Sales training can be a major challenge for Sales Managers and Training Managers. Companies are selling increasingly complex products and need to upskill new sales staff quickly and effectively.

The Harvard Business Review surveyed over 160 sales teams and they identified major sales challenges:

• Buyers have more info than ever before on their competitors' and their own products, so sales staff really need to know their stuff.
• Most sales start with the web. Buyers check out the company and their products using the web before they meet the sales person.
• 85% of companies report increases in product line breadth and complexity.
• 62% say it takes more than 7 months to get a sales person up to speed.
• The ratio of sales support staff to sales staff has fallen.
• The percentage of leads that generate meetings, meetings that lead to proposals, proposals that lead to sales has fallen by between 5-8%.
• The average length of sales cycle has increased.
• CRM systems are increasingly employed but 52% have problems maintaining the data.

Our approach

E-learning can make an effective contribution to the challenges faced by companies. For example:

• Using rapid e-learning product knowledge modules, you can keep sales staff quickly up to date with product and market updates. End of module quizzes can help test retention of information and understanding.
• A quick podcast or online classroom session from a product champion can help with positioning statements, USPs or common objections.
• RSS links to the desk top can deliver just in time product and pricing updates or success tactics.
• Providing a quick access bank of knowledge from product specifications through to sales support advice can support sales teams when they are increasingly under pressure.

A sales portal can integrate communication, learning and product knowledge. Such a dedicated online portal can be provided to direct sales staff and channel partners and provide them with everything they need to sell the product, from information to sales tips.

The success of this approach for channel partners can be seen through the work of LogicBay in the US who develop integrated performance center portals for both channel partners and direct sales teams. They work with clients and channel partners to ensure what they term 'channel readiness' or 'sales readiness'.

LogicBay developed a Dealer Performance Centre for Freightliner that integrated training, communications, tools, resources and incentives. The portal also include sales training and sales simulations. The results were significant:

• Dealer participation in the Performance Center grew nearly three-fold from 2000-2004 (2800 North American dealers).
• Freightliner significantly reduced channel turnover rate and produced more core loyal customers and channel partners.
• Sales growth went from 11% to 42% over the same period.

Read more on sales e-learning in our Free Thinking section.

Contact us to find out how we can help.