Don't waste money on sales training. Makes sense to me—or does it? As a national sales trainer and coach, the objections I encounter rarely change. When a business or salesperson is doing well or poorly, they usually make the same invalid argument relative to sales training and coaching.
When business is going well and the economy is just humming along, most companies and/or salespeople see little, if any, benefit of sales training. When a product, service or idea is in great demand, the people responsible for the selling function encounter little, if any, resistance from prospects or clients.
Are they selling or merely facilitating the order-taking process? Why spend money on sales training if you're satisfying or exceeding goals and expectations? What ideas can an effective sales trainer share with attendees that they don't already know?
In a rough business environment the opposite case for someone not taking any sales training courses is made. Why pay for sales training from reduced and paltry earnings? Money is tight and those involved with sales are usually the first to experience reduced earnings.
Spending money on anything other than food, rent and clothing is pointless, at least until the “market” for their product or service improves. You can't control the “market” and economy so why try. After all, it's not the selling function causing the problem it's the external environment.
In both instances these attitudes are shear folly. Most industries, businesses and markets are subject to fluctuations at some point in their existence. Welcome to the new normal. Any time makes sense to enhance one's sales skills.
Nothing happens until something gets sold. Think of that statement. If you're a regular reader of my articles (why haven't I heard from you?) you've heard me mention this phrase frequently.
Investment in effective sales training and sales organizations produces direct results to any entity's bottom line. What most sales people are expert at, in any business climate, is identifying a reason why they didn't succeed in selling something. Rarely will lack of sales effectiveness be attributed to training or coaching; it's the economy, the industry, the market or the dog that ate my homework.
Effective sales training has nothing to do with business cycles. The craft of selling needs to be learned and nurtured.
Effective, successful selling will result when proper sales training and follow-up are present.
Look for ways to improve the selling function and never accept excuses for mediocrity. Products and services will sell in prolific or poor markets, but there's no place for order-takers in the selling process.
Stephen Greenberg, sales consultant, sales trainer and sales coach, can be reached at
