Discuss the Importance of Sales Training for both new and experienced Sales People

Sales people are the heart of most customer relationships forged in the business world today. Most organizations are becoming increasingly customer-centric in a bid to remain competitive (Leigh & Marshall 2001). Sales people are the primary face of the organization that most customers relate with. The manner of sales strategy and approach adopted reflects on the organization as a whole. Recent evidence indicates that relationships with customers can be strengthened by practicing sales strategies centered on achieving customer satisfaction rather than achieving immediate financial returns and revenue gratifications (Williams 1998). The importance of sales training within an organization cannot be overemphasized. The increasing rate at which market demands and product innovations evolve have necessitated the introduction of new strategies directed at improving sales within any industry. Sales training is necessary in order to keep staff within the organization knowledgeable about any changes and modifications within the industry. Sales training is needed in order to increase the overall revenue generated by an organization. The increase in the number of competitors, changes in customers’ purchasing power and market structures need to be considered in developing sale strategies so that these challenges can be adequately addressed (Pelham & Kravitz 2008). When there’s no sales training, negative outcomes may be experienced. A major disadvantage of inadequate sales training is that the expectations of management are not relayed to the sales people appropriately. This may result in management and sales people working towards achieving different goals. A unified vision and strategy needs to be identified and used to set a target for sales people. Both new and experienced sales people can experience considerable setbacks during the course of their work. They may be affected by frustration and a generally low level of confidence. During the course of their work, they may also be tempted to utilize old and ineffective ways of selling and marketing their products and services. When this happens, expected targets may not be achieved. Training is essential to ensure that sales people can perform their jobs effectively and prevent loss in revenue. Sales training results in increased performance and also ensures that sales people are trained to deal with any type of customer they encounter. Systematic and proven selling tricks should also be used on customers to ensure that buying signals are adequately monitored. Training improves the ability of sales people to carry out organizational selling procedures and strategies. Professional Sales training also helps sales personnel to understand the buying patterns of customers and quell customer concerns about the products and services on offer. Training assists experienced sales people to get more from the existing opportunities they have in their portfolios. This also has the overall effect of ensuring that the effects of training are seen in all aspects of the business such as sales support and marketing (Schwepker 2003). Sales people require training courses in order to add to their present value, cut the duration of sales cycles, improve relationships with customers and stifle competition to a significant extent. In summary, attitude has a significant effect on the level of sales generated. The right attitude can only be generated by exhibiting sufficient passion and having the right skills. New sales people also need to be trained on the product that’s being sold. They should however ensure that they deliver on their promises to clients and not exaggerate the benefits of any product or service being rendered.