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Before an inside or outside expert can help you develop your sales force, there are at least 25 milestones that must take place or the initiative will probably fail. Development has much less to do with content, curriculum, and methodology than it does with the person, or people who will do the developing. I am not saying that content, curriculum and methodology are unimportant! They are very important. I am saying that much like everything else you do, the people have more impact on the success or failure of the initiative than the tools being used.
When I, or members of my team are involved in developing a client's salespeople and sales managers, we make certain that the following milestones take place very early on - in our very first session. We must:
Help them feel safe Get them to believe we can help Get them to want the help Develop credibility Understand their challenges Be viewed as a resource, not a threat Develop a relationship Add value through the effective strategies and tactics we share Encourage them Challenge them Question them Demonstrate, through role-play, exactly how a strategy or tactic plays out Entertain them Engage them Make them want more Provide them with several perspectives Give them assignments Be committed to their success Get them to commit to their success Poll them often for their lessons learned Make sure they understand their assessment results Prepare sales management to coach to the training Have systems and processes in place to support the training Create a no excuses environment Get them to practice. There are many more things that take place along the way, but when these things don't take place day 1, it's an uphill climb.
Help them feel safe
Get them to believe we can help
Get them to want the help
Develop credibility
Understand their challenges
Be viewed as a resource, not a threat
Develop a relationship
Add value through the effective strategies and tactics we share
Encourage them
Challenge them
Question them
Demonstrate, through role-play, exactly how a strategy or tactic plays out
Entertain them
Engage them
Make them want more
Provide them with several perspectives
Give them assignments
Be committed to their success
Get them to commit to their success
Poll them often for their lessons learned
Make sure they understand their assessment results
Prepare sales management to coach to the training
Have systems and processes in place to support the training
Create a no excuses environment
Get them to practice.
There are many more things that take place along the way, but when these things don't take place day 1, it's an uphill climb.
(c) Copyright 2009 Dave Kurlan
Posted by Dave Kurlan on Thu, Nov 05, 2009 @ 06:03 AM
posted on Thursday, November 05, 2009 at 9:15 AM by Ed Kleninman
posted on Thursday, November 05, 2009 at 7:47 PM by Mike Shannon
posted on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 2:22 AM by Biljana
posted on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 2:48 PM by Barry myatt
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