The Problem With Sales Training

The vast majority of sales training solutions are action oriented. They tend to focus PURELY on sales strategy, consultative selling, sales management, effective selling skills, closing skills, cold calling, account management, negotiation skills, and so on. On the surface, this may seem to make complete sense however sales training that is purely action oriented will never improve performance in any significant way over the long term.

The top 1% of sales people and sales driven organisations operate completely differently from all the rest! Their ability and approach to successfully selling higher margin solutions, products and services than their counterparts with less stress, sets them apart.

The M.O.S.T model recognises this approach and provides quantum shifts in sales performance: M.O. S.T stands for Mindset, Objectives, Strategy and Tactics. If you want to get the MOST out of your sales training and sales development efforts read on:

M Mindset is crucial to sales success. Attempting to improve performance in any significant way without creating the appropriate mindset is a waste of time. Since most sales training is focused PURELY on sales strategy and tactics, this would make it a waste of time. The key is to worrk with individuals and organisations to develop a mindset and environment conducive to quantum shifts in sales performance.

O Organisational and individual goals and objectives tend to be too small. There is a crisis in business where most managers and sales people refuse to set "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" for 3 main reasons. Fear of Failure, Absence of Evidence that the goals can be achieved and the need to Manage Expectations. Yet most CEOs, MDs and Sales Directors want them to think bigger and commit to setting and achieving bigger goals. What's the answer? Before you can think bigger and achieve bigger. YOU HAVE TO THINK BETTER. Sales managers and sales people can and will set bigger goals, which they will achieve, when they have the RIGHT mindset.

S Strategy is determined by objectives therefore it is limited by the size and quality of objectives. The bigger and more exciting the objectives the more creative and effective the strategy will be. The degree to which a sales strategy gets buy-in and support will be determined by the mindset of those involved in supporting that strategy. Without that support the strategy will flounder.

T Tactics are seen by most organisations and sales training companies as the key to improved sales performance. Ultimately the way people act will influence their sales results, so selling skills are important and I teach them as-well. That said; the fact of the matter is that very few sales training methodologies and programmes effect quantum shifts in performance unless there is a permanent shift in the paradigm of sales people and their management conducive with the desired shift in performance. For this reason the best programmes provide sales professionals and teams with a shift in mindsets that ensure they maximise traditional sales skills training and generate pragmatic solutions that compound results.

Copyright (c) 2007 Inquire Management

This article explains why most sales training does not work and how to make sure yours does!

Buki Mosaku – Results Oriented Sales Coach, Author, Speaker, is the founder of Inquire Management an international corporate development and sales training consultancy. His clients include Royal Dutch Shell, Motorola, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, HSBC, BT, as well as mid-market and start- up companies across the US, Europe, Asia and Africa. He also regularly appears as a guest on BBC radio, as a sales and staff motivation expert.Http://www.inquiremanagement.com

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