Training: The Master Key in Transforming Your Business
This series is about transforming a business toward a managed services business model. I will continue with the cadence offered in my previous articles, which build up to this point. As previously stated, the sales team model of today is exponentially different than before. In turn, the training requirements are different as well.
Proper and valuable training isn’t simply forcing thoughts and desires into your company. Its origin comes from many contributing factors such as the economy, national and local trends within an industry, the product life cycle of some services, and so on. This subject has many points of consideration, and there are many opinions and thought processes surrounding this topic, so it’s not easy to hit every point of interest in one article.
Test Your Value Propositions
I have seen some companies that continually engage external sales training organizations and others that either don’t train at all or conduct sales training internally. However, I have not noticed any one particular practice more successful than another. I believe there is an underlying reason for this: in most engagements I find very little fundamental business planning occurring. Few companies have defined their business objectives or market strategy, much less explained it to their sales team. I’ve often wondered this: if the business operates without significant direction from a strategic point of view, what training could the sales team receive that would help differentiate them from the pack?
When it comes to training, senior management should be the first to train because rebranding or transforming an image is very difficult to do with weak values or watered down market presentations. It’s important that they themselves clearly articulate their value proposition so that they can persuade their entire organization – including sales – to adopt and absorb their philosophies and values.
Yes, I believe this “sell yourself first” process will expose any weaknesses in a value proposition. It also helps to define the best next step forward for sales and companywide training. It’s then time to test philosophies and values externally with choice accounts in the marketplace to ensure it’s on target. Once validated, the best path can be set for training.
To make sure training is effective, don’t push forward worthless, valueless positions because as soon as the sales team gets defeated in the competitive world, they will start looking for a place to work where folks live in the real world. I’ve said this before: It doesn’t matter what you think is valuable. It only matters what your prospects and customers think. Do the necessary research.
Hire the Best in the Business
I am convinced that the least expensive way to build and maintain a highly skilled sales team is to hire sales talent that is proven. I’m not saying you’ll never find that exceptional, (one in ten thousand) beginner who jumps in and understands everything from the beginning! I am saying they exist (one in ten thousand), but you probably haven’t found two in your career!
By reworking your sales team model, and hiring senior level sales talent, you’ll build a team that you can afford. This team can focus on more important issues such as acquiring the right clients, deal strategies and advancements, and closing sales versus beginner sales 101 training. This should put your company ahead of the competition.
If you compare your need for excellent sales training to the training practices of the military, police officers, or paramedics, you could positively impact your growth plan. Consider that these professionals train constantly – and train with the end goal of getting it right the first time, thus handling life-threatening situations with outstanding results. If your senior management considered training with those eyes, they would build a superior sales team and find that the sense of excellence will be received well (and can be addictive!). The right training is life support to your business – and without it, you’re on a slow road to nowhere.
The 4 Key Positions You Need to Train
Assuming that the company’s key business objectives are set and senior management has tested their market strategy and value proposition, what positions need training? Also, what key elements of training should be presented?
Let’s consider each of the following sales team members individually. I’m only going to cover training elements specifically devoted to transforming either sales skills or sales process as it would affect the success of selling managed service deliverables.
Looking at the best practices for training, focused specifically on my new sales team model introduced in the May 2014 issue of ENX, let’s put some clarity around training that gets it right the first time. Consider the following 4 positions:
- Sales V.P. or Sales Manager
Typical Training Requirements – Like the old adage, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” the sales leader position can be a key point of failure when it comes to transforming your company to a services model.
If sales leaders lack business knowledge or intelligence, they will be behind the competition and extremely challenged in training others to deliver a strategic level sales message to an executive prospect. If their business understanding is weak, they will probably fail drastically or lead your sales team right back to the old “hardware only” sales model. My company offers the managed services bootcamps (www.mpsandit.com/bootcamps) which are designed for sales team leaders and specialists tasked with including managed service deliverables like MPS and MNS in the results. If there is a big deficit, training probably can’t solve this problem. A new sales leader would be the shortest, and most successful, solution.
Transformation Execution Training – The next significant training element is to establish a successful sales transformation execution plan. The sales leader requires insight and training from the senior management on their transformation expectations with timelines. Remember, you can’t change overnight and you must protect your existing core business revenue.
Business Mix Training – Because sales cycles are extremely different (service sales cycles are typically longer), it’s easy to focus too much on one side or the other. If they focus too much on the future, existing sales may falter. If they focus too much on hardware sales, the transformation may never happen! This requires a significant amount of direction (training) from senior management to assure a safe and appropriate business mix and balance.
Forecast Accuracy Training – Another training requirement surrounds forecasting managed services opportunities for accuracy. In the hardware world, although big deals occur, the majority of deals are not big. Managed service deliverables are very comprehensive programs, so it’s likely that low forecast accuracy will greatly affect a company in an adverse way. With longer sales cycles and more stages, false starts and weak forecasts seem to be common. Sales leaders should be trained for strategic sales forecasting.
- Existing Business Specialist or Account Penetration Specialist
Many people claim that account penetration is easy. I will tell you, honestly, that within your market strategy, account penetration is a very serious and challenging role. When this position is injected properly into the transformation execution, this person not only has to renew existing contracts, but he or she also has to penetrate existing accounts and grow that business to a deeper level. Remember this: every time your company makes a mistake (hopefully that’s not too frequently), this person must calm the sea and walk on water – then sell something else!
Account Penetration Specialists must be masters at value delivery and account management. Their training would not be simply a farmer role sort of training. I’m often asked a popular question: How can I protect my base? This proves the importance of the Account Penetration Specialist’s training.
This individual is a seasoned sales professional, so training should follow the sales leaders’ format of advancing deals and strategy development. This position requires a keen eye for opportunity – and the value statements to introduce it. This person will need training on how to make money the balance for driving both existing and expanding business.
- New Business Specialist
The unique thing about this position is that the individual becomes a master at handling objections. The entirety of his or her time is focused on pulling new customers into the fold. This representative requires non-stop presentation critique and role-play to drive first appointment perfection.
- Lead Generation or Business Development Representative
The BDR is a different breed of sales representative. He or she is not a telemarketer but an inside sales representative who actually sells appointments. The representative’s total existence is to generate C-Level appointments for the New Business and Account Penetration Specialists. They dial 8 hours per day and drive a process that few ever experience.
The training requirements of this position must include role-play and scripts that promote a perfectly delivered live call or voice message. Due to the constant rejection, people in this position require weekly and sometimes daily training sessions to maintain morale and momentum. There’s not a more important role in the sales organization.
It’s really hard to make a diamond out of coal, and there is no substitute for quality and hard work. If you’ve hired the right talent, shared your company’s dream, and then apply the right training to drive perfection and ignite excitement and momentum, move out of the way and watch what happens.
