Feast or Famine: How to Choose the Best Sales Trainer For Your Company

You gaze around your organization, and you’re proud of what you survey. Your manufacturing operation is building the better widget; your marketing group is telling your story effectively; and your sales organization is bringing in the opportunities that keep the wheels greased. For the less inclined, it would seem to be a strange time to invest more cash into the efficacy of your human resources.

But, for most CEOs, who understand the cyclical cycle of feast or famine, consider this remarkable statistic proffered by Accenture: For every dollar invested in sales training, you can expect to reap $4.53 in rewards – a 353 percent return on investment.

By this measure alone, sales training can be considered an essential ingredient to an organization’s success. Sales training is a powerful tool that can unlock the full potential of every sales rep – elevating their, and your, results.

However, not all sales training programs are created equal – and you’ll find that there’s a wide variance in skills, techniques, experiences – and success. So, how do you make the right choice?

At The Brooks Group, we believe there are seven traits to look for when choosing the right sales trainer for your organization. Though your results may vary, these measures are fairly effective in predicting the symbiosis of trainer and company. Let’s take a look:

1. 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 experience.
2. Leadership Experience- A sales trainer who has led people has, presumably, earned the trust of their peers by understanding the needs of the whole.
3. Intellectual Curiosity- Look for someone with a passion for learning and growth. They will be the best prepared for the training sessions, which should translate into meaningful and transformative training sessions.
4. Humble Personality– Check your egos at the door. The most impactful trainers know that their focus must be on the participants and their development – and they will do as much listening as they do talking.
5. Discussion Leader– A good sales trainer knows what kind of questions get people talking, and can adapt to the unique set of personalities present in a program. They will orchestrate constructive conversations, and reel in off-topic chatter.
6. Altruistic– A trainer who is truly focused on YOUR success will exhibit this altruism in the delivery of their knowledge. They truly want to give back, and they thrive on watching participants “connect the dots.”
7. World-Class Communication Skills– In order to deliver so much information in a relatively compact span of time, a top-notch sales trainer will be able to communicate complex ideas into easy-to-absorb concepts that resonate with attendees.

Getting the best return on your training investment starts with making smart decisions about your sales enablement resources. For more than 40 years, The Brooks Group has partnered with sales organizations around the globe—helping them to hire, train, coach, and develop salespeople and sales managers to reach maximum performance levels.