Developing an Integrated Sales Training Programme for a Global Business
The Client
A leading global provider of integrated information solutions.
The Background
The client had put in place a number of initiatives with the aim of developing sales excellence. Their overall aims are to maximise relationship value with customers, create sales teams that can achieve this and create a world class sales organisation.
There were nearly 400 salespeople within the organisation with different levels of competence and experience. They sell a wide variety of solutions and products from locations around the world. The client already offered a range of training opportunities to enhance sales skills and knowledge but this was uncoordinated across the business. At the same time, it was difficult for salespeople and managers to identify the training opportunities available to help them develop their career.
The Aims
The initial objectives of the programme were to:
• offer training opportunities for all salespeople
• integrate existing training provision
• share best practice across the business
• create flexible training programmes that can be tailored to individual or group needs
• offer training that matches an individual’s career path
• create economies of scale.
The Solution
An approach was specifically designed to draw individuals away from the training itself and encourage them to carefully assess their learning needs. By focusing on existing or developmental learning needs the programme matched needs with learning provision.
In order to avoid a “one size fits all” approach the programme placed its emphasis on skills that are transferable across the organisation. The elements of the programme were modular. This means that programmes of learning could be created to suit individual needs and individual workshops were be adapted to the working practices of individual sales teams.
The programme was built to reflect the progress a salesperson makes from the point they join as an inexperienced sales person. Individual certification or assessment milestones were integrated to test progress.
We developed new workshops and incorporated existing successful initiatives to create a programme of 15 different workshops.
The cornerstones of the programme were three routes into training.
• Where are you now? Encouraged managers and salespeople to assess current skill levels to identify leaning needs.
• What key skills do you want to develop? Outlined specific skills and behaviours that may need to be introduced or enhanced. For each broad type of sales activity we identified 20-30 sales behaviours.
• Developing for your next job This route focused on developmental needs. Managers and salespeople were able to identify the skills they needed to develop to progress into a new role. They were also able to see the milestones they needed to pass to achieve their development goals.
Each route led to a specific workshop or set of workshops designed to achieve the specific learning needs.
