Need Sales Training? Let’s Sit Down and Talk about it
Monday, March 9th, 2009The following is the rough transcript of a recent call I had with a Sales Director of a large Irish Company.
Mr X: Hi Niall, This is _________ __________, I am the Sales Director with ___________ ___________ What I’m looking for a two day sales training course to brush up on our selling skills. What would that cost?
Me: Hi __________, thanks for your call, let me briefly tell you about what we do. We specialise in providing bespoke in-house sales training solutions. We invest a lot of time in identifying how best we can help, come up with a plan to achieve sales results, and build a training programme around this. Can you first tell me a little about the company, what you sell, to who and what prompted you to call me at this time?
Mr X: We sell _____________ to _____________; we have a team of 20 field based salespeople. The salespeople feel that they would benefit from some sales training; times are tough and they believe that it would help them to make more sales.
Me: Great, Let’s hold that last thought “to make more sales” what I would like to do next with your permission, is for us to meet up, introduce myself and Btb training, how we work and investigate with you, if and how our sales training solutions can help to make more sales. How would sometime next week suit?
Mr X: Frankly, Niall, I don’t see that there is any need, what I am looking for is a two day sales training course, plain and simple. Can you send me a proposal including costs? All the other training companies were able to; they didn’t need to meet up.
Me: I understand but again our focus is ensuring actual results, so let me explain to you why I feel that it is necessary for us to meet up. If the overall objective of this process is to increase sales, I do not yet know how I can help, and even if I can help, the training solution I might recommend will likely be different to a two-day course on basic selling skills. This first meeting allows me an opportunity to investigate, to better get to know you, the company, the problems and the solutions. In short, if I can help and how I can help. I cannot commit to a project unless I have established this, in other words I will need to be sure that I can deliver ROI. This first meeting is very much for my benefit, and hence there is no fee, nor is it a commitment to do business. I will only seek that commitment after I have demonstrated that I can help to increase sales.
Mr X: I think what you are saying is that you want an opportunity to increase your price?
Me: LOL, __________ it is highly lightly that the overall solution that I will recommend will require more than two days training, so yes, this would mean more cost. We tend to work with clients on an ongoing basis. I would be taking a long-term view point, that being said, new clients generally will hire us to first, do a stand alone project. The reality is that unless you see results, you won’t rehire and we are happy to work with you on this basis. Can I ask, what has been your experience of other trainers?
Mr X: I think that sales training every now and then, is good to remind salespeople about the right ways of doing things and to motivate, but after a while it’s forgotten and you need to start again.
Me: You are absolutely right, traditional sales training focuses on imparting knowledge; so much of what is taught is quickly forgotten. That is why you find you have to retrain the same skills over and over. We would take a different approach, in that we would create long-behaviour led changes, with each course looking to build on and teach new skills. I also agree that sales training needs to be ongoing. As part of or meet, I would like to continue to discuss these training experiences, and identify how we can ensure a longer-term skills change.
Mr X: For now, I just need a proposal for two days training with costs and names of who you have worked with. If we are interested, I can come back to you about the meeting.
Me: I’m afraid I won’t be able to put together a proposal at this stage, for the reasons I have already mentioned. I can however give you names and numbers of some clients in your space. Perhaps, I could set up a call so that you can have a conversation with them about our approach, and how it compares to other training providers. How does that sound?
Mr X: I will only be interested in talking to references after we had made a decision to go ahead with whomever.
Me: OK, I’m sorry then, I don’t think that there is much more I can say at this stage, if you change your mind or if you would like to consider a different approach next time, please do let me know. I will send you an e-mail to recap on our conversation and include my contact details. Thanks for your call.
Mr X: We are in a recession, you are supposedly a top sales trainer and you refuse to quote for potential business. Think you are in the wrong business, Niall. Goodbye.
I have tried to be as truthful as I can about what was said. My initial thoughts were that the individual, because of previous bad sales training experiences, has no faith in sales training as a solution. He is possibly being requested by the sales-team to provide training and is looking for the cheapest available option.
I took the call on my mobile, walking to and from meetings, perhaps I could have taken a different approach, but I get the feeling that the net result would have been the same.
I have received a large number of these types of calls since I became a trainer. Some might say that “the customer is always right” but I will continue to refuse to quote for sales training until I have established that I can help. It’s just a pity that more training providers don’t have the courage to do the same.
Over at TSE 2.0 today.
One of the most clued-in business consultants on the planet, Dave Brock of Partners In EXCELLENCE. Listen as Dave talks Counter-intuitive:
Rather than driving harder and faster, do we really need to take a step back and evaluate how we can do things better.
Like what you hear, Well why not come and join us.
Published by Niall Devitt, Btb Business Training
