Sales training is an essential ingredient of your organization’s success. The right sales skills and knowledge can unlock the full potential of every sales professional, elevating their performance and driving results for your organization.
Training research shows that every dollar invested in sales training pays off:
- Teams that invest in sales training and development are 57% more effective than teams that don’t.
- The average training ROI for The Brooks Group’s clients is 67X.
The success of your sales training depends on three things: the training provider’s expertise, the relevance and quality of the content, and the delivery method.
Of these three, a great trainer may be the hardest to find. Even a premier training provider with a proven sales process and methodology won’t deliver results if the facilitator doesn’t connect with your sales professionals. And excellent content delivered by a trainer who lacks real-world experience won’t engage your team.
All sales training programs are not equal—and all sales trainers certainly aren’t either. You’ll find there’s a wide variety in skills, techniques, experiences—and success. What should you look for in a sales training facilitator? How do you make the right choice?
6 Qualities of Highly Effective Sales Trainers
At The Brooks Group, we believe there are six traits to look for when choosing the right sales training facilitator for your organization. Looking for these qualities can help you find the best match between trainer and company.
Real-World Sales Experience
You want someone who has walked the walk and not just talked the talk. Make sure your prospective trainer has earned their stripes through real-world selling experience.
World-Class Communication Skills
To deliver actionable information in a relatively short timeframe, a top-notch sales trainer will be able to communicate complex concepts in a way that resonates with sellers.
Sales Leadership Experience
A sales trainer who has led people has earned the trust of their peers. They understand how to motivate and inspire the group and can orchestrate constructive conversations.
People Skills
A good sales trainer has the emotional intelligence to adapt to the unique set of personalities and learning styles inherent in every sales team. They know what kind of questions get people talking and how to engage the room.
Intellectual Curiosity
Someone with a passion for learning and growth will demonstrate the knowledge and excitement needed to lead meaningful and transformative training sessions.
Service Attitude
Effective trainers truly want to give back and they thrive on watching participants “connect the dots.” They know their focus must be on the participants and their development, and they’ll listen as much as they talk.
Questions to Ask Your Sales Training Provider
Now that you know what you’re looking for, here are some key questions for sales leaders who are evaluating potential sales training providers.
Outcomes and Track Record
“Can you share specific examples of companies similar to ours where your training produced measurable improvements in sales metrics? What were the before/after results?”
Industry Experience
“How do you tailor your training program to our specific industry, sales cycle, and target customers? What’s your process for understanding our unique challenges?”
Methodology
“What’s your training philosophy and approach? How do you ensure the learning actually sticks and gets applied in real sales situations?”
Delivery
“What training delivery methods do you use? What does the actual training rollout look like? What’s the time commitment required from our team?”
Post-Training Support
“What kind of follow-up and reinforcement do you provide after the initial training? How do you help ensure sustained behavior change?”
Measurement
“How do you measure the effectiveness of your training? What KPIs do you track and how do you help us attribute improvements to the training? What’s your ROI calculation methodology?”
Train-the-Trainer
“Do you offer options for training our internal leaders to deliver ongoing coaching and reinforcement? How does that work?”
Choosing the Best Sales Training Provider
A high-quality facilitator can make an enormous difference in the overall success of your sales training program. The Brooks Group’s training programs are led by expert facilitators with real sales experience.
We believe the person teaching your sales team should have world-class training skills, along with the industry expertise to connect with sellers and back up the content they’re teaching.
Get in touch to find out how The Brooks Group expert facilitators can help you hire, train, coach, and develop your sales professionals to maximize performance.
