The mention of (old school) selling reminds me of a time not to long ago when the world was possessed with the terms “Old Economy” and “New Economy”. When the tech revolution was at its height the worlds most famous and successful investor Warren Buffett was ridiculed by those on Wall Street and many others for his refusal to invest in the “New Economy”.  History proved him correct, the bubble burst and all those, with a few exceptions, who followed the crowd filed for bankruptcy or went broke. Warren Buffett continued with his (old school) investment strategy that had proved itself since the 1950’s and which he still uses today with exceptional success for himself and his shareholders.

In all business the markets we operate in will differ and it will be the astute salesperson that recognises what tools are available and the best to use for their selling success. Understanding the well established selling processes, effective listening, personal presentation and good point of sale material are some of the skills essential to succeed in sales.

“Technology will get you TO the door; salesmanship will get you IN the door and the business.” 

The role of sales training and trainers in the selling profession is indispensible in the development of future salespeople and supplying the means for those already in the industry to continue improving and developing their knowledge.

Without the tools for salespeople to continually improve themselves in all aspects of selling the profession would wilt on the vine as it is only by the continued regenerating of the skills and techniques can the salesperson remain effective in a competitive environment.

There is a vast amount of information and knowledge available and it is vital for those responsible in providing and developing the training programmes to teach the skills and techniques that can be used overall and for those specific to particular industries.

The objective of sales training is to pass on knowledge that can be used by the salesperson in their day to day activity to not only maintain their level of performance but to also enable them to conduct their business in an efficient manner.

At the conclusion of any sales training the salesperson should be able to leave and apply what has been learned with the minimum of delay to their day to day activity and/or commence the steps required to reach the level of achievement they desire.

All training needs to have direction and be outcome based so the trainee feels the effort and time being involved in any programme achieves for them the goals they have set for their career.

Training just for trainings sake will not only waste time and money but will have a negative effect on the trainee and discourage future involvement in the process.

Selling is a self help career, the responsibility for improvement in the profession of selling lies with the individual salesperson, it is only thorough their desire to be the best and recognising the way to this improvement is through regular targeted training.

The steps to deciding what sales training will be most beneficial to the individual will largely depend whether they are considering, are already in or looking to kick start their career in the profession of selling.

Today all aspects of the sales process are covered in quality training programs, CD’s, DVD’s, books, seminars, conferences, workshops etc.

The choice is wide, however to gain the most from any sales training one needs to appreciate  that it is by far better to understand what you require from the learning prior to undertaking any programme so you will have an immediate outcome that can be applied when completed.

Effective sales training should be structured to provide the tools needed by the salesperson at the different stages of their career and be delivered in a way that meets the objectives identified by the salesperson.

Success in selling will only come from continued sales training and the goal of all programs, in whatever form, should be seen as an efficient guide to the growth of the salesperson.