7 Online Sales Training Tips for Modern Sellers
Every employee is a valuable member of the team, but your sales staff are the ones who ultimately rake in the profits. Your figures may fall short of expectations if your sellers don’t have the tools and knowledge they require. In this article, I’ll share 7 online sales training tips that can help your sales team seal the deal.
Your sales team needs to know the ins and outs of every product, hone their customer service skills, and master the fine art of negotiation in order to do their job effectively. This can be a challenging task if they are disbursed and face-to-face training is out of the question or simply too expensive and time consuming. Fortunately, there are ways to give your sales team the online sales training they require without having to pay for airfare, accommodations, and instructor fees. Developing an online sales training program offers you the power to increase profits while decreasing L&D costs.
1. Highlight every step of the sales process.
Your sales team must be well versed on every stage of the sales process, from start to finish. This includes ringing up the sale using the POS system and offering any add-ons that the customer might need, such as accessories or maintenance plans. To ensure that your sales staff masters every step you should break tasks down into their most basic components.
Focus on each phase to determine what skills, sub-tasks, and knowledge is required. This is otherwise known as a task analysis. Once you identify all of the steps you can then create a training scenario, or simulation that employees can use to increase their proficiency.
2. Frequently update your product knowledge online training materials.
Assess your product knowledge content regularly to determine if any specs need to be updated. You should also notify your sales staff if any new product knowledge online training materials are added to the online training course. In fact, it may be wise to set up automatic notifications to keep them well-informed. Rather than making them sit through the entire online training course, allow them to skip right to the latest online modules and activities. They probably won’t have time to participate in a full-length online training course during the course of their workday. However, completing a 5-to-10 minute product knowledge training module will make it quick and convenient to learn about the product’s benefits and features.
3. Focus on active listening skills.
Active listening is one of the most important sales skills, but it’s also one of the most overlooked aspects of typical sales training courses. Salespeople must be able to listen to what the customer needs and wants are, so that they can offer them the ideal product. This also allows them to find the best course of action when it comes to highlighting the benefits and perks of the product. For example, they can customize their sales pitch by actively listening to the customer and figuring out which problem it will solve in their lives. Interactive presentations and scenarios help employees build their active listening skills, as they have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with virtual characters in a supportive online training environment.
4. Create an effective mentorship program.
Sales employees who are struggling or need additional help with their online training may benefit from a mentor. Supervisors, managers, or even more experienced members of your sales team can offer them the guidance and insight they need to seal the deal. These mentors don’t even have to be in the same location, thanks to virtual sales coaching. In fact, you can create an exclusive social media group where sales employees can offer feedback, share tips, and ask questions whenever they need some extra assistance.
5. Stress the benefits beforehand.
EVERY member of your sales staff should be aware of the benefits of your online training program. More importantly, they must know how the knowledge or skills will be applied and how it can help them do their jobs more effectively. Stress the benefits beforehand and then reiterate them throughout the online training course to increase employee motivation. Also, keep in mind that sales employees tend to be pragmatic and direct, which means that you need to tell them exactly WHY they need to actively participate in your online training program.
6. Set realistic, actionable goals.
There is nothing wrong with setting lofty goals for your organization, but your sales training needs to have clear, actionable goals that you can measure over time. Be very specific about what you want to achieve, how long it will take, and what employees need to be able to do when all is said and done. For example, they must be able to increase their sales figures by 5% by the next quarter. This will give them a precise goal to set their sights on and help you gauge the effectiveness of your online sales training program.
7. Offer ongoing online sales training.
Training never stops. Every employee, from new hires to seasoned veterans, should have access to ongoing sales training courses and activities. This gives them the power to brush up on their skills and discover new information that can benefit them on-the-job. It’s also best to space the online sales training over time, such as offering them a refresher course every month or asking them to renew their certifications once a year. Spaced online sales training courses can increase knowledge retention and reinforce skill sets, which makes them more productive members of your sales team.
These 7 tips can help you develop an online sales training strategy that offers your sales team the skills and knowledge they require to seal more deals. Do your research beforehand to learn about their preferences, learning styles, and goals so that you can create a personalized online sales training program that meets their needs.