them to build a track record of success. The ability to ask for the sale has a direct impact on the sales performance of your sales team.

2. Why asking for the sale can lose sales professionals the deal

Asking for the sale is an important step in the sales process, and it’s essential for making a successful sale. However, if it’s not done in the right way, it’s possible that asking for the sale could lose the deal. Here are a few reasons why this might happen:

The customer isn’t ready: If the customer isn’t ready to make a decision, asking for the sale can be premature and can push them away. It’s important to carefully gauge the customer’s level of interest and readiness before asking for the sale.
The customer has objections: If the customer has objections or concerns, asking for the sale without addressing those issues can be counterproductive. It’s important to listen to the customer’s objections and to address them before asking for the sale.
The sales person is pushy or aggressive: Asking for the sale in a pushy or aggressive manner can be off-putting to the customer. Salespeople should be direct and clear in their request, but they should also be respectful and professional.
The customer is dissatisfied: If the customer is unhappy with the product or service, or with the salesperson’s performance, asking for the sale can be futile. In these cases, it may be better to address the customer’s dissatisfaction and try to resolve the issues before asking for the sale.

Overall, asking for the sale is a crucial part of the sales process, but it’s important to do it in a way that is appropriate for the specific situation and customer.

3. How fear of rejection stops sales professionals asking for the sale

Fear of rejection can definitely stop salespeople from asking for the sale. Asking for the sale is an inherently vulnerable position, and it requires the salesperson to put themselves out there and potentially face rejection. This can be intimidating, and it’s natural for salespeople to be afraid of being rejected.

However, it’s important for salespeople to overcome this fear and to ask for the sale anyway. Rejection is a natural part of the sales process, and it’s something that every salesperson will experience at some point in their career. By accepting that rejection is a possibility and by developing the skills and strategies to handle it effectively, sales people can overcome their fear of rejection and become more successful in their careers.

Sales people can overcome their fear of rejection in a number of ways, including the following:

Develop a positive attitude: A positive attitude can help salespeople to stay motivated and focused, even in the face of rejection. By believing in themselves and their abilities, salespeople can maintain a sense of confidence and resilience, which can help them to overcome their fear of rejection.
Practice effective rejection management: Sales people can learn how to manage rejection effectively by using techniques such as reframing, refocusing, and redirecting. These techniques can help sales people to view rejection in a more positive light, and to move on from rejection quickly and confidently.
Seek support: Sales people don’t have to face their fear of rejection alone. Seeking support from colleagues, mentors, and peers can provide valuable encouragement and advice, and can help sales people to feel more confident and capable.
Learn from rejection: Instead of viewing rejection as a failure, sales people can learn from it and use it as an opportunity to improve. By analyzing why a particular sale didn’t go through, salespeople can identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to overcome similar objections in the future.

By adopting these strategies, sales people can overcome their fear of rejection and become more successful in their careers.

4. How to build confidence in salespeople

Here are some tips for building confidence in a sales team:

Provide training and development: A sales team who are well-trained and well-equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed are more likely to be confident in their abilities. Invest in sales training and development programs that provide sales professionals with the tools and resources they need to be successful.
Encourage positive thinking: Positive thinking is a powerful tool that can help sales professionals to build confidence and overcome challenges. Encourage sales professionals to focus on their strengths and to believe in their ability to succeed.
Set achievable goals: Setting challenging but achievable goals can help sales professionals to feel a sense of accomplishment and to build their confidence. Create a goal-setting framework that provides clear benchmarks and rewards for success.
Provide support and encouragement: Sales can be a tough and demanding profession, and sales professionals often face rejection and disappointment. Provide support and encouragement to help salespeople stay motivated and focused, and to build their confidence over time.
Celebrate success: Recognizing and celebrating the successes of salespeople can help to boost their confidence and to reinforce the behaviours and strategies that lead to success. Make sure to celebrate both individual and team successes, and to provide public recognition for outstanding achievements.

By implementing these strategies, sales managers and leaders can help sales teams to build confidence, improve sales performance and to become more successful in their careers.

5. Why salespeople feel uncomfortable asking for the sale

Asking for the sale can be uncomfortable for a sales person because they may fear rejection or feel like they are being pushy or aggressive. Additionally, some people may be unsure of how to ask for the sale in a way that is polite and respectful, or they may not be confident in their product or service. Here are some reasons why a sales person may feel uncomfortable asking for the sale:

Fear of rejection: Asking for the sale means putting yourself out there and potentially facing rejection. This can be intimidating and uncomfortable, especially for people who are sensitive to criticism or who have low self-esteem.
Concern about being pushy or aggressive: Some people may worry that asking for the sale will make them appear pushy or aggressive, which can be off-putting to customers. This may be especially true for people who are naturally reserved or introverted.
Uncertainty about how to ask for the sale: Asking for the sale is a skill that requires practice and finesse. If a sales person does not know how to do it effectively, it can make them feel unsure and uncomfortable.
Lack of confidence in their product or service: If you don’t believe in your product or service, it can be difficult to persuade others to buy it. This lack of confidence can make it uncomfortable to ask for the sale.

Overall, asking for the sale can be uncomfortable for many people because it involves overcoming these fears and doubts. However, with practice and the right mindset, you can learn to ask for the sale in a way that is confident and persuasive.

6. What are sales closing techniques?

Sales closing techniques are strategies that salespeople use to persuade a potential customer to make a purchase. These techniques can take many forms, but they all aim to help the salesperson overcome any objections the customer may have and to move the conversation towards a successful sale. Some common sales closing techniques include using a trial close to gauge the customer’s level of interest, asking for the sale directly, offering a discount or special deal, and using scarcity or urgency to create a sense of need. Sales closing techniques can be effective, but it’s important for salespeople to use them in an ethical and transparent manner.

Examples of sales closing techniques:

The trial close: This involves asking the customer a question that helps the salesperson gauge their level of interest in the product or service. For example, the salesperson might say, “Based on what you’ve told me, it sounds like this product could be a good fit for your needs. Am I correct?”
Asking for the sale directly: This is a straightforward approach where the salesperson simply asks the customer if they would like to make a purchase. For example, the salesperson might say, “Do you want to go ahead and place your order today?”
Offering a discount or special deal: This involves offering the customer a financial incentive to make a purchase. For example, the salesperson might say, “If you decide to order today, I can offer you a 10% discount on your purchase.”
Using scarcity or urgency: This involves creating a sense of need or urgency to persuade the customer to make a decision quickly. For example, the salesperson might say, “This offer is only available for a limited time, so if you want to take advantage of it, you’ll need to act now.”
In certain circumstances such as selling home products like kitchens and windows, it can help to introduce an order pad or order form to help capture the customers order details. The visible introduction of the order pad can prompt the buyer into moving forward.

It’s important to note that these are just examples, and every sales person should use the closing techniques that are most appropriate for their specific situation and customers.

7. Handling objections in sales

Objections from prospects are common as they try to reach the best buying decision for themselves. However, in most cases they are not objections, they are simply the buyers way of saying that they require more detail. Nonetheless, the inability to handle objections will cost both the sales person and the company in lost sales. Here are some tips for handling objections in sales:

Listen carefully to the objection: It’s important to understand exactly what the customer is saying and why they are objecting. Ask clarifying questions and pay attention to their body language and tone of voice to get a better sense of their concerns.
Acknowledge the objection: Show the customer that you understand their concerns and that you are taking their objections seriously. This can help to build trust and rapport with the customer.
Address the objection: Once you understand the customer’s objection, provide a response that addresses their concerns. This might involve providing additional information, offering a solution, or addressing any misconceptions the customer may have.
Ask for the sale: After you have addressed the customer’s objections, it’s time to ask for the sale. Be direct and clear in your request, and be prepared to overcome any additional objections that the customer may have.
Follow up: If the customer still isn’t ready to make a purchase, follow up with them at a later date. This can help to keep the conversation going and can increase the chances of making a sale in the future.

It’s important to remember that handling objections is an ongoing process, and every sales person should be prepared to handle objections at every stage of the sales process.

8. What are sales transition statements and how do you use them?

Sales transition statements are phrases that help you smoothly move from one part of a sales conversation to another. They can be used to introduce a new topic, ask for a sale, or overcome objections. Here are some examples of how you can use sales transition statements:

Introducing a new topic: “In addition to [current topic], there is another aspect of our product that I think you might find interesting. It’s [new topic].”
Asking for a sale: “Based on what we’ve discussed, I think our product would be a great fit for your needs. Are you ready to move forward with a purchase?”
Overcoming objections: “I understand your concern about [objection]. Let me assure you that [reassurance/solution to objection].”

To use sales transition statements effectively, make sure they are smooth and natural-sounding. Avoid using language that sounds too salesy or pushy, and focus on addressing the customer’s needs and concerns. By using these phrases to move smoothly from one topic to another, you can help guide the conversation and ultimately persuade the customer to make a purchase.

9. What are the most popular sales closing phrases?

Sales closing phrases or sales closing questions are used to conclude a sales conversation and persuade the customer to make a purchase. Some of the most popular sales closing phrases include:

“Are you ready to move forward with a purchase?”
“Can I count on you to buy today?”
“If you’re happy with everything we’ve discussed, shall we go ahead and get started?”
“Based on what we’ve discussed, I think our product is a great fit for your needs. What do you think?”
“I’m confident that our product will help you [achieve goal/solve problem]. Are you ready to make a commitment?”

It’s important to remember that these phrases are just suggestions, and the best sales closing phrase will vary depending on the situation and the customer. The key is to find the right questions or phrase that feel natural and authentic, and that helps you conclude the conversation in a way that persuades the customer to make a purchase.

10. Why a consultative sales approach is important in modern selling

A consultative sales approach is important in modern selling for several reasons. First, it allows the salesperson to better understand the customer’s needs, goals, and challenges, and to tailor their solutions to meet those needs. This can help to create a more personalized and effective sales pitch, and it can also help to build trust and rapport with the customer.

Second, a consultative sales approach is more focused on the customer’s needs than on the salesperson’s goals. This can help to create a more mutually beneficial and long-term relationship with the customer, rather than a transactional one-time sale.

Third, a consultative sales approach is more adaptable and flexible than traditional sales approaches. In today’s fast-paced and constantly changing business environment, salespeople need to be able to adapt quickly and to provide solutions that meet the customer’s evolving needs. A consultative sales approach allows salespeople to do this more effectively.

Overall, a consultative sales approach is important in modern selling because it allows salespeople to provide more effective solutions, to build stronger relationships with customers, and to be more adaptable to changing business conditions.

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Amanda – Account Manager

Objection Handling Training | Transform Resistance into Results

by Iain Swanston

Objection Handling Training - Top Question from Google

How do you teach Objection Handling? (The short answer)

There are several different ways to teach objection handling in sales, and the best approach will depend on the specific situation and the learning goals of the sales team. Here are a few common approaches to teaching objection handling in sales:

Workshops and presentations: One approach to teaching objection handling is to provide workshops and presentations on the topic, covering the key principles and strategies for effectively responding to customer objections. This can be an effective way to provide an overview of the topic and to introduce the key concepts to the sales team.
Case studies and examples: Another approach is to use case studies and examples to illustrate the principles of objection handling. For example, a trainer might provide a case study that describes a real-life situation where a customer raised an objection, and then ask the sales team to brainstorm responses to that objection. This can be a useful way to help salespeople apply the principles of objection handling to real-life situations.
Role-playing and simulations: Role-playing and simulations are hands-on activities that can help salespeople practice and develop their objection handling skills. For example, a trainer might ask the sales team to role-play different scenarios where customers raise objections, and then provide feedback and guidance on how they can improve their responses. This can be an effective way to help salespeople develop the skills and confidence they need to handle objections effectively in real-life situations.

Overall, there are several different approaches to teaching objection handling in sales, and the best approach will depend on the specific situation and the learning goals of the sales team. By using a combination of training, case studies, and hands-on activities, trainers can help salespeople develop the skills and strategies they need to handle objections effectively and move forward with the sale.

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1. What are sales objections?

Sales objections are concerns or reservations that potential customers may have about a product or service being offered. These objections may be related to price, value, quality, or any number of other factors, and they can make it difficult for sales professionals to close a sale.

Objections are a natural part of the sales process, and it is the job of the sales professional to address these objections and overcome them in order to move the sales process forward.

Some common sales objections include concerns about cost, lack of need or interest, and competitors’ offers.

2. Are sales objections ever a good thing?

Sales objections can be a good thing, as they provide an opportunity for salespeople to better understand the customer’s concerns and address those concerns in a way that moves the sale forward.

By listening carefully to the customer and asking clarifying questions, salespeople can gather valuable information and use that information to tailor their response to the customer’s specific objections.

In addition, sales objections can provide valuable feedback that can help salespeople improve their sales techniques and strategies.

For example, if a customer raises an objection about the price of a product, the salesperson can use that feedback to develop a more compelling value proposition or to negotiate a more favorable price. By learning from customer objections, salespeople can improve their sales pitch and increase their chances of closing the sale.

Overall, sales objections can be a good thing because they provide an opportunity for salespeople to better understand the customer’s concerns and address those concerns in a way that moves the sale forward.

By listening carefully to the customer and using the information they provide, salespeople can improve their sales pitch and increase their chances of closing the sale.

3. What is the difference between a stall and objection in sales?

A stall in the sales process typically refers to a moment when the conversation between the sales professional and the potential customer reaches a point where it seems to stop moving forward. This might happen because the customer is unsure about how to proceed, or because they are hesitant to make a decision.

In contrast, an objection in the sales process typically refers to a specific concern or reservation that the potential customer has about the product or service being offered. This might be a concern about price, quality, or any number of other factors.

The key difference between a stall and an objection is that an objection is a specific issue that the sales professional can address and attempt to overcome, while a stall is a more general lack of progress in the sales process.

4. What skills are involved in objection handling?

Objection handling involves a range of sales skills that are designed to help salespeople effectively respond to customer objections and move forward with the sale. Here are a few examples of skills that are involved in objection handling:

Active listening: Effective objection handling involves being able to listen intently to the customer and understand their specific concerns. This requires salespeople to pay attention to what the customer is saying and to ask first open ended questions and then clarifying questions to gather more information.
Empathy: Being able to empathize with the customer and understand their perspective is an important skill in objection handling. By being able to put themselves in the customer’s shoes, salespeople can better understand the customer’s concerns and provide a more effective response.
Persuasion: Persuasion is an important skill in objection handling, as it involves being able to persuade the customer to overcome their objections and move forward with the sale. This requires salespeople to be able to articulate the value of the product or service and to convince the customer that it is the right solution for their needs.
Conflict resolution: Objection handling often involves resolving conflicts or disagreements between the salesperson and the customer. This requires salespeople to be able to stay calm and composed, even in difficult or stressful situations, and to find creative solutions that address the customer’s concerns and move the sale forward.

Overall, objection handling involves a range of skills that are designed to help salespeople effectively respond to customer objections and move forward with the sale. By developing these skills, salespeople can improve their ability to handle objections and close deals more effectively.

5. Which part of the sales process receives the most sales objections

Sales objections often occur during the later stages of the selling process, when the customer is considering making a purchase. This is typically the point in the process where the customer has a good understanding of the product or service being offered and is weighing the pros and cons of making a purchase.

Objections can occur at any stage of the selling process, but they are most common during the following stages:

Sales calls: More and more sales people are struggling to speak with the right person, establish trust, and address prospect’s objections at the very start of the sales cycle on outbound sales calls.
The presentation stage: During the presentation stage, the salesperson is typically showcasing the product or service and highlighting its key features and benefits. At this stage, the customer may have questions or objections about the product, its features, or its price.
The handling objections stage: As the name suggests, this stage is specifically focused on addressing any objections that the customer may have. The salesperson will need to carefully listen to the customer’s concerns and provide specific responses to address those objections.
The closing stage: The closing stage is when the salesperson is trying to persuade the customer to make a purchase. This is typically the most challenging part of the sales process, as the customer may have lingering doubts or concerns that need to be addressed before they are willing to make a decision.

Overall, the handling objections stage is where sales objections are most likely to occur, as this is the stage where the salesperson is specifically focused on addressing the customer’s concerns. However, objections can occur at any stage of the sales process, and it’s important for salespeople to be prepared to handle them at any time.

6. Are there different ways to handle objections in sales?

Yes, there are several different ways to handle objections in sales. Here are a few common approaches:

Acknowledge the objection and validate the customer’s concerns: This approach involves acknowledging the customer’s concerns and showing them that you understand why they might have those objections. For example, you might say something like “I can understand why you might be hesitant about making a decision right now. Many people have similar concerns, and I’m here to help you understand why our product is the best solution for your needs.”
Ask clarifying questions: Another approach is to ask the customer clarifying questions to better understand their objections and address their concerns. For example, you might ask, “Can you help me understand why you’re concerned about the price of our product?” or “What specifically about our product is causing you to have doubts?” By asking questions, you can gather more information and tailor your response to the customer’s specific objections.
Address the objection directly: Another approach is to address the objection directly and provide a specific response to the customer’s concerns. For example, if the customer is concerned about the price of your product, you might respond by explaining the value that your product offers and how it can save them money in the long run.
Use a trial close: A trial close is a technique where you ask the customer a question that moves them closer to making a decision, such as “Based on what you’ve told me, do you think our product is a good fit for your needs?” If the customer responds positively, you can use that momentum to move forward with the sale.

Ultimately, the best way to handle objections in sales will depend on the specific situation and the customer’s concerns. It’s important to listen carefully to the customer and tailor your response to their specific objections.

7. Are sales objections real or a smokescreen?

Sales objections can be real or a smokescreen, depending on the situation and the customer’s motivations. In some cases, a customer may raise an objection because they genuinely have concerns or doubts about the product or service being offered. In these cases, the prospects objections are real and need to be addressed in order to move forward with the sale. In most cases a common objection is simply a request for more information to help the prospect move to the next stage of the buying process and make the right buying decision.

However, in other cases, a customer may raise an objection or make a false statement as a way to stall or avoid being sold to. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as if the customer is not fully convinced of the value of the product or if they are feeling pressured to make a decision. In these cases, the objections may be a smokescreen and not reflect the customer’s true concerns.

It’s important for salespeople to carefully listen to the customer and determine whether their objections are real or a smokescreen. If the objections are real, the salesperson can address them directly and provide specific responses to address the customer’s concerns. If the objections are a smokescreen, the salesperson can use various techniques, such as asking clarifying questions or using a trial close, to move the conversation forward and help the customer make a decision.

8. What are the most common sales objections?

There are many different sales objections that customers may raise, and the specific objections that a salesperson encounters will depend on the product or service being sold and the customer’s individual needs and concerns. However, there are some common objections that salespeople often encounter, including:

The price is too high: Salespeople often receive price objections, especially if the product or service being offered is more expensive than the customer’s budget, or what they are used to paying.
I need to think about it: This objection is often raised when the customer is unsure about making a decision and needs more time to consider their options.
I’m not interested: This objection is often a polite way for the customer to say that they are not interested in making a purchase.
I’m not ready to buy right now: This objection may be raised if the customer is not currently in a position to make a purchase, either because they are not ready or because they do not have the necessary funds.
I’m happy with my current provider: This objection may be raised if the customer is satisfied with the product or service they are currently using and sees no reason to switch to a new provider.

Overall, objections can vary widely depending on the situation and the customer’s specific concerns. It’s important for salespeople to be prepared to handle a variety of objections and to tailor their response to the prospects concerns and objections.

9. How important is role plays in objection handling training?

Role-playing is an important part of sales objection handling training, as it provides an opportunity for salespeople to practice handling objections and develop their skills in a simulated environment.

Role-playing can be especially useful for helping salespeople overcome common challenges and obstacles that they may face when handling objections. For example, role-playing can help salespeople practice staying calm and focused under pressure, or dealing with difficult or aggressive customers.

In addition, role-playing can be a fun and engaging way to learn, which can help salespeople retain the information and skills they are learning.

Overall, role-playing is an important part of sales objection handling training, as it provides an opportunity for salespeople to practice and develop their skills in a simulated environment.

By role-playing different scenarios, salespeople can learn and experiment with different strategies and responses, and build the confidence and skills they need to handle objections effectively in real-life situations.

10. What sales topics are included in objection handling training

Sales objection handling training typically covers a range of topics related to effectively responding to prospects objections and moving forward with the sale. Here are a few examples of topics that might be covered in objection handling training:

Common objections and how to respond to them: Sales objection handling training often covers common objections that salespeople may encounter, such as concerns about the price, the product’s features, or the customer’s readiness to make a purchase. The training will typically provide specific strategies and responses that salespeople can use to effectively address these objections and move forward with the sale.
Listening and questioning skills: Effective objection handling involves being able to listen carefully to the customer and understand their specific concerns. Sales objection handling training will often cover listening and questioning skills that can help salespeople gather more information and tailor their response to the customer’s specific objections.
Overcoming objections and closing the sale: The ultimate goal of objection handling is to overcome the customer’s objections and move forward with the sale. Sales objection handling training will often cover techniques and strategies that salespeople can use to persuade the customer to make a purchase, such as using a trial close or highlighting the value of the product or service.

Overall, sales objection handling training covers a range of topics that are designed to help sales reps effectively respond to customer objections and move forward with the sale. These topics can help salespeople develop the skills and strategies they need to handle objections and close deals more effectively.

11. Are their any sales objection handling games for training?

Interactive training games are an important part of your training course materials. There are several sales objection handling games that can be used for training purposes. These games are designed to help sales reps practice handling common objections and develop the skills and strategies they need to effectively respond to customer concerns.

Here are a few examples of sales objection handling games that can be used for training:

Role-playing: In this type of game, a sales rep can practice handling objections by role-playing different scenarios. For example, one salesperson can play the role of the customer and raise objections, while the other salesperson plays the role of the salesperson and responds to those objections. This type of game can help salespeople practice different strategies for handling objections and see how those strategies work in a simulated environment.
Case studies: Case studies are real-life scenarios that salespeople can use to practice handling objections. For example, a case study might describe a situation where a customer raises an objection about the price of a product. The salesperson can then analyze the situation and come up with a response to address the customer’s concerns.
Interactive workshops: Interactive workshops are sessions where salespeople can learn and practice handling objections through group activities and discussions. For example, a workshop might include activities where salespeople work in teams to brainstorm responses to common objections, or where they practice role-playing different scenarios.

Overall, sales objection handling games can be an effective way to train salespeople and help them develop the skills and strategies they need to effectively handle objections and move forward with the sale.

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Amanda – Account Manager

Next Generation Sales Training Providers

by Iain Swanston

Sales Training Providers - Top Question from Google

What is the best way to train a sales team?

The best way to train a sales team will depend on the specific needs and goals of your organization. However, there are a few key strategies that can help ensure the success of your sales training program.

First, it’s important to identify the specific skills and knowledge that your sales team needs in order to be successful. This will help you create a training program that is tailored to your team’s needs and will focus on the most important areas for improvement.

Once you have identified the skills and knowledge that your team needs, you can begin to develop a training program. This could include a mix of in-person workshops, online courses, and one-on-one coaching. It’s important to create a diverse training program that includes a variety of learning methods, as this will help engage and motivate your team.

Another key strategy for training a sales team is to provide ongoing support and reinforcement. Training should not be a one-time event, but rather an ongoing process. This should include regular check-ins with team members, follow-up training sessions, and ongoing coaching and support.

Overall, the key to successful sales training is to create a customized program that is tailored to your team’s needs and provides ongoing support and reinforcement. With the right training program in place, you can help your sales team develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

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1. How sales training can improve sales performance?

Sales training can improve sales performance in several ways. First, it can help salespeople develop the skills and knowledge they need to be effective at their jobs. This can include sales training topics such as communication, relationship-building, negotiation, sales process, selling skills, and product knowledge. By developing these skills, salespeople can become more confident and effective at selling, which can improve their performance.

Sales training can also help salespeople stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices in the sales industry. This can help them use the most effective techniques and approaches to selling, which can improve their performance and help them close more deals.

In addition, sales training can help salespeople improve their time management and organization skills. This can help them stay focused and productive, which can lead to better performance and increased sales.

Overall, sales training can improve sales performance by helping salespeople develop the skills and knowledge they need to be effective, stay up-to-date on industry trends, and improve their time management and organization skills. By providing sales training, you can help your team become more confident and effective at selling, which can improve their performance and contribute to the overall success of your organization.

2. Are sales training courses the best way to train sales professionals?

Sales training courses are one way to train salespeople, but they may not be the best option for every organization. The best way to train salespeople will depend on the specific needs and goals of your organization, as well as the preferences and learning styles of your team members.

Sales training courses can be a good option for organizations that want to provide comprehensive training on a wide range of topics. They can be a particularly effective way to train new salespeople or salespeople who are new to the organization.

However, sales training courses can be time-consuming and costly, and they may not be the best option for organizations with limited time and resources. In addition, some salespeople may find courses to be less engaging and interactive than other types of training.

Overall, sales training courses can be a useful and effective way to train salespeople, but they may not be the best option for every organization. The best approach will depend on your specific needs and goals, as well as the preferences and learning styles of your team members.

Alternative ways to deliver sales training

a) Work-based learning is a type of education and training that takes place in a real-world work environment. It typically involves hands-on learning experiences that are directly related to the learner’s field of study or occupation.

Work-based learning can take many different forms, such as sales meetings, sales campaigns, sales process and on-the-job training. It often involves a combination of classroom instruction with practical experience, with the goal of providing learners with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their chosen field.

Work-based learning is often seen as a valuable complement to traditional classroom-based education, as it provides learners with the opportunity to apply what they have learned in a real-world setting and gain practical experience. This can help them develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their careers.

Overall, work-based learning is highly effective as 70% of learning is doing, and work based learning minimises classroom time and maximises practical sales tasks which your sales team would or should be doing anyway.

b) Sales Benchmarking is a type of training based on the existing best practice within a company. Many sales training providers advocate specific sales methodology which often means salespeople have to relearn their entire sales approach.

This may be relevant if the companies sales performance is very poor, however, if the sales team are successful they will waste a lot of time and energy starting from scratch again. Additionally, successful sales professionals are unlikely to be motivated to relearn everything when they are already hitting their sales targets.

Sales benchmarking is a process in which a company compares the sales effectiveness of their top performers in order to identify areas where the rest of the sales team can improve. This comparison is typically done using a set of company-specific metrics, such as average sales per customer or conversion rate, and can help a company identify strengths and weaknesses in its sales strategy and tactics.

Once best practice within the company has been established the company can introduce bespoke sales training programs to the rest of the salespeople in order to bring them up to standard of the top performers. By regularly benchmarking its sales performance, a company can track its progress over time and make adjustments as needed to improve its overall sales performance.

3. The most important sales skills for salespeople.

The most important sales skills for sales reps are the skills that are necessary for them to be successful at their jobs. These skills will vary depending on the specific needs and goals of your organization, but here are a few skills that are commonly considered essential for sales people:

Communication skills: Sales professionals need to be able to communicate effectively with customers, both in person and in writing. This includes being able to listen actively, ask powerful questions, and deliver persuasive presentations.
Relationship-building skills: The sales person needs to be able to build strong relationships with customers and establish trust and credibility. This includes being able to connect with customers on a personal level and understand their needs and concerns.
Negotiation skills: Sales people need to be able to negotiate effectively with customers in order to close deals. This includes being able to handle objections and find common ground in order to reach mutually beneficial agreements.
Product knowledge: Sales professionals need to have a deep understanding of the products and services they are selling in order to answer customers’ questions and address their concerns.
Time management and organization: Sales reps need to be able to manage their time effectively and stay organized in order to stay productive and meet their goals.

Investing in professional selling skills training and coaching is an essential part of both staff performance, staff retention and improving your sales results. The skills listed above are commonly considered the essentials for success in sales.

4. How important is sales management training?

Yes, sales management training is important for several reasons. First, it can help sales managers develop the skills and knowledge they need to effectively lead and manage their teams. This can include sales training topics such as leadership, coaching, communication, and managing their sales team’s performance.

Sales management training can also help sales managers understand the latest trends and best practices in the sales industry. This can help them stay up-to-date on the latest techniques and technologies, and ensure that their teams are using the most effective approaches to selling.

In addition, sales management training can help sales managers build their confidence and improve their ability to lead and motivate their teams. This can help them create a positive and supportive work environment, which can improve morale and engagement among their team members.

Overall, sales management training is important because it can help sales managers develop the skills and knowledge they need to be effective leaders, stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices, and build confidence and motivation among their teams.

5. Customising Content for Sales Teams

Yes, sales training content should be customized for different sales teams such as inside sales and field sales. This is because different teams have different needs and goals, and a one-size-fits-all approach to training may not be effective.

By customizing sales training content for different teams, you can ensure that the sales training programme is tailored to their specific needs and goals. This can help the training be more effective and relevant, which can improve the team’s performance and overall success.

Customizing sales training content can also help engage and motivate team members. By providing training that is tailored to their needs and interests, you can help team members feel more connected to the material and more motivated to apply what they have learned.

Overall, customizing sales training content for different teams can improve the effectiveness and relevance of the training, and can help engage and motivate team members. By taking the time to customize training content, you can help your sales teams develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

6. Sales training courses we offer

We provide a full range of sales training courses, however, it’s important to note that the majority of sales leaders now demand learning content bespoke to their business needs. Thankfully, the days of training being a simply tick box exercise are long gone and sales leaders are looking for training aligned with both their corporate visions and their business needs.

Each of our training courses constitutes a number of learning modules. Whilst each sales training course includes a list of recommended modules many of our clients choose to swap modules based on their own needs.

We currently provide sales training programmes covering:

Sales Fundamentals

SaaS Sales Training

Telesales Training

B2B Lead Generation Training

LinkedIn Training

Consultative Selling Skills

Key Account Management

Sales Negotiation Training

Sales Management Training

Enterprise Sales Training

7. How do I choose the best sales training provider?

When choosing a sales training company, it’s important to consider several factors to ensure that you select the best company for your organization. Here are a few key factors to consider:

The company’s expertise and experience: The best sales training companies are those with expertise and experience in sales training and development. Look for companies with a proven track record of success and a reputation for delivering high-quality training.
The company’s training programs and services: The training programs and services offered by the company should be tailored to your organization’s specific needs and goals. Look for a company that offers a range of training programs and services, including in-person workshops, online courses, and individual coaching and mentoring.
The company’s facilitators and trainers: In addition to providing an engaging delivery the facilitators and sales trainers should be experienced and knowledgeable in their field. Look for facilitators and trainers who have a proven track record of success in sales and training, and who have the skills and expertise to deliver high-quality training.
The company’s cost and customer service: The cost of the training programs and services should be reasonable and competitive. Look for a company that offers competitive pricing and is willing to work with you to create a training program that fits your budget and schedule. In addition, the company’s customer service should be responsive and helpful, and should be able to answer any questions you may have.

Overall, when choosing a sales training company, it’s important to consider the company’s expertise and experience, training programs and services, facilitators and trainers, and cost and customer service. By considering these factors, you can choose the best sales training company for your organization.

8. Bespoke sales training programmes?

There are lots of great sales training providers to choose from and we thank you for considering Klozers.

Many of our clients choose Klozers one of three min reasons as follows:

We eat our own dog food. This means that every sales strategy and tactic that we teach, we use in our own business. This means we have a deep understanding of exactly what works and what doesn’t.
OKR based training. We use OKRs which is a business goal setting framework to connect every learning module to your companies vision and strategy. This avoids generic sales training which simply doesn’t work.
We’re not your average corporate sales trainer – we still sell for a living every day. This includes generating sales leads and new business remotely, from all over the world.

We have an open door policy with our clients and we will show you exactly what we do to win new business and help you replicate it in your world. Come and join us at Klozers.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Unlocking the Power of B2B Sales Training

by Iain Swanston

b2b sales training - Top Question from Google

What is the Best B2B Sales Training?

At Klozers we’re not arrogant enough to think we are the best sales trainers in the world, but do you need to be the best at what you do? You could be the best sales trainer in the world, but unless you can effectively build a brand and market your business, no one will ever find you.

Yes, we absolutely strive to be the best sales trainers, but on it’s own that’s simply not enough. We understand business, we understand how to bring sales and marketing together and build a great brand that also can be found in all the major search engines – that’s how you got here.

It’s difficult to determine the very best B2B sales training, as the effectiveness of a training program can depend on a variety of factors such as the specific needs of the company and sales team, the expertise of the trainers, and the quality of the training materials.

It may be best to research and compare various sales training courses to determine which one would be the best fit for your company. In general, a good B2B sales training program should provide comprehensive training on the company’s sales processes, techniques, and strategies, as well as product knowledge and customer service skills.

It should also include practical exercises and role-playing activities to give sales managers and sales team members hands-on experience and help them apply what they have learned in the field.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. How do I learn B2B Sales?

There are several ways to learn B2B sales, including taking courses or workshops, attending conferences or seminars, and gaining experience through on-the-job training. Here are some steps you can take to learn B2B sales:

1. Educate yourself on the basics of B2B sales, including the differences between B2B and B2C sales, common B2B sales processes and techniques, and the key skills and knowledge needed to succeed in B2B sales. This can be done through online courses, books, or industry publications.

2. Consider pursuing a formal education in B2B sales, such as a degree or certification program. Many colleges and universities offer programs in business, sales, or marketing that can provide a strong foundation in B2B sales principles and practices.

3. Join a professional organization or network for B2B sales professionals. These organizations can provide access to industry events, resources, and networking opportunities, as well as opportunities for professional development and training.

4. Seek out internships or entry-level positions in B2B sales to gain hands-on experience and develop your skills. Working under the guidance of experienced sales professionals can provide valuable insights and practical skills that can help you succeed in B2B sales.

5. Continuously learn and develop your skills through ongoing training and professional development. The B2B sales landscape is constantly evolving, so it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, techniques, and technologies in the field.

2. How do I train a B2B Sales Team?

To train a B2B sales team, you will need to develop a comprehensive training program that covers the key skills and knowledge that team members need to succeed in their roles. Here are some steps you can follow to train a B2B sales team:

1. Identify the specific training needs of the team by conducting a needs assessment. This can involve interviews with team members and managers, as well as analysis of sales data and performance metrics.

2. Develop a training plan that covers the key skills and knowledge that team members need to develop, such as product knowledge, sales techniques, and customer service skills. The plan should also include specific goals and objectives for the training, as well as a timeline and budget.

3. Choose a training delivery method that is suitable for the team and the material being covered. This can include in-person training sessions, online courses, or a combination of both.

4. Use a variety of training techniques and activities to engage and motivate team members, such as lectures, case studies, role-playing, and group discussions.

5. Evaluate the effectiveness of the training program through assessments, feedback, and performance metrics. Use this information to make improvements and adjustments to the training program as needed.

6. Provide ongoing support and professional development opportunities for team members to help them continue to develop their skills and knowledge. This can include mentoring, coaching, and access to industry events and resources.

3. What are the Best B2B Sales Training Topics?

The best training topics will depend on the specific sales skills, needs and goals of the sales team, as well as the products or services being sold. In general, good B2B sales training should cover the following topics:

1. Understanding the B2B sales process, sales pipeline management, including the differences between B2B and B2C sales and the typical stages of a B2B sales cycle.

2. Developing key B2B sales skills, such as prospecting, networking, and building relationships with customers.

3. Learning effective B2B sales techniques, such as consultative selling, solution selling, controlling sales conversations, and value-based selling.

4. Gaining product knowledge and customer knowledge, including features, benefits, pain points and applications of the products or services being sold.

5. Developing customer service skills, such as communication, negotiation, and problem-solving.

6. Understanding the competition and how to differentiate the company’s products or services from those of competitors.

7. Using technology and tools, such as CRM systems and sales automation software, to support the sales process.

8. Learning about the company’s policies, procedures, and standards for ethical and compliant sales practices.

It’s worth noting that most training programs do not include content for the sales manager / sales leaders within the sales organisation. In our view this is a mistake, as the sales manager / sales leaders play a pivotal role in reinforcing the training after the delivery.

4. What are the Best Sales Training Methods?

There are many different training methods that can be effective, and the best method will depend on your specific needs and goals. It’s worth noting, from our own experience, online sales training programs and pre-recorded material are probably the least effective way of delivering sales training.

Salespeople need interaction and context and busy sales reps have too many distractions to focus on an online training program. Sales coaching however, does lend itself to online delivery on the proviso that the coaching is live.

Some common sales training methods include:

1. Role-playing: This involves practicing sales techniques and scenarios with a partner.

2. Case studies: This involves analyzing real-life sales scenarios and discussing how to handle them.

3. Presentations: This involves giving a presentation on a sales topic, such as product features or closing techniques.

4. Workshops: This involves attending a structured training session on a sales topic, such as negotiation or prospecting.

5. Coaching: This involves working one-on-one with a sales coach to improve your skills and performance.

Regardless of the method you choose, it’s important to make sure that your sales training is focused on practical skills that can be applied in the real world, and that it provides opportunities for feedback and improvement.

5. What are Sales Training Programs?

Sales training programs are structured training programs designed to help salespeople improve their skills and performance. These programs typically cover a wide range of topics, including prospecting, building relationships, presenting products or services, negotiating, and closing deals.

Sales training programs can be offered by companies, professional training organizations, or educational institutions. They can be delivered in a variety of formats, including in-person seminars, online courses, or self-guided learning materials.

The goal of a training program is to help salespeople develop the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in their roles.

6. What's the difference between a Sales Training Program and a Sales Training Course?

A sales training program and a sales training course are similar in that they both provide training to salespeople to improve their skills and performance. However, there are some key differences between the two.

A sales training program is typically a more comprehensive and structured training experience. It may include multiple courses or modules, and may be delivered over a longer period of time. A sales training program may also include opportunities for coaching, mentoring, and ongoing support to help salespeople apply what they’ve learned in their day-to-day work.

In contrast, a sales training course is typically a shorter, more focused training experience that covers a specific topic or skill. For example, a sales training course might focus on a specific aspect of the sales process, such as negotiating or prospecting. A sales training course is often delivered in a single session, and may not include ongoing support or coaching.

In general, a sales training program is a more comprehensive and immersive training experience, while a sales training course is a more focused and targeted training experience. The best option for you will depend on your specific needs and goals.

7. Choosing a Sales Methodology

Choosing a sales methodology can be a challenging task, as there are many different sales methodologies to choose from and no one-size-fits-all approach. Here are a few tips to help you choose the right sales methodology for your business:

Identify your goals: Before you choose a sales methodology, it’s important to understand what you hope to achieve. Do you want to increase sales, improve customer satisfaction, or achieve some other goal? This will help you determine which sales methodology is the best fit for your needs.
Research different sales methodologies: Once you know what you hope to achieve, you can start researching different sales methodologies to see which ones align with your goals. Consider looking at a range of methodologies, including traditional approaches like solution selling and consultative selling, as well as more modern approaches like inbound marketing and value selling.
Consider your team: Not all sales methodologies are right for every team. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your team, and choose a methodology that will help them succeed. For example, if your team is strong at building relationships, a consultative selling approach might be a good fit.
Get feedback: Once you’ve narrowed down your options, consider getting feedback from your team and other stakeholders. This can help you make a more informed decision and ensure that the chosen methodology will be well-received by your team.
Test and adjust: No sales methodology is perfect, and you may need to make adjustments to make it work for your team. Consider testing different approaches and collecting feedback to see what works best. Be prepared to make adjustments and try new things to improve your sales process.

Overall, choosing a sales methodology is an iterative process that requires careful consideration and ongoing testing and adjustment.

8. Training Delivery

We offer In-person training delivery, remote training delivery and a hybrid combination of the two. In-person training delivery involves delivering training in a physical location, such as your offices or a hotel conference room, where the trainer and learners are present in the same space. This allows for face-to-face interactions and can be a good option for hands-on or experiential learning.

Remote training delivery, on the other hand, involves delivering training remotely, such as over the internet or via a virtual platform. This allows learners to participate in training from anywhere, and can be a good option for learners who are located in different geographic areas or who have schedule constraints.

There are pros and cons to both in-person and remote training delivery. In-person training can provide a more interactive and engaging experience, but it can also be more expensive and time-consuming. Remote training, on the other hand, can be more convenient and cost-effective, but it may lack the personal interactions and hands-on learning opportunities of in-person training.

Hybrid delivery which is our most popular delivery model includes an initial in-person workshop which is then followed up with online coaching.

The best approach for you will depend on your specific training needs and goals. It may be helpful to consider factors such as the type of training you are delivering, the learning objectives, the learners’ needs and preferences, and the resources available to you.

9. B2B Sales Training - Join us

Klozers provides training and coaching both in-person and remotely online. Our training will give your team the comprehensive training they need to identify potential customers, connect with them. and sell to them as effectively as possible.

Our Sales Trainers will help you design and deliver training workshops and a sales coaching program that are bespoke to your business and your sales team..

Each session will build on the existing knowledge of your business development team and how they currently sell. We provide ongoing support for your salespeople and your leadership team to ensure you connect and talk to more potential new clients and generate real sales and revenue.

If you are interested and would like to find out more about our training, you can book a call with one of our sales training specialists here.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

LinkedIn Workshops | Cracking the Code for Social Selling

by Iain Swanston

Linkedin workshops - Top Question from Google

What is a LinkedIn Workshop

A LinkedIn workshop is a training session that focuses on teaching people how to use LinkedIn effectively. This could include topics such as creating a strong profile, networking with others, and using LinkedIn to find job opportunities.

A LinkedIn workshop might be offered by a professional training organization, a college or university, or a company that provides social media training. It could be held in-person or online, and could be a single session or a series of sessions. The goal of a LinkedIn workshop is to help participants learn how to use LinkedIn to their advantage in their professional lives.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. LinkedIn Workshops - Introduction

In today’s digital age, social selling is more relevant than ever. It’s about connecting and interacting with customers on social media networks and LinkedIn is the daddy of them all. LinkedIn is a platform with 720 million B2B decision makers that helps businesses find and create professional relationships.

Whilst originally designed as a job search platform for recruiters, LinkedIn is now the home of social selling and business development on the web.

Through our LinkedIn training workshops, you’ll learn all the strategies and tools to engage your exact target audience. Also, you’ll understand LinkedIn-specific features to develop professional connections and build both your personal, and your company’s presence on the platform.

In this post, we’ll discuss the basics of social selling on LinkedIn and how to get it right.

For details on LinkedIn training workshops and how you can book a workshop, please use visit the Book a Call page.

2. Create a professional LinkedIn profile

Your personal LinkedIn profile is like the landing page on a website. Not only does it showcase your personal brand, it acts to generate leads and new business for you. Your LinkedIn profile can be found by existing connections as well as potential clients, completing their due diligence before contacting you.

LinkedIn provides a handy wizard on sign up to help complete your professional profile. Be sure to go further than just adding your expertise and include details on your professional knowledge and interests.

3. Build your Professional Network

Most people on LinkedIn simply connect with potential new clients and then forget about building relationships.

LinkedIn is a business networking platform so after you have connected with prospects you should continue to interact with them (not sell to them).

How do you do this? The basics are simple – Like, Share and Comment on their content.

The reality is the harder you try and sell to someone, the more they will resist you, especially on LinkedIn.

4. Interact, Interact and then Interact some more

Most people are unsure of the best way to generate leads and win new business on LinkedIn.

The easiest way to explain this is to treat LinkedIn like traditional in-person networking – if you wouldn’t say it or do it in-person, then don’t do it online.

Not interacting on LinkedIn is like turning up to a traditional networking event and then sitting in the cloakroom all afternoon.

Once you’ve related your Ideal Client Profile to your target audience on LinkedIn, then you need to interact with them.

Network with fellow industry professionals and potential new clients and like, comment and share their content.

5. Focus on great content

Your marketing team should already be sharing insightful content via your company page on LinkedIn.

So, you should re-post this adding your own personal insights and tips.

Avoid over sharing sales content on your products and services, and instead, focus on industry content that is educational and helps position your company as the Subject Matter Experts.

We advocate no more than one piece of sales content every three posts, and a minimum of one piece of sales content every five posts.

If you don’t have your own content, you can curate content from other sites and share content from your own connections.

6. Social Selling Techniques - serve before selling

In line with Emersons Law of Compensation on LinkedIn, givers gain.

Prospects will not buy from you until they know, like and trust you. If you want prospects to trust you, you must first give value. The LinkedIn platform is essentially a digital marketing platform that allows you to nurture prospects and potential clients.

Yes, you can purchase a LinkedIn automation tool and run what we call scorched earth campaigns, but these tools damage your personal and company brand, as well as putting your account at risk of closure as they are against LinkedIn’s rules.

You should also be aware that when other users block you on LinkedIn, you are blocked for life, not just while you are employed in your current role. This makes success in future jobs much more difficult.

7. Create a Content Schedule

Posting content regularly is a great way to position your business on LinkedIn and a content schedule is an important part of your planning.

From our own experience, the maximum you should be posting content is 1 per day for national brands, and twice per day for international brands to cater for the time differences.

The minimum we would recommend you use LinkedIn to post content in order to be successful is twice per week.

According to research from Hubspot the best times to post your sales and marketing content on LinkedIn is:

Between 12pm – 3pm, 3pm – 6pm, or 6pm – 9pm.

Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

8. Build a Foundation

From a business development stance, unless you already have a strong social media presence, your tactics may not work in the short term.

Think of LinkedIn as a mini-website where you place relevant information. That information is like seeds, and in order to benefit from those seeds, you must first feed and nurture them regularly.

Don’t sow the seeds and turn up the next day expecting a Harvest. Why should potential customers do business with you from the start? Share content that explains why.

9. Evaluate what works

LinkedIn is a moving goal post and what works can change. In addition to the type of marketing content you post, evaluate the content type. Short Form vs Long Form, Video vs text, Carousel vs .PDF and Polls. You would be surprised at how different the results can be.

Comparing performance to a single image post with text:

Document posts get 2.2 to 3.4x more reach

Polls get 2.1 to 2.9x more reach

Carousel posts get 1.8 to 2.3x more reach

Text and multiple pictures (montage) gets 1.2 to 1.6 times more reach.

10. Training Format

As a company we believe in work-based learning. This teaching style focuses on getting learners out of the classroom and learning via doing.

Our LinkedIn training is designed around your learning priorities and where possible, we adjust the training content to fit your needs. Rather than theory based, each workshop provides a hands-on approach on how to use LinkedIn.

Each training course is delivered either In-person, or remotely online via a one-day workshop, or half day workshop.

11. LinkedIn Workshops

Klozers provides LinkedIn training workshops both in-person and remotely online. Our LinkedIn training will give your team the comprehensive training they need to identify potential customers, connect with them. and sell to them as effectively and in as non spammy a way as possible.

Our Sales Trainers will help you design and deliver training workshops that are bespoke to your business.

Each session will build on the existing knowledge of your business development team and how they use LinkedIn. We provide ongoing support for your people and your leadership team to ensure you connect and talk to more potential new clients and generate real sales and revenue.

If you are interested and would like to find out more about our LinkedIn Training, you can book a call with one of our LinkedIn training specialists here.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Business Development Training | Everything you Need to Know

by Iain Swanston

business development training - Top Question from Google

What are Business Development Skills?

Selling has changed so much in recent years which is reflected in the skills that the modern sales professional needs to be successful. Regardless of the industry every Business Development Professional requires:

Communication Skills
Sales Prospecting Skills
Social Selling Skills
Research and Planning Skills
Networking & Relationship Management Skills

Whilst skills are important, what’s more important are the traits or habits of the individual. For example, are they reliable, are they coachable, do they take ownership or play the victim? Skills can be learned and whilst traits and habits can be changed, most companies simply don’t have the time or resources available to rebuild the character of an individual.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Business Development Training - Introduction

Business development refers to the plans and methods used to increase a company’s value and growth. Business growth tactics may include activities such as relationship-building, market expansion, and brand awareness initiatives.

Business development isn’t just about opening new accounts. It should be the process of positioning the business for long-term growth by using a variety of business development strategies and taking a more targeted approach than salespeople do when closing deals with specific consumers.

Business development training has become more important than ever as salespeople find it harder and harder to open new accounts. True business development includes market appraisal, positioning and strategy, not just traditional selling skills.

2. Why is Business Development Important?

Business development helps an organization grow by assisting with expanding and improving its sales, revenues, product offerings, talent, customer service, and brand awareness. It serves as the connecting link between all of a company’s divisions or departments.

Here are three reasons why business development training is crucial

1. It creates vital new connections

Building relationships is important in the business development process. Skilled business developers focus on making connections with senior level decision makers in their prospects C-suite. Making connections is only the start of the process with customers. We still believe that people buy from people and relationship building also plays a critical part of any business development strategy. When done correctly, connections are often made for life and many salespeople have made a career exclusively from their own, personal, black book.

2. It’s an essential strategy for boosting sales and reducing costs.

Every business loses a percentage of their customers each year. Bankruptcies, takeovers and changes in buying teams affect us all. These accounts need to be replaced for the company to maintain its performance, let alone grow. The process of developing a business requires finding strategies to increase the amount of revenue a company obtains while minimizing revenue loss. By having people who are focused on business growth, an organization can decide which markets and products have the greatest profit potential and which deals to pursue first.

3. It can enhance the company’s brand reputation

Business developers can assist a business in developing a stronger brand because marketing is essential in long-term value to a business’s growth. Business developers should collaborate closely with the marketing department using their business experience and skills to create strategies and campaigns that expand the company’s target market and attract the right type of new customers.

3. The significance of business development at different stages of company growth

Business development strategies for a well-established firm with 1,000 plus workers look very different from the business development strategies for a startup with ten employees. This is because there are numerous stages of business development, and the specific tasks within each stage differ depending on the size and maturity of an organization. Of course, budgets and resources also have a major impact on this.

Each type of company—startups, medium-sized businesses, large, well-established businesses—needs a unique business development strategy.

Start-ups

A new company needs to lay a strong foundation to survive and grow. Business development strategies for startups focus on building that foundation by validating product market fit, building use cases in different verticals, and gaining valuable case studies to help scale future sales. Not every salesperson has the skills and tenacity to break new ground, as this can be extremely hard work.

Mid-sized businesses

As a firm grows, the need for more structure and process within sales appears. This can have a negative effect as it impacts the culture of the business. The friendly, team environment can start to wain with the introduction for more management which is needed because there are more people. Nonetheless, new business development becomes even more crucial to the growth of the business. As members of the founding team may have undertaken business development duties throughout the start-up and SME phase, this is usually impossible to maintain as the have a bigger business to run, with more people reporting to them. Business Development can sometimes become swallowed up by the business-as-usual sales, and dedicated teams are often required to avoid this. By enhancing and releasing new products, searching for new markets, winning new “marquee” accounts and investing in expansion, businesses in this stage can continue to expand. A skilled business developer may execute these tasks, allowing senior executives to focus on ongoing operations and other administrative obligations.

Large, Enterprise companies

The resources and client base that larger, more established firms have built up over time are available to the BD teams, regardless they still need to hunt for fresh growth opportunities and partnerships. During this period of business development, winning new accounts can be much easier as they now have the power of a large brand behind them. Bigger budgets allow more focus on finding, cultivating, and putting into practice new ideas from both inside and outside the company, leading to innovation, new partnerships, and strengthened relationships with both present and potential customers.

4. Understanding the Basics of Business Development

In the modern era, sales, marketing, engineering, product management, vendor management, and other divisions are all involved in business development. Initiatives for differentiation, alliances, bargaining, and networking are also active. These many departments and operations are all motivated by and coordinated around the goals of organizational development, business training and leadership skills.

Sales

In most cases the role of the Business Development Manager is usually to focus on a particular market, or a certain set of accounts (Account Based Selling). This targeting must include the companies Ideal Client Profile (ICP) and the Buyer Personas in order to be successful. Sales strategy, planning and management are all pre-requisites for success.

Marketing

Whilst not everyone agrees with our position, we believe that marketing is there to deliver sales leads. Brand building and raising awareness are too often excuses used to justify poor results. From experience marketing should be fully aligned with sales and support business development activities. Marketing should lay the ground work and position the brand before the BD professional even makes contact.

Strategic Partnerships or Initiatives

Partnerships should not be limited to those that can deliver direct sales. It’s advisable to form strategic partnerships and collaborate with companies that have a common target audience to increase your brand awareness in a market. Our recommendation would be to wherever possible always partner with a bigger brand than your own. By leveraging the power of a bigger brand, you will automatically raise your own brand awareness and positioning in the buyer’s mind.

Project Management/Business Planning

Winning any new business is never easy, however, wining new enterprise deals is often the most difficult of all. This requires thorough planning, patience and persistence. Simple tried and proven tools like SWOT analysis, Ansoffs Matrix and OKRs play a vital part in preparing to win at business development.

Product Management

Modern product management simply must be built on differentiation. There are simply too many products and services that have no discernable difference and ends up in buyers making their selection based on price. Features and benefits are not points of differentiation as they will simply be copied by your competitors if they have any value in the market.

Vendor Management

In many cases, growth is simply not possible without the support of your vendors. However, Vendors can play an important part of business development as they can feed into product development, partnerships and sales and marketing. Can you work together with your vendors to co-create the next generation of products and services?

Networking, and Relationships

Much as we love technology, people buy from people. When two products and services are the same the business developer who is the best at building relationships will win. Nobody wants to buy from a salesperson they don’t like or get on with. The best business development professionals have taken their personal skills past what we call the “functional skills level” and have developed leadership skills that are vital for both internal, and external communications.

Cost Reduction

Business development and scaling up isn’t just about adding more salespeople to the team. It’s about knowing your customer acquisition costs and working tirelessly to reduce these. New ideas and strategies that fill the top of the sales funnel need to continuously be tried, tested and measured.

5. Business Development Training - Conclusion

We would love to be your partner for growth and help your team be the best they can be. Our business development training is available for delivery either In-Person, Remote or a hybrid combination of the two.

Our professional business development courses include the latest in remote selling and includes time set out for role-playing. Our sales training follows the work-based learning methodology which is designed to minimise classroom/theory time and maximise the time spent on practical, work-related projects.

Every business development course we deliver is led by a skilled and experienced sales trainer who still sells for a living in the real business world. This ensures they have a genuine understanding of front line selling. In addition, over 80% of the training content we deliver is customised to meet the relevant skills and learning outcomes our clients are looking for. We don’t just deliver generic business development training courses.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

8 Steps to Crafting an Effective Go to Market Strategy

by Iain Swanston

Go to Market Strategy - Top Question from Google

What is a Go to Market (GTM) Strategy?

A go-to-market strategy (GTM) is a detailed plan made to successfully introduce a product or service to the market. A strong GTM strategy involves target audience identification, a marketing plan, and a sales strategy. GTM strategies should identify a market issue or business pain and present the product as a potential solution.

A GTM strategy is, to put it simply, how a business chooses to sell a product to the market. It is a practical roadmap that assesses a solution’s likelihood of success and forecasts its performance using market research, precedents, and competitor data.

It’s also important to remember that go-to-market strategies aren’t limited to tangible goods. For a new service, a new division of your firm, or even a brand-new venture, you can develop GTM strategies. Lastly, you can develop a GTM strategy to relaunch or reinvigorate an existing product or service.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Go to Market Strategy - Introduction

The path to success is littered with failure and whilst failure can be a great teacher, it comes at a cost. The best ideas, whether they be SaaS or a traditional business model, can easily fail without a GTM strategy that can deliver growth and profits.

Without good planning, it’s impossible to tell if you’re pursuing the correct audience, entering a market too early or late, or aiming for one that’s oversaturated with comparable products. You don’t want to waste time and money on developing a product that won’t be successful.

You need to create a well-thought-out, doable, and efficient go-to-market strategy if you want to prevent those potentially disastrous hiccups and hangups. Most of the time, navigating that process is anything but simple.

This information will walk you through all you need to know to develop an effective and successful GTM strategy. This framework applies to B2B companies, startups, and essentially any new business or product you intend to sell, either to existing customers or new customers.

2. Why do you need a Go to Market Strategy?

With 660,000 new startups every year, 20% of which are no longer trading after 12 months and 80% not trading after 60 months, the odds of success are against you. Even if you invest a lot of work, time, money, and resources into producing a new product or service, your project could fail if your go-to-market strategy is poorly thought out.

It’s critical to begin developing a go-to-market strategy as you create something new, one that is tailored to meet the product, your budget and buyer persona.

The majority of errors and oversights that might ruin the launch of a new product can be avoided by developing simply planning a go-to-market strategy prior to launch. Even if the product is well-designed and unique, a launch might be hampered by things like poor product-market fit or perceived oversaturation in the market.

A go-to-market strategy can help you manage expectations and iron out any wrinkles before you invest in bringing a product to market, although it can never guarantee success.

Lastly, your GTM strategy is an important tool for providing a centre point and focus, for your sales and marketing teams.

3. Go-to-Market Strategy vs a Marketing Plan

A go-to-market plan is specifically designed for introducing a new product or entering a new market. A marketing plan, on the other hand, normally provides specifics on how your entire business marketing strategy will be carried out.

A marketing plan, like an annual roadmap or an all-encompassing digital marketing strategy, is a long-term strategy to help you reach your marketing objectives rather than being launch-specific.

Your GTM approach is adapted to a particular launch, but it is based on your long-term marketing strategy.

4. The 8 components of a Go-to-Market Strategy

The essential components of a go-to-market strategy are as follows:

1. VALUE PROPOSITION

Your value proposition is the starting point on the journey that is product/market fit. In the simplest terms your value proposition defines how your product will address your target customers’ needs better than any alternatives.

2. Target Audience:

Who is affected by the issue or pains your product addresses? How much are they prepared to spend on a fix? Can you target your existing customer base in addition to new? How big is the Total Available Market (TAM)? What is their buying process. Are we targeting SMEs, Mid-Market or Enterprise?

3. Position:

Who is the current provider and what makes you different. Who is already providing what you are launching? What is the status Quo? Does a market exist for the product/service, or is it already saturated? What position will help us achieve competitive advantage in the market?

4. messaging:

Words are the most undervalued, yet important sales tool. How do we convey our Value Proposition and Position in words? Are we consistently A/B testing the messaging in our marketing campaigns?

5. Channels: How will the product or service be distributed? A website, an app, or a distributor from a third party? Have we costed each channel?

6. Door opener:

What is our irrefusable first offer that will capture new clients? How do we get that offer in front of our Ideal Client Profile?

7. embed & expand:

In SaaS the onboarding of new customers represents the biggest challenge with 25% of users abandoning apps after the first use. How do we onboard and delight new customers and then spread throughout the organisation?

8. Promote & Refer:

Starting with the end in mind, how do we create brand ambassadors who in turn create a recurring stream of client referrals

5. What types of Go-to-Market Strategies are there?

The best products will fail even with many customers if sales can’t be processed and service levels can’t be maintained. The best products will fail even with many customers delivered by the go-to-market strategy (step forward the revenue delivery strategy and pricing strategy).

The midpoint of this journey does not, however, fit every go-to-market strategy perfectly. Depending on what will be your growth engine, your go-to-market strategy will be different.

There are two options: growth that is driven by products and growth that is driven by sales.

A product-led go-to-market strategy

The focus of growth is placed on the product using a product-led go-to-market strategy. The product functions as both a remedy for a company issue and a silent salesperson by enabling clients to purchase, renew, and upgrade without ever leaving the product.

The absence of a salesperson during the discovery and research stages of the sales journey is also crucial to the concept of this self-serve sales model. Theoretically, the product should contain all the information a potential buyer may need, from the features and technical specifications of the solution to the pricing alternatives and contract conditions.

A freemium offer is one of many approaches used in product-led go-to-market strategies to first attract consumers before later converting them to paying clients. The line between product strategy and go-to-market strategy becomes hazier in product-led go-to-market strategies since the product serves as the primary sales channel.

The customer journey is influenced by factors including site architecture, product design, user experience (UX), and copy, which makes these factors more crucial to the go-to-market strategist.

A sales-led go-to-market strategy

A salesman initiates and closes sales in a sales-led go-to-market approach. Even while the product will play a significant role in any sales conversation, the actual transaction (as well as any subsequent renewals and upgrades) happen off the platform.

This strategy is frequently used when a product is so ground-breaking, intricate, or expensive that numerous parties must participate in the decision-making process over several months (Enterprise Sales). Due to the resource-intensive nature of the sales process, the company will concentrate on making fewer sales at greater margins.

Sales-led go-to-market strategies are driven by people rather than the product, which makes the continuing connection to product marketing weaker. Instead, product marketing and go-to-market strategies will collaborate closely to establish the advantages of the solution and the target market at the outset of a sales-led growth plan.

Equally, product and revenue delivery strategies are more disjointed in a sales-led go-to-market strategy, where the product is not the means of processing orders.

6. Go-to-Market Plan Methodologies

The funnel and the flywheel are the two main approaches for establishing a go-to-market strategy. The flywheel technique employs inbound marketing and other strategies to create long-lasting client relationships, in contrast to the conventional, one-off funnel method, which focuses on attracting leads and nurturing them into sales.

The circular flywheel concentrates on luring, enticing, and pleasing prospects, leads, and customers, whereas the funnel is focused on the awareness, deliberation, and decision stages of the customer’s journey. When a lead turns to a customer, the flywheel continues as the business must keep drawing them in, keep them interested, and satisfy them with top-notch customer service, fresh content, and possibly new products.

You should follow these phases in your planning approach whether you’ve chosen to use the flywheel or the funnel.

Make your buyer persona stand out.
Finish the value matrix for your persona.
Specify your lead generation and content strategies.
Modify and refine as you go.
Keep and satisfy your clients.

7. How to build a Go-to-Market Strategy

7.1. Determine the personas and the buying centre

As obvious as it seems, it is a key point, the first step in putting your product on the market is to think about your customer.

A complicated B2B solution often has a buying group of six to ten decision-makers. The “purchasing centre” is set up with these people.

Although it’s vital to keep in mind that some job titles may serve more than one role, each of those buyers normally fulfils one of the following roles:

Users are those who consistently use your product, influencers are those who persuade others to buy it, decision-makers are those who approve final purchases, and buyers are those who control the budget.

Initiator: Someone who initiates a purchase or expresses an initial interest
User: Consistently uses your product
Influencer: One who persuades others that the product is necessary
Decision-maker: Approves the purchase
Buyer: Owns the budget
Approver: The initiative’s final approver who pushes it on a broader scale. (Most likely someone in C-suite)
Gatekeeper: Blocker in the implementation or approval of a product.

Depending on the product, sector, and vertical you’re selling to, these positions change. Gather your team and discuss the various job roles that your solution might affect.

7.2. Create a value matrix to aid in messaging identification

After mapping the personas for your buying centre, it is the best time to map out your value matrix.

Each buying centre persona, their business issues, and how useful your solution is in resolving those issues are broken down into a value matrix.

A relevant marketing message connecting the problem and solution must also be included in the value matrix.

Create a chart with one column for each persona. List the daily pain points that each persona experiences below. Include them in a row if your product can alleviate or resolve any of these issues.

In the end, the message must effectively convey both the value and the pain point. Agitating the pain point is the most effective technique to accomplish this. While most people will take a pain reliever to treat a headache, they are considerably less likely to take a daily vitamin to avoid the pain altogether. Your product’s value should be in relieving the suffering, not in acting as a vitamin.

7.3. Examine your messaging

After establishing your value matrix, it’s time to test your messaging. Utilizing the messages you’ve just generated for various audience members, begin promoting on social media networks.

You will have to test variables to find out what works in your marketing campaigns. The three variables you will test are the channel on which you advertise, the audience you aim for, and the message you convey.

Think about where your audience is before determining where to test. Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are potential paid digital advertising channels. Test different channels, then keep advertising on the ones that convert well. And stop spending money on channels that convert poorly.

7.4. Before putting ANY copy or adverts into widespread use, optimize them based on the findings of your tests

Optimize for your target customers next. Some ad networks offer advertisers settings for highly focused audiences. For instance, LinkedIn provides options for firm size, region, job title and function. To determine which audience is more likely to click or convert, test several possibilities.

Spending money where you’ll get the most return on investment is the key in this situation.

Additionally, you’ll test your messaging to determine which versions are most effective with your audience. Your advertising’ engagement and conversion rates will show you which value propositions and pain points are the most effective.

After gathering this data, you can use the successful insights to guide your larger campaigns.

7.5. Recognize the buying process

After developing your personas and value matrix, go further to comprehend the path a potential client would travel, both from the buyer’s and your company’s perspectives.

From your customer’s viewpoint, the buying process is straightforward. It will essentially go as follows:

After realizing they have an issue, the buyer does some investigation.
The buyer narrows down the list of prospective solutions.
Until a choice is chosen, that list is reduced by speaking with the solution provider’s sales teams and by evaluating different product use cases.

From a business standpoint, the buyer’s journey used to resemble a funnel. The top of the traditional sales funnel has a high level of general interest. As opportunities come off the pipeline, it gradually gets smaller.

The sales funnel is no longer the ideal lens through which to see your buyer’s journey. Instead, we advise employing the flywheel model, which adopts a more comprehensive strategy and centres on your client, converting leads into customers and active promoters.

Customers go through three stages in the flywheel model: attract, engage, and delight.

The period of attraction comes first. This stage of content draws a potential customer in. This might be a blog post, whitepaper, or video. A lead gets here by clicking on an advertisement, social media post, or search engine result.

These actions, however, do not suggest that the lead is prepared to make a purchase just yet.

The engaging step then follows. At this point, a potential customer has shown that they have an issue that your solution can address. This allows you to engage them with educational content through digital behaviours like downloading an ebook or signing up for a webinar.

Marketing normally oversees the entice and engage phases of the lead generation and qualification process, while each firm has its unique divisions. Through messaging and content, your marketing staff must pique the attention of the target audience, raise awareness of the product, and inform them of its benefits.

The prospect should request a price estimate or a trial period at the halfway point of the engagement process. They’re about to choose whether or not to buy.

When the potential customer reaches this stage, the sales group takes over. For large deals, the procedure will typically look like this:

Make contact: The sales representative and lead start talking.
Qualification: To determine whether a potential customer meets the minimal requirements to buy the product, the sales representative learns more about the business, and their customer’s problems, and asks questions.
Demo/Presentation: For SaaS companies there is typically a demo provided by an Account Executive to present the solution.
Business case: To determine whether a product can meet their needs, a prospect may test it out through a free trial or POC.
Evaluation: The organization’s decision-makers compare the product’s price to the outcomes of the business case.
Negotiating: Pricing specifics and feature requirements are discussed by sales representatives and decision-makers.
Close: A contract is reached, and your prospect becomes a client.
Renewal (Optional): The contract or subscription of your customer is renewed.

The lead leaves the engage phase and enters the delight phase as soon as your sales agent closes the deal. When a client reaches this point, you should please them with a simple onboarding procedure and welcoming customer care alternatives.

Then, hopefully, your customer will become a promoter. They increase your consumer base, which keeps the flywheel turning and helps you expand more effectively.

7.6. Select the four most popular sales strategies

You’ve completed all the necessary groundwork; the next step is to choose a plan of action to introduce your product to the market. It’s critical to take into account your method’s complexity, scalability, and cost because no single approach will be effective for every product or market.

Typically, there are four go-to-market sales strategies, each of which is tailored to a particular product and company model.

The Self-Service model.

When a customer makes an independent purchase, it is considered self-service. This business-to-consumer strategy is frequently used when a customer may discover and purchase a product online via a website like Netflix or Amazon.

Simple products with a low price point and big sales volumes are the greatest candidates for this. It’s challenging to construct, but when it does, it has a quick sales cycle, requires no upfront investment to hire salespeople, and is very profitable.

You won’t need a sales crew, but you will need a marketing team to promote your website and increase conversions. This gives you a competitive advantage. Experts in pricing strategy, growth marketing, performance marketing, and content marketing would likely make up the core marketing team, however, there may also be other team members.

The Inside Sales Business Model

The inside sales business model is used when a sales representative must develop a prospect before a contract can be closed. With a product of moderate complexity and cost, this kind of model performs best.

The sales cycle length varies from a few weeks to a few months. In this case, you’ll invest in sales and support teams, but inside sales representatives are less expensive than field representatives.

This business is fairly simple to develop and grow as you add additional team members, and it has the potential to be successful with huge sales volumes. In this arrangement, the sales team is often made up of a sales manager and a small number of representatives.

The Field Sales Business Model

When you have a whole sales organization that closes big business agreements, that is the field sales, business model. These are frequently complicated products with high price tags, which also means that there are frequently few offers and a lengthy sales cycle.

Due to the high salaries and experience of the field salespeople, the sales team in this model is frequently quite expensive. Because it costs time and money to recruit and train a whole sales staff, this model is simple to create but more challenging to scale.

A sales manager, field representatives, sales engineers, a team of sales development representatives (SDR), and sales operations are among the group’s members.

The Channel Model

Finally, in the channel model, a third-party partner or agency sells your goods on your behalf. Building this is challenging since it can be challenging to find and educate potential employees about the advantages of your product. They frequently have lower sales motivation than your own sales team would.

However, because you don’t have to pay for your own sales team, this strategy is inexpensive. It functions best when the product aligns with the partner’s interests.

Depending on your industry or target market, you can combine or contrast these approaches. Instead of investing in an expensive sales team too soon, businesses should scale over time.

7.7. Use inbound and/or outbound techniques to increase brand recognition and demand development

Now you must attract the interest of your target market to fill your pipeline. Demand generation, which may be accomplished through both inbound and outbound tactics, is how this happens.

With inbound, customers find your brand through marketing initiatives and contact you or express interest in you of their own will.

Social media, content, or paid advertisements that lead to a landing page are a few examples of channels that generate organic inbound traffic.

When a salesperson makes a cold outreach contact with a lead, this is known as outbound demand generation. They could accomplish this by calling leads, sending warm emails, reaching out to contacts on a contact list, or gathering leads at trade shows.

The leads are guided to additional instructional information and eventually into the sales funnel once interest has been developed through these tactics.

7.8. Create content to attract inbound prospects

In general, inbound leads are less expensive to acquire and easier to convert than outbound leads. This is because inbound prospects are already aware of your product, partially educated on the business problem you answer, and typically more interested in purchasing it.

The secret to creating that inbound interest is content marketing, which will bring visitors to your website.

By identifying and targeting keywords that your potential customers might use to search for your products or services, your content marketing team will increase the amount of inbound traffic to your website.

Search engine optimization (SEO), which is how a search engine ranks the information on the internet after a query is entered into the search bar, is at the heart of content marketing. This will contribute significantly to your organic website traffic.

Although various products might require various launch strategies, the template and instructions below should help you develop a sound initial plan that can be modified as you go.

7.8.1. Conduct keyword research

Choose keywords that are relevant to your product, determine their volume (how frequently people search for them), the difficulty of ranking for them (i.e., how competitive they are), and find out who is already ranking for them.

7.8.2. Conduct content research

Come up with content ideas that contain that term. Look for existing articles on these subjects to help you plan your content calendar.

7.8.3. Content creation

Put those concepts into action and commission seo optimised articles on those subjects from writers in order to drive traffic to your website.

7.8.4. Design

Make your information more visually appealing and engaging by including pertinent photos, infographics, videos, and other multimedia.

7.8.5. Promote

Share the links to your material on social media or in emails to your client database to increase traffic to your website.

7.8.6. Create links

Make contact with other publishers and request that they link to your work to increase traffic. You get site authority as a result, which raises your SEO ranks.

7.8.7. Conversion rate

Monitor and gauge your content’s engagement and conversion rates. Drop what doesn’t work and continue with what does. Restart the cycle of content generation after that.

7.9. Look for methods to improve your pipeline and boost conversion rates

Selecting a sales strategy and developing a demand-creation process are not sufficient for growth.

Sales is a numbers game, and you can only improve by tracking your success. Volume, conversion rate, and time are the key performance indicators (KPIs) for managing a sales staff.

You should keep tabs on the volume of your pipeline, which measures how many opportunities enter the flywheel.

then keep tabs on how many leads ended up becoming clients. You can determine your overall conversion rate by comparing the volume of opportunities in your pipeline to the number of closed agreements.

7.10. Examine the sales cycle and shorten it

Finally, keep tabs on the length of your sales cycle. This is how long it takes for an opportunity to get from the top of the sales funnel to a closed or successful deal. The conversion between each stage should be sped up. This can be achieved by recognizing typical objections (and iterating ways to eliminate them before they arise), doing continual lead nurturing, and coming up with ideas for how to locate the most suitable clients.

7.11. Lower the price of acquiring customers

You’ll also need to reduce the expense of acquiring new customers as a business owner. At first, this will be incredibly expensive, but as time goes on, you’ll need to optimize your procedures to lower this cost or you’ll end up losing more money than you gain.

The cost of acquiring a new customer or contract is expressed as a cost per $1. The less your marketing activities affect your PNL, the more profit you make per customer, and the lower the cost of customer acquisition.

7.12. Plan out ways to reach out to your current clientele

A well-known proverb in the sector states that acquiring new customers is seven times more expensive than doing business with current ones. This is because if you’re offering a fantastic shopping experience, your current consumers already know, like, and trust you.

Renewals, cross-selling, and upselling are the best ways for businesses to increase revenue and profits.

Many people view sales as a mysterious black box. However, business executives may enhance their processes to increase productivity thanks to analytics and emerging sales AI solutions.

7.13. As you go, modify and improve

Entrepreneurs who possess specific abilities are not the only ones who can build a successful business.

You’ve probably already built your product, and creating a corporation is a fairly similar process. Throughout the process, you must remain strategic and work to improve.

You can create a firm if you take your time and keep improving. Revisit the parts of your plan that need adjustment. Keep track of what is working and come up with ideas for how to build on it.

7.14. Keep and impress your clients

You’ll concentrate on keeping up your client relationships and generating positive word-of-mouth during this time. A flywheel method can be considerably more beneficial in this situation than a funnel that finishes with sales.

8. What's the Purpose of a Go-to-Market Strategy

When properly implemented, the go-to-market strategy will bring all stakeholders together and develop a roadmap to make sure each one accomplishes the objectives and milestones set forth, paving the way for market success.

In general, a go-to-market strategy is employed to produce the following advantages within a company:

highlight your competitive advantage to your target customers in a new market.
A marketing strategy with a distinct direction for all parties involved.
A shorter time for products and services to reach the market.
A higher likelihood that a product or service launch will be successful.
Lessening the likelihood that unsuccessful product or service launches would result in additional expenditures.
Improved capacity to respond to adjustments and consumer demands.
Better handling of difficulties.
A proven route for advancement.
Assured effective client experience generation.
Assurance of legal conformity.

Go-to-market plans can refer to the precise measures a business must take to direct client interactions for established products, even though they are frequently linked with product launches.

Organizations need a thorough grasp of the target market and the working environment to develop a GTM strategy that works. The management system for the GTM strategy should be built, and both new and existing procedures should be documented.

9. Conclusion

It’s essential to develop a comprehensive and effective GTM strategy as part of your overall marketing strategy before launching a new product or service.

A go-to-market plan is an action plan for your business that outlines how the entire team will do market research, introduce products, and evaluate their success. Our suggestion would be to take the key points from your go-to-market strategy, present them to your executive team for approval, then establish deadlines and concentrate on execution.

By following the instructions in this tutorial, you’ll be well on your way to launching a new product that will benefit your potential clients and make money on the market.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Sales Team OKRs | Achieving Sales Goals with OKRs

by Iain Swanston

Sales Team OKRs - Top Question from Google

Are OKRs good for Sales?

OKRs (Objectives, Key Results) are good for sales because they help with engagement, productivity and ensure that the sales teams activities are aligned, and delivering against the company’s growth strategy. Sales OKRs are not an alternative to KPIs and actually work alongside KPIs to improve your sales.

“The most useful and best days training I’ve ever had. Love your style.”

Gary CEO

1. Our OKR Journey

As a company we must confess that we have been slow to move away from our traditional Balanced Scorecard based approach to management. We fell foul of the old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Our Scorecards were ruthlessly simple and served us well for many years as we continued to customise and fine tune them to our business.

Our belief that because we were using and tracking our most important KPIs led us to ignore the OKR methodology, when in reality they are very different and each bring different value to sales and business management.

Our driver for change came from the need to help our clients with managing their sales teams, many of whom were SaaS or IT based business. Our clients were already using the OKR methodology and applying it to their sales function was easier than introducing our previous scorecard approach.

As a company one of our key differentiators has always been that we only teach sales strategies and tactics that we use in our own business. So, in mid-2021 we dropped our traditional scorecards and moved over to the OKR methodology.

They say everything in life has a purpose and timing wise our move to OKRs could not have been better. Since rebuilding the business after our traditional face to face training and coaching business was wiped out by the lockdowns, we have had a huge focus on growth.

Without a doubt, our OKRs have helped us with strategizing, planning and then executing. This resulted in a record turnover for 2021 and an amazing start to FY 2022.

I’ve shared some of our own Objectives and Key Results as examples later in this article for those who would like some more detail. But first…

2. How are OKRs different from KPIs?

Many companies use sales KPIs which is great and we would encourage you to continue doing so. This is because OKRs and KPIs are very different and perform different “roles” within your sales management function.

The primary role of sales KPIs are to measure Performance and or Quality. In the world of sales we have lots of KPIs such as Cost of Customer Acquisition, Churn, Sales Conversion Ratios in fact the list goes on and on. In our experience there is often too much time creating reports full of KPIs that no one has the time to read or action. Over reporting is definitely a problem you should be aware of.

So, to summarize KPIs measure performance and quality in the BAU (Business as Usual) activities of sales. As a simple example, if your sales reps are making out bound sales calls then your KPIs might look something like this:

Number of dials made – Performance KPI

Conversion ratio of dials to demos – Quality KPI

OKRs on the other hand are very different, bigger and more encompassing. But despite this, OKRs are a really simple process to implement and follow. Here’s our definition of OKRs:

Objectives are inspiring BAG goals (Big Audacious Goals). These Objectives typically come from either strategy implementation, change in direction that the company has chosen, an improvement that may have been highlighted by your KPIs, or some form of innovation. Please read on for some examples of each.

OKRs are your driving force for change, improvement & innovation.

Once these Objectives have been chosen you then decide which Key Results would indicate that you were either progressing or had achieved your Objective. You can include sales KPIs in your Key Results as a measurement.

3. How do I Set up OKRs

There are many books and teachings around the Objectives and Key Results methodology and implementation which we would encourage you to read. Our system may be slightly different to those as we have customised them to the world of sales, so feel free to refine our process to your own business. With that said the process we use works and will work in your business as is.

3.1 Start with your ultimate objective

This is your purpose, your why, the reason you exist. In the majority of cases this has already been defined in your Business Plan. Therefore, as long as your purpose and why is still relevant then this should be a very quick exercise.

It’s worth pointing out that no sales rep is motivated by things like increasing profit margins, market share or your exit strategy. Therefore it’s important that your Ultimate Objective resonates with everyone in the sales team, not just the shareholders.

3.2 Next identify your Strategic Sales objectives

These should come from your sales strategy and by achieving these you would have achieved or at least be making progress towards the Ultimate Objective that you have defined. For teams new to Objectives and Key Results, and those with limited resources chose a maximum of three strategic sales objectives.

In terms of implementation wherever possible these objectives should be exiting and motivating to the sales team. Buy in and engagement are key to your success so it’s important that the sales team feel motivated to achieve the objectives.

With our own clients we encourage the leadership team to choose 5 strategic objectives and then ask the sales teams to choose three. By simply including and allowing them a say in the objectives helps dramatically with engagement and performance, when the hard work starts.

With your Strategic Sales objectives it’s important to think big hence we use the phrase BAG Goals – Big Ambitious Goals. Whilst the big goals may seem unattainable and in reality it may even turn out to be unattainable, studies show that most companies achieve 70-80% of their Objectives. Achieving 70-80% of a Big Ambitious Goal delivers much more impact than 100% of a regular goal.

In terms of the time frame, the Ultimate Objective would be at the least an annual goal but more likely a 3 -5 year goal. The Strategic Objectives would be at least a quarterly (three month) goal with larger annual goals for example broken down into quarterly milestones.

Another important consideration is which are of the sales the objectives are. What we mean by this is that every sales team regardless of what they sell has four core areas they need to focus on. We call these the high value areas of sales and they are Finding, Closing, Growing & Developing.

When you focus your time and energy exclusively on finding, closing and growing sales, it’s almost impossible not to sell more. Developing is the continued personal and professional development of the team.

In an ideal world you would pick one objectives that directly correlated with either Finding, Closing and Growing. Circumstances may dictate you need to focus on one are which is fine but we would advise against having all three objectives in the one area of sales.

Your Strategic Sales Objectives need to excite, inspire and motivate the sales team. As always, we strongly recommend running personal goal setting sessions and linking the Reps personal goals to the business goals.

3.3 Identify your key results

With your sales team first identify the key results that would indicate progress towards or attainment of your sales objective. The Key Results should be as specific and detailed as possible, and also be timebound.

When defining the Key Results it’s important to understand and include the Lead Indicators and not just the Lag Indicators. Lead Indicators are the KPIs recording the activities and actions that lead to the results.

Here’s an example a client set an Ultimate Objective of creating a new recurring revenue stream. The WHY behind this was to help balance the peaks and troughs in their Business as Usual sales.

They then decided on a Strategic Sales Objective of increasing the LTV (Life Time Value) by 50% by end of Q3. They set themselves three Key Results as follows:

* Increase their Customer Satisfaction Score to 7 by end of Q2

* Increase the number of annual contracts they sold to Enterprise Accounts by end of Q2

* Upsell 15% of users from their Base subscription to the Premium

From these Key results the Team collectively decided what activities they would need to undertake in order to attain the Key Results. (There were many more activities required than this, but we have abbreviated)

The answer to these questions can be used to create a series of milestones within your plan that would be used to track progress to the original Key Results.

Now we have defined our objectives and key results that last step is to create our Sales Sprints and define the activities within the sprints. These are the activities that the sales reps need to undertake in order to achieve the Key Results.

It’s worth reiterating that the earlier and greater involvement that the sales reps have in the design and planning the more engaged they will be. Simply throwing a list of Activities at Reps and dressing it up as a Sprint won’t work.

At this stage it would not be unusual for the Sprint activities to include actions and input from other departments. For OKRs focussed on finding new prospects you may require input from marketing to work alongside the SDRs and create a new sales campaign. Including marketing and indeed any other department is the first step to fully aligning your sales and marketing functions which is always positive.

4. Sales OKR Examples

As previously mentioned, one of the reasons our clients love our Sales Training is how we only train our clients on the same sales strategies and tactics that we use in our own business. We test and prove everything before we include it in any of our training.

The slide below shows our own Sales OKR examples that as a team we are working towards through the year. Not all our Strategic Objectives are on track and some are ahead and we are happy to share what’s working and what’s not.

Here’s a brief summary to help you understand:

Strategic Sales Objective 1

Increase International revenues 300% by end of Q4 – we are currently behind on this but our pipeline suggest we can still achieve this. I think we underestimated how much work was involved in getting set up for this, however, despite being behind this is really exciting.

Strategic Sales Objective 2

Increase Monthly Recurring Revenue 300% by end of Q4 – we are on target for this OKR which is great. With that said, in retrospect we perhaps were not ambitious enough when setting the original Objectives. By achieving this Objective we have now increased our Customer Lifetime Value which helps with our gross profit margin. Lots of wins with this particular goal.

Strategic Sales Objective 3

Increase P1P1 from 30 – 100 by end of Q4 – P1P1 refers to the number of keywords we have at Position 1 on Page 1 of Google which drives our Inbound Lead Generation. The Goal was to increase the number from 30 to 100 and considering we have over 250 keywords on Page 1 itself we thought this was achievable. This has however, proven to be much more difficult than we though and we currently only have 48 Keywords at Position 1. This means it’s taken 7 months to add 18 keywords to the top of Google and we need another 52 in the remaining 5 months. That is still a huge achievement and we still have a little over a Quarter to go so fingers crossed we can make up some ground.

Other Sales OKR examples we have supported our clients with are:

Sales Cycle – reducing the sales cycle which came from a Business Objective which was to improve cashflow in the organisation. Using the sales analytics from withing the clients CRM we undertook a thorough sales pipeline analysis to understand which deals where lagging, why they were lagging and what remedial action could be taken. Reducing the sales cycle was one of a number of activities that contributed to this.

Sales Process – most companies either lack a formal sales process or they have a sales process but their salespeople struggle to follow the sales process consistently. Improvements in sales process re typically linked to KPIs around sales performance.

Quarterly Revenue – as you would expect many companies are keen to drive growth and quarterly revenue is a common OKR that we encounter.

Monthly Recurring Revenue – monthly recurring revenue or MRR whilst predominantly associated with SaaS businesses, is a good indicator for every business that measures the sales from existing customers.

Channel Partners – channel partner development is common for those looking to scale quickly and profitably. Channel Partners, strategic partnerships and affiliate programmes are fast, low cost and proven routes to market.

5. Where does Sales Training Fit in the OKR system?

Sales Training is very different to most business training in that sales results are dependant on so many variables it can be difficult to prove a connection between the training and the new revenue.

Furthermore, without the input and support of the Sales Leadership Team training is often left without reinforcement, resulting in salespeople, resorting to the original behaviours prior to the training starting. It’s a vicious circle.

In addition, many of the issues around sales and growth revolve around these challenges:

How do we align the day to day sales activities with the companies overall sales growth strategy?
How do we keep the Sales People focused on the right type of sales activities and hold them accountable to these activities?
How do we provide an objective way to measure the sales performance and activities of our sales people?
How do we align the remuneration of sales people with the right sales activities that support our sales strategy?
How do we provide an objective way to report sales performance so we can identify skills gaps within sales management and the sales team?

Fortunately the OKR system answers all of these questions and more.

Whether using our own system or that of our clients we work with the Sales Manager to provide weekly sales reports, update sales targets, refine the overall sales approach, analyse lost deals and ensure the sales efforts of each team member are aligned with the sales OKRs.

Our OKR based Sales Team Coaching program provides training as and when required by the Sales Sprints. This ensures that we are providing training and coaching that has a direct correlation to the clients Sales Objectives.

The training therefore is highly targeted, customised and relevant to the participants. This is why our clients get genuine sales success and grow sales consistently.

The most common training and coaching we provide is currently around customer engagement which includes supporting every Team Member with their sales pitch as part of their overall sales approach, sales pipeline analysis, pipeline coaching, individual sales targets – behavioural and commercial.

6. How do I run the Sales Sprints?

Just to recap Sales Sprints are the activities that the sales team choose to undertake in order to achieve the Key Results that signal the Sales Objectives have been met.

There are many experts on Lean, Agile, Scrums, Sprints and Kanban each of which is designed for developers. Sales and Salespeople are slightly different and we have adapted the original Lean methodology to suit the needs and circumstances of our clients.

Here’s some guidance notes based on our experience:

5.1 The sales leaders must include the sales team early in the planning process to get buy in.

5.2 Invest time early on to run a personal goal setting session and then link the personal and business goals.

5.3 Train and Coach the Team Leaders and Managers hard as they are the glue that holds everything together.

5.4 Implement monthly 121’s with the sales managers and the sales team.

5.5 Never force training on the salespeople. Those who don’t want to learn, won’t. As frustrating as it sounds, these people need to be allowed to fail before they can overcome their own ego.

5.6 Every project has ups and downs. The downs are where the deep learning starts and where the biggest gains are to be made.

We run monthly sprints each of which lasts for 3 weeks. This allows the teams a breather from the intensity of the Sprints, for the last calendar week of the month yet maintains the momentum in the Sprint. If training is required our preference is to deliver this during the first two weeks of the Sprints which ensures the team can spend the later half of the month focussing on the Sprint and their Business As Usual activities ie; closing deals.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

The Complete Guide to Sales Courses

by Iain Swanston

“The most useful and best days training I’ve ever had. Love your style.”

Gary CEO

What are sales training courses?

Sales Training courses facilitate the transfer knowledge which is delivered via a classroom, workshop or online training content.

All sales training courses require Learning Objectives supported by content that matches the learning styles of the audience and should be delivered in a positive learning environment.

There are mainly two different types of training course, the first being product and industry based training, and the second is focused around sales strategy, tactics and skills.

1. Why are Sales Training Courses important?

Sales Training Courses are an important part of an organizations Learning & Development Strategy. In most cases training is used to:

1. Onboard new Salespeople in order to help them reach their revenue generation points and subsequent profit generating points faster.

2. Transition existing people into new roles or address under performing behaviour. For companies who are recruiting internally and developing existing employees sales training helps them with skills development and confidence building.

3. Addressing Under performing behaviours. Professional Selling is not taught in schools and universities and many people simply learn by doing. This is good, however, many Sales Managers simply struggle to find the time to coach and mentor Sales Reps hence the need for effective sales training.

2. Types of Sales Training Courses

Open Sales Courses

Open Sales Courses are typically held in Hotels throughout the country and are Open in the sense that anyone from any business can attend.

This results in around 12-20 attendees from multiple different industries with differing levels of experience which makes it difficult for everyone to meet their learning objectives.

These are often ran by what is known in the Industry as course aggregators who are essentially marketing companies who sell course spaces and then sub contract an Independent Sales Trainer to deliver the course.

This can work for some people however in many cases “ghost” courses are placed on view and these may go ahead but in many cases if the course hasn’t met the numbers requirement then often four or five courses are cancelled and then aggregated into one single course. This can cause problems as attendees have to make last minute travel arrangements causing additional expense and time.

The majority of our open courses are held in the main UK metropolitan areas of London, Manchester and Glasgow in Scotland.

In House Sales Courses

In House Sales Courses are delivered exclusively for one company. This allows the client more control over the event dates, course content & location.

These courses can be tied into monthly or annual sales meetings and are often tied into new sales campaigns or new sales initiatives.

As the client has 100% control over the content it is much easier to introduce customised Work Based Learning content which increases engagement and learning outcomes.

In some cases the client will choose to include marketing and or operations staff in order to get the whole organisation using a common sales language.

In House Sales Courses typically start from £3,000 ($4,550) for a one day course with a minimum 5 people and a maximum of 12. You should expect to pay around £4,500 ($5550) for a two day course.

3. Sales Training Statistics

According to various research

Salespeople missing their Sales Targets – 67%

Whilst it’s not possible to know if the Sales Targets were ever achievable it’s certainly true many sales professionals struggle to hit their Sales Targets.

Salespeople not prepared – 82%

Decision Makers are better prepared than ever before with product information as they are often well through their buying process before they even speak with a Sales Professional. This means more than ever before that Sales Reps need to be Thought Leaders to deliver real value.

Don’t Follow Up Sales Leads – 79%

Whilst this is very high this indicates more than ever that Marketing needs to be fully aligned with Sales.

Missing Performance Milestones – 71%

Missing performance milestones may be indicative of a lack of coaching from managers as they struggle to juggle busy diaries.

Impact Training is Ineffective – 80%

Despite numerous studies confirming this many companies are still using 1 or 2 day Sales Training events which deliver limited results.

Lost Customers Due to Indifference – 65%

If your business is typical over 70% of next years revenue will come from this years customers. Key Account Management is vital to lock in your customers and lock out the competition.

4. Choosing a Sales Methodology for your Training Programs

Before starting any Sales Skills Training it’s important you consider which Sales Methodology you choose. This not only impacts the way you sell, it will have a direct impact on many other important factors in your business. How you market and position your product or service, the length of your sales cycle, the profit margins you gain, your terms of engagement, and even the size of the wages and commissions you pay your sales force can all be affected by the Sales Methodology you choose.

A strong Sales Methodology can be almost like a religion. It is a series of common and shared beliefs on selling, which will influence everything from sales recruitment, to sales tactics and strategy. However, if your industry and or market conditions change, converting your Salespeople from one Sales Methodology to another, whilst not impossible, is similar to asking someone to change religion.

For any existing business, a failure to realign their sales force to a different methodology due to changes in the market place can be the difference between thriving and surviving.

Followers and proponents of each of the methodologies can be fiercely defensive and it is worth noting for the record, no ‘one’ methodology is necessarily better than the other. It is much more a case of, horses for courses, and the whole reason these different sales methodologies evolved was because of a need for them.

High end consulting firms such as Bain & Company who use a Consultative Sales Methodology, could not function using a Transactional Sales Methodology, no more than your local cable company, who use Transactional selling, could operate using Solution Selling methodologies.

5. The Best Sales Courses Start with a Needs Analysis

Once you have chosen a Sales Methodology it’s important to do some form of Training Needs Anaylsis to ensure the Sales Trainer and training content match the problems you are trying to solve and are the best they possibly can be. It’s very easy to lose the attention and engagement of Sales Professionals if the training course content just isn’t relevant for them.

In order for any training to be effective and measurable it’s important to agree in advance the learning objectives and then match them against the participants sales role, sales experience, behaviors, sales skills and the sales techniques the training addresses. Next you should discuss how you will record and measure the learning objectives and the adoption of the new sales skills.

This may involve creating new structures and reporting systems to ensure the Sales Professionals are held accountable to adopting the new selling techniques and sales behaviours. Worst case scenario, you should be prepared to call out Reps and saboteurs who try to derail any changes you make. People do not like change and some sales people may try their best to resist your changes.

The best way to complete a Training Needs Analysis is to use data from your sales system and analyse which parts of the selling process the Sales Professionals are struggling with. In the absence of hard data a good Sales Manager may have defined the selling skills required for success as part of a wider Job Description and you could use this as a starting point.

It’s also possible to ask the Sales Professionals themselves, however, the results will vary depending on where the business is in the sales maturity model. It’s possible that salespeople don’t know what they need and in those cases in our experience they will request Presentation Skills training which in almost every case is simply distraction training. That is training that is nice to have, but not a key requirement and distract from more important topics like Lead Generation.

It’s also possible to benchmark your sales team against best practice which will identify the gaps in terms of sales skills, activities and deliverables missing, and then base the training on the selling skills required to successfully complete those activities or deliverables.

It is possible to deliver generic sales training however this is reliant on an experienced Trainer who can explain the context and nuances to the audience in a way that they can relate to.

You may wish to hire a Sales Training Consultants whose role is to help the business leadership team strategize long term, (typically 3-5 years) on what Learning & Development strategies might be appropriate for the company. This may include developing Strategic Action Plans and ensuring alignment between all the necessary stakeholders in the business.

A good Training Consultant may also recognize any need for a Change Management process prior to starting any Sales Training program. Often a change in sales strategy can mean a complete change in the company culture and this is not a quick fix.

6. Maximizing your Training Course Investment

Like every project there are certain steps you can take before and after any training to maximize the return on your investment.

1) Change Management. Consider using Change Management principals to help and support the salespeople through the changes you are planning. This does not mean you will need a full Change program but instead follow the basic principals in a Change Management Plan. Change can be difficult for some people and it’s good practice to support these people through any Change.

2) Match Sales Content with Learning Outcomes. The content must be relevant in order to engage Sales Professionals and fit with their level of knowledge and experience. In addition the Sales Trainer must be able to demonstrate the link between any theory to real world scenarios that the sales people face to keep the Reps engaged. The trainer should also be able to not only role play, but demonstrate new strategies and techniques live to the class.

3) Event based or Impact Training lasting 1 – 2 days will require some form of post course reinforcement. This is best agreed in advance with the Trainer and the Sales Managers. This should include some form of online support from the Sales Trainer at 30, 60 and 90 days.

4) Training Methodology. Sales Courses where possible should be interactive and practical rather than theory based. Additionally using Gamification improves engagement, learning outcomes and the overall learning environment. Where possible the use of Work Based Learning programs focusing on real life sales scenarios provide higher rates of engagement and better learning outcomes.

5) Sales Management. In addition to sales management training, Sales Managers should attend any Sales Training Courses so they know and understand the full context of the training and can help support the Sales Reps after the course with coaching. Sales Managers on a daily basis should focus on how to reinforce the positive new sales behaviours until they become new sales habits.

6) Action Planning. Often salespeople are so busy after 1 or 2 days away from the office that they simply forget to apply any new strategies or tactics. Sales Training should always include new 90 day action plans to help sales people plan and adopt the new strategies and skills they have learned.

7) Internal Challenges & Obstacles. There can often be perceived road blocks within an organization that Reps see as holding them back. Where possible it’s worth discussing these in advance and where possible removing these including those that are perceived by management as “excuses”. In reality this only serves to shine a spotlight on the root causes of any problem.

Sales Training can be highly effective in the correct circumstances, however, we usually find the more time and thought spent planning and preparing for any training the better the results.

7. Before Starting any Sales Course

In order to avoid the most common common pitfalls and if the sales course is to be successful in delivering the results the business is looking for we recommend checking the following:

1) Executive Level Buy In

Many companies want to send a message to the Salespeople that the training is not a fad or a passing fancy. To deliver the results they are looking for they get sponsorship at Exec level and follow through by having Execs take part in the initial Sales Team training sessions.

This demonstrates to the team that they are serious about the training program. For larger Enterprise organizations this doesn’t mean the CEO need to sit in, but as rough rule of thumb there should be two levels of Management above the salespeople in any training. For the majority of company’s this simply means the Sales Manager and the VP of Sales or Sales Director.

2) New Sales Management Structures

In order for any training to be effective and measurable it’s important to agree in advance the sales behaviours and skills the training addresses and how you will record and measure the learning objectives and the adoption of the learning objectives.

This may involve creating new structures and reporting systems to ensure the salespeople are held accountable to adopting the new skills and behaviours. Worst case scenario you should be prepared to call out Reps and saboteurs who try to derail any changes you make. People do not like change and some salespeople may try their best to resist your changes.

8. Mixing Experienced Sales Professionals with Beginners

Many organizations have a mix of salespeople in terms of their experience and skill levels and this often creates a dilemma when delivering training as to whether you should you mix the Skill and Experience levels, or create separate programs?

This is dependent on the content and the context as a good Sales Trainer will use the experienced salespeople to reinforce and give real life company examples to the group. This really helps the new Reps and creates a great learning environment.

This however does not necessarily help the experienced Reps learn, so there needs to be enough new or advanced content in the training to keep them engaged. New Sales people are always interested in learning new or advanced content so it is much easier to keep them engaged.

Including Sales Managers in the training course is also important so they understand exactly what the Trainer is recommending to the Reps. That way they can hold them accountable to any agreed actions after the training session.

9. Sales Training Course Topics & Learning Objectives

There are many different topics in Professional Selling and matching the content with the organizations and Sales Professionals needs is essential.

Certain topics will have a degree of commonality between Sales Reps like Social Media or Essential Sales Skills, however, other topics are more specific to an individuals sales role such as Key Account Management Training.

The list below whilst not definitive is a good starting point and is to split between the three main areas of Professional Selling – Finding new opportunities, Klozing new opportunities, and Growing existing clients.

Another good starting point is sales management training as without effective sales leadership the impact of any sales training will be reduced.

Sales Management training is critical for any business that wants consistent and sustainable future growth.

Any sales training program should provide a learning path and benefit and enhance the sales career of the participants. There has to be something in it for the participants and their sales career should be important to them.

SALES TRAINING COURSE MODULES	SALES COURSE MODULES WITH LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Sales Messaging	Learners will be able to create a sales message conveying what they do, who they do it for and what the benefit to the target audience
Social Media	Learners will be able to optimize their LinkedIn profile and research and generate new sales leads with pro- active selling strategies
Lead Generation	Learners will be able to generate a consistent flow of new sales opportunities
Consultative Selling Skills	Learners will know and be able to use the Consultative Sales Process
Selling on Value not Price	Learners will be able to uncover and quantify business pains and then demonstrate a clear ROI’s to prospects in relation to our products and services
Building Rapport	Learners will be able to identify a prospects DiSC profile and their Primary Sensory Dominance and use these tools to build rapport.
Sales Pipeline ManagementLearners will be able to measure and analyze their sales pipeline and create weighted sales forecastsHandling Stalls & ObjectionsLearners will be able to handle customer stalls and objections and use them to continue the sales conversationSales Negotiation SkillsLearners will understand the main components of effective sales negotiation and demonstrate this by creating their own BATNASolution SellingLearners will understand and be able to navigate a complex selling process with multiple decision makers in multiple departmentsKey Account ManagementLearners will understand the Key Account Management Process and start applying this to nominated accountsAdvanced Listening SkillsLearners will be able to demonstrate advanced listening skills using role playControlling the Sales ConversationLearners will be able to control a sales conversation with a questioning funnelPresentation SkillsLearners will be able to create and deliver powerful presentationsAdvanced Questioning SkillsLearners will understand and create questioning funnels based on Root Cause Analysis of business painsTelephone Sales TrainingLearners will be able to research, prepare and execute a telephone call to a cold prospect liveNetworkingLearners will understand the fundamentals of Networking including how to target the right events and generate introductions from a networkRole PlayLearners will be able to demonstrate live any real sales scenario to nurture a sales prospectCross Selling & Up SellingLearners will have a clear understanding of customer satisfaction and be able to create effective sales strategies to increase cross selling and up sellingSelling to the C SuiteLearners will be able to articulate the step by step sales process involved selling to enterprise organizationsHow to Research ProspectsLearners will be able to demonstrate how to research a prospect based on a Perfect Prospect Profile they have createdHow to Qualify ProspectsLearners will be able to demonstrate multiple criteria where a prospect does not fit with the overall growth strategyHow to differentiate ourselvesLearners will be able to demonstrate how to differentiate their products or services via differentiation and not priceCommercial AwarenessLearners will be able to read and understand a company’s balance sheet, profit and loss andAsking for ReferralsLearners will be able to identify the features of a good prospect and how to ask for referralsGoal SettingLearners will be able to use 90 day action plans to improve their productivityStory TellingLearners will be able to create and recite customer stories both pro-actively and re-actively

10. Sales Training Role Play

There are many different topics in Professional Selling and matching the content with the organizations and Sales Professionals needs is essential.

Another good starting point is sales management training as without effective sales leadership the impact of any sales training will be reduced.

Sales Management training is critical for any business that wants consistent and sustainable future growth.

11. Sales Courses – Exercise Example

Questioning Techniques Example

1. Open /Closed Questions – Open questions are used to gather further information and closed questions should be used for confirmation.

2. Summary Questions – A summary question is used to confirm you have correctly understood what the prospect has said. This is done by summarizing or paraphrasing the prospects statement and adding a conformation question at the end.

3. Funneling Questions – A funneling question is used to channel the sales conversation towards a particular area or topic.

4. Redirect Questions – Redirect questions are used to control the conversation and keep the prospect from moving forward in the sales process if the Sales person is not yet ready to move forward.

5. Opposing Redirect – An opposing redirect question is answering a question with the opposite response that would be expected by the prospect and turning it into a question.

6. Presumptive Questions – A presumptive question is a question we use that we know/presume the prospect does not know the answer to.

Role two dice with one dice designated the question dice. This means whatever number the dice lands on the Salesperson has to ask that type of question. For example if the dice lands on 2 the Sales Rep must ask a Summary Question.

The second dice relates to the stages of the sales process so if the dice allocated to the Sales Process lands on 1 the Sales Professional would have to ask a Summary Question they would use to Qualify a sales prospect.

To make the exercise more entertaining add a stopwatch so the Reps have to start the question in under 15 seconds. Everyone will fail in the first round which is important as this removes the fear of failure immediately and they the exercise become much more entertaining. It’s not unusual for a whole class to easily complete this in 45 minutes and when repeated over 4-6 weeks it becomes second nature and really easy.

12. Sales Skills & Sales Techniques

Learning new sales skills and sales techniques are an important part of any training program, however, it’s important that any new sales skills are embedded and not forgotten.

Salespeople, like any human being learn by doing, so it’s critical that part of you planning process includes steps to provide reinforcement, coaching and accountability.

This is where effective sales management is critical. Any improvement in sales performance will be short lived unless newly acquired skills and sales techniques are thoroughly embedded by sales managers.

It’s important to gather feedback and evaluate the quality and outcomes of every training session.

Our own feedback forms give attendees the opportunity to comment on what we believe are the three main areas of every training event:

Learning Environment – did the user experience a positive and supportive learning environment?
Did the training content match the learning outcomes and was it of high quality?
Was the trainer supportive and knowledgeable in the subject matter.

It’s also important to gather content on the day of your sales training courses as trying to collect content afterwards or digitally can be difficult.

Our goal is to provide a Centre of Excellence for professional training and coaching.

13. Sales Training Courses for Beginners

Historically many generic sales courses were targeted at different levels and roles, for example basic selling skills training for beginners and intermediate and advanced for those with more sales experience.

However, clients recognised that if the training content was not generic and tailored to the audience it was possible to mix the skill levels of attendees, which has the added benefit of creating Peer Learning, which is proven to deliver a higher ROI than generic training.

By mixing beginners with more experienced sales professionals each group helps each other. For example, Experienced Reps can provide specific context to sales material, and new salespeople push the training on, as they absorb new concepts faster, because they do not have to unlearn old methods and potentially negative behaviours.

As a whole the majority of people in the sales industry have had no formal sales training and sadly do not see sales as a career choice. Without the necessary skills many salespeople struggle and either continue, or leave the industry. Success and achieving ones full potential in sales, is as much about personal development, as professional development and life skills.

14. Online Sales Courses

15. Sales Training Costs

Sales Training costs in the UK vary from free courses online and free workshops, up to £20,000 dependant on many variables, however, the majority of courses available are either one or two day courses, and these typically cost between £1200 and £1500 per person, per day.

We have a selection of courses available from £1200 per per day covering Business Development Training, Negotiation Skills, Customer Relationship Management, LinkedIn Selling, Consultative Selling Skills, Sales Management Training and Key Account Management Training.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

16. Sales Training Locations

We are very fortunate to be growing rapidly and have recently opened regional offices in Germany, India and the USA to serve our international clients. In the UK we have three main training centres, however, as you would expect we travel to many of our clients for In-person delivery. Our full range of courses are also available to International clients via our online sales training and enablement portal. Please contact us for further details.

16.1 Sales Training Delivery in London

Many open training courses are delivered in and around London. Our own courses are delivered near London Heathrow airport for easy access to Europe, London & the M4 Corridor. Individuals from any organisation can attend and Course prices, dates and availability are available online via our course bookings page.

16.2 Sales Training Delivery in Manchester

Serving the north of England the majority of courses are delivered in and around Manchester. Our own courses are delivered near London Heathrow airport for easy access to Europe, London & the M4 Corridor. Individuals from any organisation can attend and Course prices, dates and availability are available online via our course bookings page.

16.3 Sales Training Delivery in Scotland

The majority of training courses in Scotland are held in either Edinburgh or Glasgow. Our own courses are delivered in Edinburgh just a short walk from Edinburgh Waverley Train Station in the Historic part of the “Old Town”. Individuals from any organisation can attend and Course prices, dates and availability are available online via our course bookings page.

The majority of training providers will deliver open and inhouse training at a location of your choosing although you will usually have to commit to a minimum of 6 people.

Cold Calling Training | Skills + Practice = Success

by Iain Swanston

Cold Calling Training – Top question from Google

How do you Train for cold calling?

HERE’S THE SHORT ANSWER:

Thoroughly research your target audience and what’s important to them
Ensure you know exactly how your product or service impacts your customer and the value it delivers
Plan your day and make sure you have prepared your call lists in advance
Use a CRM or other tool to track every call you make
Use email and social media in combination to increase your success
Slow down – build rapport first and add value before you ask for anything
Embrace the NO’s, don’t take it personally and understand, success is following your process consistently
If you are not getting more No’s than Yeses then you are not talking to enough people
Test everything and keep testing everything, so you can learn and improve

Some sales people dread the thought of cold calling, and many customers hate receiving endless cold calls from various companies trying to sell them products or services that they don’t want.

In this changing world, many of us don’t even make a phone call in our personal lives, as we swap traditional phone calls for instant messaging and social media.

However, cold calling is a tried and tested sales channel which has been used for decades to secure new customers, and can still play an important part in your outbound sales strategy.

Whilst cold calling might not seem to be the in thing, most companies still have some form of cold calling operations. In fact, cold calling is considered to be the most used sales technique in the world.

1. Cold calling is dead, long live cold calling

The way in which modern buyers operate has changed. Many buyers are more savvy now, and don’t like to be sold to, but they do like to buy.

With this in mind, you might think that cold calling has had its day, and should be consigned to the bin. Whilst the world has moved on, cold calling can still be a really effective sales tool.

Salespeople do however need to adapt their practices to suit the modern buyer. Gone are the days of aimlessly working through a spreadsheet, today’s cold callers need to work in a much more targeted and smarter way.

If you’re considering using cold calling as a route to market it’s important your sales reps are properly trained and not simply “winging” it on every call. Our telephone cold calling course will help your sales reps develop a positive attitude, refine your cold calling process, improve their objection handling skills and sales techniques.

2. What is the definition of a cold call?

A cold call is simply when you telephone a stranger who is not expecting your call. At some stage it is highly likely that we have either cold called someone, or been cold called ourselves, either in a work capacity or in our personal lives.

If you have met the potential customer previously at a trade show or had some previous communication with them, then that is not a cold call.

Similarly, if you have corresponded with the prospective buyer before, maybe sent them some promotional material either via email or LinkedIn, this is not a cold call.

The latter examples are called “Warm Calling”, which typically has a much higher success rate, but as you would expect, lead in times and costs are more expensive for warm calling.

3. Cold Calling Training

Many sales people do not get sufficient cold calling training, either in terms of quantity or quality. This may be because companies they are reluctant to invest in their teams and assume that in cold calling the volume of calls is king.

However, this approach is counterproductive to creating and maintaning a good brand, securing new customers and increasing profits and revenue for your company.

One bad cold call could have ramifications for your business, as it could give a negative impression of your business and destroy your brand reputation.

Not only can this mean that the person being cold called will be very unlikely to order from your company, but they may tell their colleagues and business network of their poor experience, starting a chain of dissatisfaction. If this happens time and time again, it could become a major problem for your business.

Cold calling is a difficult job, there is no getting away from that. As you are jumping into the unknown you have no idea as to who is on the other side, they could be aggressive towards you, or just look to play with you and waste your time.

However, all of that anguish can be overcome by the feeling of success in pulling off a sale or booking a meeting, where originally there may have been little chance of success.

Like most things in life, you get out of cold calling what you put in. If you are willing to learn, and put in the hard graft of calling a seemingly endless array of people, you will get some success.

Making cold calls and repeating the cold calling process will help cement those practices into your sales pitch, but it may take thousands of calls for you to perfect it.

Unfortunately, somewhere along those thousands of calls, you are likely to encounter a troublesome customer and a lot of rejection. It is important that you don’t let this put you off.

Klozers offer specialist cold calling training courses, which can be a useful investment if your cold calling isn’t getting the right results, or you want to try to source new customers via cold calling techniques.

There are also a whole host of videos and books on sales training (and specifically telephone sales), which can give great tips and insights. However, for many, this is only a substitute for good sales training and experience.

Our cold calling training is popular with both new sales reps, and existing people who want to improve their cold calling techniques.

4. Marketing vs Telesales

Unsurprisingly, almost all marketing executives will tell you that telephone prospecting is a waste of time, and companies should focus their attention on marketing – resulting in greater budgets for their teams.

Marketing is hugely important, however, it is reactive and not pro-active, and that might not work for you.

As an example, if you have a proven niche software solution and are selling into a vertical such as Hotel Chains within the Hospitality sector, would you wait on all the Hotels seeing your marketing material and then contacting you, or simply get your business development team to contact them directly?

Yes, in an ideal world they will be familiar with your brand before the sales reps contact them, but the point is you would never advocate sitting around waiting on them to contact you.

Effective modern businesses should look to combine both of these techniques. Cold calling has its place, but marketing should always be viewed as the main lead generator for the business.

4. What makes a good Telesales Team?

* Preparation

When we think of cold calling, we might think of sales reps being in an endless rush, jumping from potential customer to potential customer without a thought. However, proper preparation is an important part of successful cold calling. In some instances, scripts can be a useful tool. If scripts are used then the sales rep should prepare and learn the script, so they can sound engaging on the phone, rather than robotic.

* Record Keeping

Keeping track of your progress as a cold caller is an important part of the cold calling process. It can be demoralising making call after call and getting making no progress, but if the company or sales person keeps an efficient log of call rates then this can motivate the sales reps. For example, if a cold calling sales team know they have a success rate of 1 in 50, and the sales person has made 15 calls without any success, they know that this can be a common occurrence and if they use their skills correctly a sale may be round the corner.

* Plan for the day ahead

Modern business is full of statistics, and every last detail can be logged somewhere. This can be useful in looking at the success rates of cold calling. Are there particular times of the day, days of the week, or parts of the month when telephone prospecting is more successful than others.

If clear patterns emerge then sales teams should double up their efforts to take advantage of the successful patterns. When cold calling is less successful then this time could be better spent on team training or meetings. It would be poor team planning if a weekly meeting was scheduled on the most successful time of the week!

If it takes you a couple of calls in the morning to full get into the swing of things, then you can always keep your best prospects back a couple of hours, or even keep them until the time/day when you know cold calls are more successful. You will however, need to work around the availability of the buyer.

* Follow Up

Following up with a cold call contact is vitally important. During the phone call you might think that the person isn’t interested, but even a short follow up email could bring them onto your side. The buyer may not have heard about your company before, and be sceptical of your business claims.

If they are provided with some material material and links to your website, they can corroborate your information themselves, which is a powerful tool. Emails which are sent after a cold call have a surprisingly high open rate.

* Practice makes permanent

If you want to be good at something you need to practice, practice and practice some more. It is thought that to become a cold calling expert you need to dedicate 10,000 hours to doing it.

You will need to guard against practice making bad habits permanent. It can be easy to rid ourselves or our sales teams of bad traits if they don’t do it too often or they have just started, but once they are embedded it can be much harder to get rid off.

Therefore, it is important that salespeople receive training prior to starting cold calling, and that regular sales training and review procedures are in place to avoid problems becoming permanent.

* Share ideas and experience across the team

Sales people are naturally competitive people, they will want to beat their colleagues in the number of sales or appointments secured. However, there is a lot to be said for teamwork. Debriefing at the end of the day can be used to refine sales pitches to what works and what doesn’t work. Sharing experiences both good cold calls and bad can also be reassuring to colleagues.

Cold calls don’t always go to plan, and it can be a good idea to expect the unexpected, and prepare as an individual or as a team for what response you should give in unexpected circumstances.

5. What makes cold calling so difficult?

As we said earlier cold calling is difficult, but don’t let that put you off making it an important part of your sales strategy. Modern buyers have become more adapt to fending of pushy salespeople, especially if it is via a cold call.

Cold calling has a low conversion rate, meaning that cold callers will need to make a significant number of calls to secure an appointment or order. It is thought the average conversion rate of securing an appointment via cold calls is between 1 – 3%.

Inevitably not everyone who agrees to an appointment will place an order, so its success can be low.

Securing a telephone number of a prospective client can be a difficult task in itself. Many major businesses do not advertise the relevant information, leaving salespeople to bounce between departments trying to find the right person.

6. Cold Calling Training Courses

Klozers offer specialist cold calling courses for any industry, which can help your sales team improve their cold calling skills and success rate. Courses are suitable for new salespeople and experienced salespeople who might need a refresher.

Sales Courses can be tailored to the needs of the attendees, so if there is an issues which is specific to a particular industry, it can be addressed in the training. Whilst not technically cold calling, our courses can also include how to convert incoming sales calls.

Cold calling training can include high paced boot camps which cram a lot of learning into one day. The fast-paced environment of a boot camp training session is well matched with the fast pace of cold calling.

As people learn through experience, many training sessions include live demonstrations of cold calling skills, and role play to improve learning outcomes.

Some companies limit the amount of participants from any one company attending a training session together. This ensures that the sessions aren’t dominated by the concerns of requirements of one single company. It also allows the sharing of ideas from different companies to benefit everyone.

Like many businesses cold calling providers have adapted their practices in response to the changing world of COVID-19. Online cold calling courses are now far more common than they would have been a few years ago. This can reduce the time and expense of travel.

Bespoke training packages are available, which includes ongoing 1-2-1 sales coaching, which can be useful to continuously motivate your sales team, keep their performance fresh and vibrant and ensure that bad habits don’t creep in.

Mental Health in Sales - Top Question from Google

How stressful is a sales job?

In this article we will cover...

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

1. The Hidden Toll - Why Mental Health Matters

2. The Unique Challenges of Sales & Mental Wellbeing

3. The Impact of Poor Mental Health on Sales Performance

4. Building Resilience: Strategies for Salespeople

5. Creating a Supportive Sales Culture

6. Benefits of Prioritising Mental Health in Sales

7. Getting Help: Resources for Sales Professionals

8. FREE TRAINING

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1. Online Sales Training Courses

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3. Online Training vs In-Person Sales Training Courses

4. Sales Coaching Online

Exec Sales Coaching

5. Advantages of Online Training Courses

A more flexible way to learn:

A Bite Sized Approach to Learning

Keeping Your Team Productive

Course Structure

Finding Specific or Bespoke Content:

Continuous Learning

6. Self-Paced Sales Training Courses

7. Post Training Support

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1. Designing a Sales Course That Drives Results

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3. What Constitutes a Sales Training Course?

4. How Bespoke can the Training Content be?

5. Choosing the Right Sales Training Modules

6. Example: Building a "Value Selling" Masterclass

7. Sales Manager Training

8. Post Training Support

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Klozers Bolsters Leadership Team with Appointment of Marc Smit as General Manager to Drive Expansion

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Sales Kickoff Themes - Top Question from Google

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15 Energising Sales Kickoff Theme Ideas

Sales Kickoff Speakers

Bonus - 5 Virtual Sales Kickoff Ideas

Final Thoughts on Sales Kick off Themes

Best Practices for a Virtual Sales Kickoff

How to Host a Great Sales Kickoff

Frequently asked questions on Sales Kick offs

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Klozers Embarks on Mission to Empower University Graduates Through FREE Education, Aiming to Enable 100,000 Graduates to Build a Career in Sales.

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Why We're Committed

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1. Game changing experiences

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4. Assessments & Roadmaps

5. Tackling your customer challenges

1. High Customer and employee churn

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