When developing sales skills, professionals often look for 'something new'.
But does that always yield the best results? No, argues KENNETH SMIT trainer Marcel Hoefman.
Mark is a sales manager at an ambitious company. "My team consists of experienced sales people," he tells me during an exploratory conversation about training. 'We have already had so many training sessions, we are looking for something new.'
I encounter it frequently: the search for 'something new' in the field of training. Understandable: so much has already been said, written, and trained on topics that are called 'stating the obvious'. Does it really have to be done all over again?
Is there perhaps something different, something new? The conviction behind the statement 'we want something new' is usually that salespeople have a good command of the basic skills of their trade. 'They have trained those basics so many times already,' is often said.
Interesting, because that is precisely where the essence of improvement lies and where 'the new' is to be found. In my practice as a trainer, I often see that commercial success is largely determined by working extremely hard on the basics.
And not through the umpteenth hip or hype method that sounds tempting, but in practice mainly leads to disappointment.
Basic skillsWhat do we actually mean by basic skills in sales?
Take a look: conversation preparation, taking control, building trust, process structure, asking impactful questions, active listening, (non-verbal) communication, sharing insights, insight into decision-making styles, managing resistance, negotiating, and of course, gaining commitment.
And inextricably linked to this is a range of behavioral and attitudinal aspects such as self-confidence, beliefs and style flexibility. In short: less basic and simple than the term 'basic skills' suggests.
If you want to strengthen the performance of sales people through training, you can ask two questions about these basic skills:
“Do I know this already?” For experienced salespeople, the answer to this question is a resounding 'yes'. Basics are basics for a reason; they appear in virtually every sales training course and every sales book.
That is why they are often scornfully called 'open doors'. Unfortunately, the consequence is that slamming these open doors shut severely limits access to further growth and development.
“How good am I at this?” Sales is not only a thinking profession, but also a doing profession.
You may know a lot about communication, questioning techniques, objection handling techniques, dealing with DMUs, etc., but in practice, your knowledge of these matters is not decisive. Commercial success (and the potential lack thereof, for that matter!)
), is primarily determined by how well you master those skills in practice. The question 'how good am I at this?' focuses on the effective application of what you know. This question therefore helps you to identify strengths, discover areas for development, and improve sales results.
If you, as a manager, want to support your sales team in their skill development, the following three steps will help:
1. Note which basic skills and behavioral aspects are relevant in your situation.
Prioritize this list so you can determine what is important and less important in a specific sales role. The premise that 'sales is sales' is nice and easy, but it is a far too simplistic approach to the complex reality.
Of course, there are generalities, but it is precisely the differences that are interesting. The basics for inside sales are different from those for a key account manager.
And a commercial process within consultancy requires different skills than selling office supplies.
2. Look in the mirror together with your team and conduct an honest self-assessment: how well do your people master the basics? Where is there room for improvement? Who can learn from each other? What are you satisfied with? What requires development? What makes the biggest impact in practice?
3. Get started with the results of this analysis.
Which basics are you going to develop from sufficient to good? And how exactly are you going to approach that? Who does what and what support do you offer your people?
Mark and his team have since taken a good look in the mirror. They saw that the basics were partly in good order. On other parts, however, we have really hit hard.
The result: new ideas, new behavior, and a new vision on skills development. And, importantly, new customers and new revenue.
Author
Marcel Hoefman
[email protected]
06-54764840
