You may be wondering how come your spending money on sales training and you are not seeing results. Well, the truth is, sales habits won’t change overnight, and without the right follow-up training, it can be close to useless. The goal of training is to educate and change behaviors, and we all know that behavior does not change easily. These new, learned behaviors need to be practiced for at least a month before they become second nature. This is why a scheduled follow-up is essential.
- Clear expectations: Your expectations must be communicated clearly, reps need to know what is expected from them and don’t be afraid to remind them.
- Inspect: Reps should be observed and monitored to ensure they are grasping and implementing the concepts learned in training.
- Realistic feedback: You should provide feedback often, and honestly. Remember to include positive reinforcement to let them know what they are doing right and constructive feedback as support to what requires improvement.
- Provide incentive: Typical to any type of training you should acknowledge and reward reps for implementing the new concepts they have learned. This will not only provide motivation but will also serve as a constant reminder.
- Reinforcement training: Should typically be conducted 90-120 days after initial training. This will ensure everyone has not forgotten about their original training.
By following up initial training with these practices, you will see better results. Reps are reminded, and encouraged, throughout the process that the training provided is taken seriously, and comes with expectations. This is one sure-fire way to get a better return on investment with the training investment you have provided.