My colleagues and I rely heavily on a concept called adult learning theory – and, more specifically to our training focus, how to best deliver the material so that it is maintained and retained by those receiving the information.

Fishing, it would seem, is not as simple as one would think. Sure, you could grab the gear you have collecting dust in your garage, lazily toss a line from a dock into a backyard stream, and eventually, you may grab a bite or two on the line.

But what if you decided that, today’s the day everything’s going to change? Today, you will elevate your fishing game, and set your sights on a larger, more productive body of water – say the Atlantic Ocean, as an example. Using your same technique, you head down to the shoreline with your trusty rod and reel and rubber worms, cast your lines into the deep blue – and, well, you can almost hear the fish laughing at you as they swim by.

For anyone who has ever thrown a dart at a dartboard, you know that finding the elusive bullseye can be a monumental challenge. Fortunately, the stakes are not that high – perhaps a beer, or some low-level ribbing, are all that is riding on the outcome.

World-class sales organizations focus on maintaining a healthy and thriving team of successful salespeople. The more successful the people, the more successful the team. But what, exactly, makes a successful salesperson?

The 360 Feedback Process

For every salesperson who has had to sit through a performance review, it would seem to be a dream scenario -- an anonymous, unfiltered, and direct opportunity to tell your sales management exactly how you feel about them.

Many sales teams aren't doing all that they can to maximize revenue, even if they think that they are. Sales optimization is a paradigm that seeks to change that. In many leadership models, if the sales teams are reaching their numbers, it's assumed that little needs to change. Sales optimization, on the other hand, involves constantly reassessing both targets and techniques so that if there is room for improvement, your numbers will improve.

In its simplest form, sales effectiveness is a measure of how much return your organization gains on its investment in sales. In this sense, measuring sales effectiveness could be as simple as measuring your cost against the revenue generated. But if you want to measure sales effectiveness in order to improve it, the task is more complex, and few organizations are doing it well.

Leave it to an ancient Chinese philosopher to offer the quintessential commentary on change management.

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory, tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat,” said Sun Tsu – who presumably understood the value of planning in the business of conquering empires.

Sales professionals have met a worthy adversary. The procurement executive — long lauded by companies as a model of efficiency, but by sales interests as a barrier to entry — has increased their stronghold on the purse strings for enterprises worldwide.

Effective sales training is a critical component of sales success, whether your team is full of seasoned professionals, brand new graduates, or a diverse mix of skills and experience levels.

Sales always has been and always will be a function of margin. That’s why it’s so crucial for your salespeople to be able to handle price objections effectively and sell on value every time.

Sales training can be one of the most critical investments you make for your team. It can also be one of your biggest headaches.