Sales Training Programs to Help Your Team Close More Deals

The importance of a good sales training program

Sales is about people — understanding their problems and providing solutions that improve their lives in some way. But how people interact is constantly changing, so even the most seasoned sales veterans should update their skills regularly. A sales training program is designed to improve your sales team members’ skills by teaching them new sales techniques, new software tools, novel approaches to selling, or a combination of those skills.

Sales training is as much about coordinating the efforts of a team as it is about coaching the individuals within it. Implementing a sales training plan can unite your team as it pursues your company’s mission and strategy.

“Aligning to a sales training program’s methodology and framework helps everyone within the sales function align to one North Star and a common gold standard,” said Silvia Li, founder and CEO of Intranovation. “Without a common definition of what ‘great,’ or even ‘good,’ looks like, deviations, and thus duplications, start to occur. As a result, this decreases the velocity and volume of deals won, which is what most sales professionals and leaders get most motivated by as well as measured by.”

How to choose a sales training program

How can you tell if a sales training program will help your sales team and the company as a whole? First, identify opportunities for improvement using these resources:

• Customer service surveys
• Recorded calls
• Online reviews
• Data intelligence tools

Once you’ve gathered some feedback, you can identify your sales team’s weakest areas. Then, you can seek out a sales training program designed specifically to improve your sales process by leveling up the areas where your team is lacking. Whether your team needs to improve people skills, close more deals, upsell more frequently or generate more leads, there’s a sales training program out there that can focus on these gaps.

If you have a software tool with advanced features, it can show you what customer interactions and deals look like. For example, the best CRM software can capture customer interactions via phone, web meetings and email, and deliver insights that will help you and your team close more deals. 

What to look for in a sales training program

Once you’ve identified the areas you’d like your sales team to improve, you can begin evaluating sales training programs that fit the bill. Look for some of the following elements in a sales training program, keeping in mind that the best programs may include all of these benefits.

Information on managing and executing sales processes

If your company does not have formal sales processes in place, lessons on sales processes will be crucial in helping your sales team stay focused and on track. Establishing a clear, defined workflow for your sales team can help ensure they’re sticking to the script, logging data in a way that is accessible to other team members, and operating at their most efficient.

“What I often advise businesses to look for in sales training is … how well the training will build up the sales reps’ ability and consistency to rigorously execute the sales process that their organization has designed and committed to,” Li said. “There should be a clear fit between what the training focuses on and how the concepts and tools fit into the overall sales strategy and also the reps’ workflow.”

Guidance on how to cultivate leads and engage prospects

Sales prospecting involves outbound calling or emailing to gain business. If your company has a strong inbound marketing program from which the sales team gets their leads but outbound communications are ineffective or lacking, you aren’t making the most of your opportunities. 

Certain sales training programs may offer insight into the best ways to reach out to qualified leads. These programs also may include an overview of new tools and software that could support your outbound communications and sales efforts. Giving your team the insight and tools needed to better engage prospects and nurture them along the sales funnel could be transformative in converting leads into customers. 

Lessons on how to portray your company in a positive light

Your sales team is the physical representation of your company, and it’s imperative that they portray a positive image. A sales training program can teach employees about brand image and public relations while providing guidance on how sales reps should act to make a good impression on prospects and customers. 

Even when it’s looking like the sale might not be closed, it’s important for your salespeople to uphold your brand values and messaging in everything they do. Sales training programs that educate salespeople about the importance of marketing and branding and how they dovetail with day-to-day sales roles can help your sales team think more holistically about where they fit in the overall organization.

Insight into sales philosophy and history

There’s a wide range of philosophies for how sales teams should operate and a long-standing history and evolution of sales tactics. Find a sales training program that aligns with your business’s sales philosophy and educates salespeople about its importance. While philosophy may not seem as practical as sales tactics, it can help salespeople approach their role with more consistency and strategy.

“It’s my opinion that the best sales training programs are ones that support individual style and methodology,” said Diane Helbig, founder of business and leadership advisory firm Helbig Enterprises. “They marry what has to be done in sales to who the salesperson is and how they communicate. The programs to avoid are the ones that try to get the salespeople to engage in behaviors that are uncomfortable and unnatural.” 

Types of sales training programs to consider

Some sales training programs are offered in person, whereas others are virtual. These four types of sales are commonly covered in popular sales training programs throughout many industries:

• Inside sales reps sell over the phone, by email or online. This method of sales does not involve traveling to meet prospective customers. Prospecting, referrals and consultative meetings are all done virtually.
• Field sales reps sell outside their office. They meet with prospects in the field at their offices, trade shows, conferences and other locations.
• Service sales training programs focus on delivering excellent customer service and building customer loyalty. These programs dive into training on the lifetime value of customers.
• Sales management programs are designed to help sales managers develop their coaching skills to create stronger sales teams.

Sales training programs to put your team on the next level

The following sales training programs have a reputation for being helpful. Before you invest in these courses, though, contact a program facilitator to learn more.

Dale Carnegie Sales Training

Helbig credits the Dale Carnegie Sales Training program with helping to boost her early career. From one in-person training session, students can learn the following skills:

• How to create goals for their personal and professional success
• How to apply the best prospecting methods to fill their sales pipeline
• How to build authentic relationships
• How to overcome challenges
• How to establish credibility
• What questions you should ask prospects to uncover their needs

Grant Cardone Sales Training University

Grant Cardone Sales Training University offers a wide variety of sales training courses. Here are some courses you may want to consider:

• How to Use the Phone to Sell Through Recessions: This course provides tips on filling your sales pipeline and increasing your close rate during economic downturns.
• Follow Up: Students can learn how to pick up opportunities seamlessly and what they can do to breathe life back into dead leads. In addition, Cardone shares his strategy for following up with customers.
• Prospecting: This course helps sales professionals refine their sales technique. It includes scripts you can tailor when making outbound sales calls.

All courses are available online, and new courses are added often.

Harvard Extension School Strategic Sales Management

Harvard Extension School’s Strategic Sales Management course is designed for sales managers who work in business-to-consumer or business-to-business companies. It includes these course topics:

• Identifying the characteristics of high-performing sales managers
• Training new and experienced salespeople
• Tailoring your communication style

Eric Rittmeyer’s Mental Toughness Boot Camp

Eric Rittmeyer, a former U.S. Marine, developed a type of sales training he calls “psychological performance training.” Rittmeyer’s sales program, Mental Toughness Boot Camp, uses psychological performance training to help sales teams improve bottom-line company profits. This course is delivered in person (a three-hour session) and via Zoom (a two-hour session).

Sales training programs can unlock new growth opportunities

Sales training programs can quickly help your sales team close more deals and deliver more revenue to the business, but that’s not their only benefit. Extending sales training programs to your salespeople shows that you’re willing to invest in their professional development, which can improve employee morale and boost your retention rate. In the end, providing sales training programs to your team is a win-win for both employers and employees.

Jacob Bierer-Nielsen contributed to this article.