11-8-2013
Here?s an e-mail I received:
Mr. Lytle, I would like to ask you to come to New Zealand and speak at our National Sales Conference at the end of January. We are looking at doing two really meaty sessions in one day, 10.30am?12.30pm & 3.00pm?6.00pm. I look forward to hearing from you. Joe R.
Unfortunately, Joe R. is making a typical mistake. He is buying sales training by the hour instead of the outcome. Of course, it?s flattering someone in New Zealand has even heard of me let alone wants to hire me. But flying anyone 35 hours round trip to deliver five hours of training (meaty or otherwise) no longer holds the allure it once did.
Sales training is??or should be??a planned program designed to impart specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes to increase desired behavior in measurable ways.
The outcome ought to be stated as some measurable change in behavior that will gain a result for your station?increased sales, new accounts, higher margin business. The key to mounting a successful corporate education initiative is to ask questions about the outcomes you?re seeking. This requires more time and brain power than deciding on the duration of the training session.
Ask these questions before you sign off on another conference, seminar, or corporate education initiative. Or before you approve next year?s training budget:
1. In behavioral terms, what would you like your salespeople doing more of, or less of, as a result of the training?
2. How will this new behavior deliver a different outcome?
3. How will you measure it?
4. How will you reinforce this new behavior?
5. What will be the consequences for those who choose not to change?
Leaders who buy training by the hour instead of by the outcome perpetuate their problems and make expensive mistakes in the process. Business leaders endorse company get-togethers and feel the lift from such events that often bring everyone together??if for only a moment??to focus on the mission and perpetuate the culture. So far so good. But don?t confuse this with training. Training is measured by behavioral change that is beneficial to the company.
The harsh reality is that continual education is a process that is too often conducted as an event, thereby losing its strategic impact. If that makes sense, you know who to call.
Chris Lytle is the founder of Sparque, Inc. This well-traveled speaker has conducted more than 2200 seminars on three continents. He?s the best-selling author of The Accidental Salesperson and The Accidental Sales Manager.
Reach Chris by e-mail chris.lytle@sparque.biz
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