Top Sales Leadership Training Activities
Why should you launch a sales leadership training program in your organization? Sales managers must know products inside-out. They also need strong negotiation and persuasion skills. Perfecting their pitch is also essential. But that’s just the beginning. Leaders must be able to support their team and fill in the departmental gaps. You know what they say about the weakest link. And it’s the sales manager’s job make sure everyone pulls the line. Fortunately, you don’t have to develop resources from scratch as you can hire an eLearning content provider to cut costs and development time. The question is, which sales leadership training activities should you outsource? Here are 7 crucial items to add to your contract.
1. Product Knowledge Serious Games
Nobody can resist an online training game. They may not even realize there’s a hidden agenda, which is to build their product knowledge and refresh their memory. These serious games feature your entire product catalog. Team managers must match features and specs to the right item. Another approach is to drag and drop products onto virtual customers based on their buying habits and needs. For this, you should include background info, like their budget, pain points, etc. Serious games are ideal for team leaders because they reinforce their knowledge. So, say goodbye to the forgetting curve.
2. Team-Building Simulations
Sales is a competitive sector. However, your team needs to run like a well-oiled machine to hit their targets. Everyone must know their strengths and weakness and when to call on a coworker for help. Team-building simulations in leadership development training foster a supportive work environment because managers understand the team dynamic and know how to boost collaboration tapping into employees’ talents. For example, the simulation features a challenging customer. So, the manager could ask two employees to work together to seal the deal, as each possess unique skillsets that complement each other.
3. Sales Leadership Training Compliance Checks
How much information can sales employees legally obtain from consumers? Are there new COVID-19 protocols for sales transactions? Compliance knowledge checks ensure that team leaders understand policies as well as how to apply them in the real world. This may be in the form of pop quizzes or bite-sized simulations. The goal is to assess how much they know and if they’re able to put that into a practical context. Best of all, they’re discreet since managers can access them anytime in the JIT library. These knowledge checks are also great for certification prep. For example, managers can brush up on key topics before the renewal exam.
4. Sales Pitch Infographics
No two sales pitches are alike. That said, employees develop their own approach over time. They might alter it a little based on the customer or product. But the structure stays the same as this custom-tailored pitch is based on their skills and expertise. On the other hand, sales managers must be able to reinforce positive behaviors. For example, an employee is too pushy. So, they intervene and offer pointers. Sales leadership training activities like sales pitch infographics cover the basics and common mistakes like how to make first contact and qualify leads. Or what to do if a customer tries to haggle, even if the profit margins are already low.
5. Interpersonal Skill Demos
Interpersonal skills are the bread and butter of sales. You need to know how to effectively communicate. Empathy and active listening are also part of the package. Interpersonal skill demos show sales managers how to apply these talents on the job. At the very least, leaders can use these demos to support the team. For example, a new employee keeps talking over customers. They won’t let them get a word in edgewise. The manager can show them how it’s done thanks to the targeted interpersonal skills demo.
6. Customer Service Branching Scenarios
Effective sales leadership training development usually dabbles in different departments. I’m not saying that call center supervisors must master sales tactics. However, there is some cross-over. For instance, your sales managers need strong customer service skills because they interact with consumers every day and need to know how to avoid conflicts and provide the best possible CX. For this reason, you should include customer service branching scenarios in your strategy. Managers must choose the right decision-making paths to reach favorable outcomes. If not, the activity provides immediate feedback so that they can identify negative behaviors or habits.
7. Troubleshooting Leadership Development Training Tutorials
Every organization faces the same challenge: how to develop leaders with limited resources. Keep in mind that personal growth usually happens in small doses. Take troubleshooting tutorials as an example. Sales managers can log into the LMS and immediately find a solution. Best of all, these online training tutorials cover different approaches, for example, three ways to deal with a POS glitch. Or help a customer who doesn’t know what they’re looking for. Walk them through every step of the process. Then cover extenuating circumstances. Finally, address some of the most common mistakes to avoid.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt about it, sales is a high-pressure job. It's not for the faint of heart or "thin-skinned." Monthly quotas and cash-strapped customers are just some of the stressors. Especially during the COVID-19 crisis. However, you can equip managers with all the tools they need to succeed with the best sales leadership training activities, of course. As a result, managers approach every problem with confidence. And you retain your top sales talent, which means a healthier bottom line. The secret is finding the right outsourcing partner for the task.
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