Sales Training in Southampton

Simply put – whichever one most accurately reflects the needs of you, your business, and your teams. The best sales training courses will be tailored to your business, your process and your specific clients as opposed to being off the shelf.

Your sales people should come away from the training feeling energised but not overwhelmed, with a clear action plan and a sense of accountability.

There are some very profitable (and expensive) sales training classes out there that are simply cookie-cutter online training, and don’t improve anybody’s revenue except those people selling them.

Some sales people will say the golden rule is “underpromise and overdeliver”, but the best sales training programmes know that a great customer experience is more complex than simply setting a low bar. Effectively managing customer expectations so they know exactly what if going to happen, and when, is critical.

Depending on the product or service, over-delivering can actually cause a customer problems – think of a scenario where a delivery estimate is beaten but the customer doesn’t have enough storage space to accept it!

The most effective sales training courses will not try to force the sales people into following a linear and robotic sales process. For all but very inexperienced sales people this will likely result in a reduction in long-term performance.

Impactful sales training acknowledges that all sales people are different and instead seeks to arm them all with the most useful tools (such as negotiation skills, spotting buying signals, asking the right questions). In an increasingly virtual world; it is impossible to expect each sale to follow the same exact cycle, so empowering sales teams with the right skills to maximise each and every opportunity that comes their way is far more sustainable.

Many successful sales people become so with almost no formal sales training… That said, a basic grasp of negotiation skills, ability to use a CRM system, critical questioning and empathic listening, coupled with account management training (and a highly organised approach!) will help sales management get the best performance from a team with good natural ability.

Sales training can range from comprehensive and prescriptive through to highly specialised, depending on the specific needs of the team, but it’s probably accurate to say that the wrong sales training is worse than no training at all – so choose carefully!

Look at metrics such as customer satisfaction and revenue too. As long as you see an upwards trend in these areas you can usually feel confident that you’re on the right track.

Sales training classes can range from free, right through to several thousand pounds or dollars per day. Online training courses tend to be cheaper but less relevant; personalised sales training delivered by a specialist expert tends to be more expensive but more relevant (and therefore more impactful).

A better way to look at it is in value terms – ask, “why do I or my teams need this sales training, and what will it mean to the business if it’s effective?”. If the ROI looks positive then it’s a worthwhile investment, regardless of the cost (as long as it’s affordable in the short-term).

Obviously the plethora of US-based online training courses are available to you, but unless you’re targeting an American customer base, UK-specific training is likely to be far more effective. US businesses view sales very differently and, in general, are far more willing to be ‘pitched’, whereas UK clients tend to react better to a consultative, slow-burn sales process.

Look for a sales training provider who takes the time to understand your business and your product / service, and can create a bespoke plan accordingly.

Firstly, paying someone what they are worth, without them having to come cap in hand for a pay rise can prevent a valued employee from becoming disenfranchised and looking elsewhere.

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it was also established that staff are more likely to be motivated if they have their basic human needs taken care of such as safety and shelter. Financial instability can have a significant negative impact to mental and physical wellbeing. Supporting your employees by making basic financial advice available can be a great step towards them achieving financial wellbeing, not to mention that as most companies don’t do this, it helps you stand out from the crowd as an employer of choice!