Re: Sales Training Strategy LO1705

DwBuff@aol.com
Mon, 19 Jun 1995 19:33:37 -0400

Dale Arseneault writes in LO1658,

>Now here's a CHALLENGE!

>I've just signed up to developing a complete training strategy
>and implementation plan for national sales force. We are a
>computer and network systems integration company with sales
>people of varying degrees of skills and competencies. I will be
>defining what skills/knowledge the audience needs, what
>skills/knowledge they have, what skills/knowledge
>they are missing and how best to deliver them... I will also be
>investigating ways of removing various prejudices and barriers
>to learning and trying to help many of them from product selling
>to solution/consultative selling.

Six weeks will be an eternity for developing this. Eternity because
it sounds more like a six month project. I 'll bullet point things I
would want to know to define competencies needed.

I still go for developing an overall picture of what is happening
and what is intended to happen in the future. But, it needs to be
put in terms of the market. There are so many questions to ask
but since you have a short period of time, I'll stick to some I like
for any general case.

(Even if terms are present tense, I recommend that you
frame the question from what is desired, not what exists.)

1.)What is the market? It's geographies? Customers? Products for
each customer? Size by sales of each market/geography/
customer/product? Do sales folks cover all products for an
account (account management)? Or do you have account
managers who bring in technical specialists in the sales arena?

2.) What is (are) the purpose(s) of this sales force? Can it be
defined by outcomes from the customers eyes?

Car sellers mission is to sell cars. Having a sales person
there (should make) it possible for me to
COMFORTABLY travel from point A to point B in a
car that FITS ME TO A "T".
(Just buying a car can be done over the phone with a
check, credit card, barter. The sales person should serve
the purpose of helping me find the perfect car for me.
Yes, I understand that most of them are still there to
pressure me to buy. But I am expressing what their
purpose should be in my eyes (the customer), not
theirs, the salesperson.)

3.) What are the guiding principles which will be used for
development of this sales force's system?

Car seller: Buyers buy when they are ready to,
buy, not when the seller wants a commission.

4.) What do customer surveys tell you about what they
need? Where are the complaints? What is tacit within
the complaints? How do you translate those complaints
into system workings?

5.) What is your choice in the market place? What will be the
sales points? World class service? Low cost to serve? Fastest
to serve? Technology advantage? In other words, what are
the strategic points of effort this sales force will be working
with? Does every geographic location have the same sales
points? You may need to develop a matrix of sales points.

6.) What is the vision of how well this sales force works?
How well will the be doing what they are supposed to
be doing? What are the great outcomes of their effort?
What will set them apart?

7.) Examining purpose, principles, markets, locations,
products, what needs to be done extremely well?
How will that be done? What do your sales folks need
to have indelibly etched into their body, mind, and fingers
to make the sales system and processes work
excruciatingly well? What do theyneed to be doing to set
your company apart from others? Do they need to know
everything or can they have reliable company sources
available to help them out of tough spots?

and/or

8.) Ask the sales folks what they need to know that will
set them apart from your competitors.

Some food for thought, Dale.

Have a great day!!

--
Dave Buffenbarger
TQM Consultant
(517) 638-7080
Dow Chemical Company
Midland, Mich
dwbuff@aol.com