The past 3 years has seen unprecedented market shifts in the B2B Sales Training industry. From my perspective, here are some of the big highlights, and the main reasons for the change in our new business model.
'Sales Managers and Corporate Trainers are now expected to play a bigger role in content development and sales training delivery.'
With less travel time, Sales Managers and Corporate Trainers were being asked to assume more of a sales training and coaching role during the pandemic. Anecdotally, I have observed sales reps spending more time ‘one-on-one’ with their sales managers in the past 2 years than has historically been the case for the past 10! Of course, increasing ‘one-on-one’ coaching time between sales managers and their reps is not a new problem. It’s an old problem that has ironically been solved through social distancing and travel restrictions. Less travel equals more time for this important sales management activity. Overall, Leadership Teams see this as a positive development in their efforts to improve sales coaching activities for their first line managers.
'Travel restrictions created opportunities for sales leaders to fine tune their team’s selling skills and build more efficient operating systems.'
Many Sales Leaders have shared their frustration with working from their basement, but also are quite happy about all the sales performance improvement projects they finished. Many of these projects were on the back burner for years. Here are a few of the most frequently sited projects:
Implementing a new CRM
Building a new LMS (Learning Management System)
Rightsizing rep compensation
Rightsizing rep positions to align with current markets
Building a Company Owned Sales Training Program
Although travel restrictions impacted business, I have seen that sales rep productivity managed under CRM platforms was more likely to succeed. Many late adopter sales teams of CRM technology quickly ramped-up during this time. Anecdotally, I have noticed that there is a high correlation of sales rep lay-offs with companies that are not using a CRM. This makes sense when you consider that management does not have line-sight visibility to sales rep productivity. So, for those sales reps that complain about logging into the CRM…apparently it’s been a key element to job security during the pandemic!
Sales Leaders have seen the benefits of e-learning for their sales teams but recognize the important shortcomings of using this technology.
Unlike other types of soft skills training, Sales Training directly impacts the top-line of the company. It requires ongoing reinforcement from a credible trainer and ongoing practice to see team improvements. In addition, selling concepts need to be operationalized in the field and best-selling practices must be customized to ensure team adoption. Sales Leaders want a complete sales training program for trainers and 1st line managers. They want it loaded into their LMS. Once loaded, 1st line managers and trainers should complete a coaching and ‘train the trainer’ program to support them with content delivery. In a nutshell…they want this in a complete package and affordable.
Sales Training Experts supports corporate and freelance trainers.
Sales Training Experts is adapting to support our clients. Having served so many of my clients as a Sales and Sales Leadership Coach, Trainer and Consultant, I feel the time is right to redirect my energy. Having watched these unprecedented shifts in the market over the past 3 years, I recognize that Sales Training Experts has the digital assets and training inventory to make the shift. More importantly, we will serve a market that is currently underserved. Freelance Sales Trainers and Corporate Trainers need content, delivery coaching and an outsourced consultant to build ‘Corporate Owned’ Sales Training Programs. At Sales Training Experts, we have the content, the curriculum, the digital assets and a new vision ‘to train and support the world’s best sales trainers.’
If you are interested to talk with me about how we can help your company, give me a call or send me an email.
Paul Kidston MBA, CSL, CSP, ICD.D
pkidston@salestrainingexperts.com Toll Free: 1-877-353-7253 Cell: 1- 647-962-7152
Paul Kidston is the Founder and Owner of Sales Training Experts. His company has trained over 10,000 sales professionals and their leadership teams. He is a Certified Sales Leader (CSL) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP) with the Canadian Professional Sales Association. He is both a Corporate Sales Leader and successful entrepreneur.
Comments