If you’re about to start a sales training program at your small business, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about getting your employees on board.
Considering most small business owners better learn from their mistakes, here are just a handful of don’ts that go along with introducing sales training initiatives at your business:
DON’T Teach by Telling
One of the worst ways to start sales training initiatives at your business is to tell your employees what you expect them to learn.
Not only is it difficult to absorb information when it’s only told to you, but listening to someone tell you how something works is actually quite boring.
Instead of trying to talk your employees through the training process, instead try a hands-on approach.
Whether it’s a new sales software program or new hardware on the showroom floor, giving your employees a firsthand approach to sales training is much more effective than telling them how something is done.
DON’T Rely on the Training Video
If you’re part of a larger company, then chances are it’s mandatory to show training videos during the sales training process.
Although training videos are helpful, solely relying on them is a perfect example as the following article looks at of how not to start a sales training initiative at your small business.
Training videos, no matter how immersive they are, should be followed by hands-on training. This is especially the case if you’re introducing new sales training initiatives to a large number of employees.
On that note, make sure you take questions throughout the training video, even if it means pausing the video to answer a question.
DON’T Speed Through the Training Process
Time is money in the business world – that goes without saying.
However, that doesn’t mean you should try to introduce new sales initiatives in one afternoon. Many businesses try to speed through the training process only to have to retrain employees later.
If you want to increase retention, then it’s wise to stretch sales training across multiple days.
Shoot for one to two hours a day in order to give your employees enough time to retain the information you’re giving them.
Likewise, if you go longer than a couple hours with daily training, make sure you leave room for a break or two.
DON’T Forget to Share Company Goals
Training is only part of the sales process.
To truly get your sales training initiatives across, you need to share company goals.
What is the purpose of the new sales training? How will the training help your business grow as a whole? When your employees know the answers to these questions, your small business will better meet its sales goals.
DON’T Train on Your Employees’ Time
When it comes time to train your employees on new sales initiatives, make sure you do it on company time.
Asking your employees to come in early or stay late for training is unfair and unethical. If you can’t train during work hours, make sure you compensate your employees for their time.
By keeping the don’ts above in mind, you’ll successfully introduce new sales initiatives to your small business and its employees.
About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including sales training and human resources.