Selling is no longer a simple buyer-seller interface, driving a bargain and then striking and executing a deal. In a complex, modern and increasingly digitally driven market dealing with a well-informed customer is no child’s play. This brings into play the imperative of a well-trained sales team capable of influencing customers and their purchasing behaviour. Hence, the importances of a sales training programme.
Training on the move
In an organisation, a sales-team leader is often faced with a particularly daunting situation while trying to deploy his workforce in the field keeping in mind their specific selling skills. He or she has to ensure that his team at Ground-Zero is not only effectively converting the preliminary leads into real customers and first time customers into repeat customers but also backed by proper online support such as necessary training even while on the move.
Sales team job cut out
The Covid-19 pandemic and months of lockdown has confined prospective customers to the safety of their homes. This has hit the sales of commodities and services across the globe forcing enterprises to switch over to digital online platforms to conduct businesses and attract customers to make online purchases. Though unlocking and introduction of Covid-19 vaccines have prompted many to resume business activities it is far from business as usual. But sales teams have their jobs well cut out- get business. But are they trained for it?
Techno-Savvy
This brings us to two core questions – What learning components should organisations factor in while firming up their sales training programme? Is the sales team well equipped to bring customers to both online and offline business platforms?
· In the new post lockdown normal company sales team is essentially required to be techno savvy besides being equipped with the traditional salespersons’ negotiation and persuasion skills to increase both virtual and digital customers’ footfall.
To achieve better sales outcomes companies are now factoring in various training measures to sustain and improve businesses through an effective and productive interaction with clients :-
Training through simulation
· Providing sales staff with interactive online training simulations can be a wonderful way of getting off the blocks. For seasoned salespersons with proven track record, a sales online training course gives them a chance to further improve upon their proven skills of persuasion and negotiations through interactive online simulations.
· So, sales staff are better placed to virtually interact with customers and select the right products while highlighting salient features and get the best price. And, who knows, they could as well have managed to convince customers to spend some extra bucks on add-ons by the time the deal is sealed, for good.
Learning to use product images
· Images are the most natural way for the brain to quickly process and then recall information. Therefore including the use and deployment of audio-visual medium for product demonstration in sales training programmes will be in the fitness of things.
· To be able to effectively use product videos, salespeople need to be well informed about the product. Nothing can convince a customer about a product more than a live demonstration of it. Salespersons should get the necessary training to leverage on the product videos to increase sales.
Resolving payment problems
All the fun and joy of sealing a deal will vanish if you have no idea about how to go about processing card payment of your customer using a POS or Point-Of-Sales device at your retail outlet. This brings us to the next important aspect of training to handle technology in sales.
· As large sections of the population, earlier deeply entrenched in cash transactions, compulsorily switch over to digital payment mode, a salesperson is expected to know how to handle various types of POS devices for payment collection from customers.
· Salespersons should get trained to resolve login errors in POS, and operate their POS during a power outage and complete returns or exchanges.
Dealing with difficult customers
· Training the sales team to deal with customers with varied idiosyncrasies, psychological conditions and behavioural traits forms an important part of troubleshooting in pre and post sales situations.
· A customer may have a bad experience with one of your products and is angry and warns of approaching the customer grievance cell. Then, there might be one who can’t be convinced about any of the products. A proper training dealing with difficult customers always helps.
It is therefore obvious how a sales training programme is so indispensable for salespersons or the entire sales team. It is a part of a growing and developing selling skills that stand both organisations and their battalion of salespersons always in good stead.