Constantly hiring new sales reps is a costly game. You have to factor recruitment, training, and job advertisements into your expenses. But there's a simple way to solve that problem. Think quality team over quantity.
Sales teams that don't have the right talent needed for the job can't perform their tasks efficiently. Thus, affecting the company's revenue. However, with the right skills development plan, you won't have to fire anyone on your team, nor will you shell out a lot of money to hire top talent.
Some of your employees might be passionate about their work but need to enhance their sales skills. Give those people a chance to turn their weaknesses into strengths that will help them advance in their careers. After all, investing in your employees is part of investing in your company.
Not everyone in your sales team is a top performer. Some might know what they're doing, but their skills need reinforcement to overachieve in their role.
As new technology and sales strategies would arise, even high-achieving team members still require some training to keep your revenue stream flowing. So, it's important to find opportunities to train and upskill your sales team.
To observe your team better, check out these common skill gaps in sales teams:
Without negotiation skills, clients and customers can easily strong-arm your sales team. But with a strategic negotiation, they can find a way to come up with better end results for both parties.
Many sales reps undervalue upselling because it's not their main priority, or they fear rejection. However, it's a sales tactic to convince customers to buy add-ons or a better version of what they're purchasing.
Only a few people in sales know how to save time and frustration by listening intently to their customer's challenges. When they listen actively instead of hearing them out to pitch a sale, they can't meet the customer's needs halfway.
A sales team that lacks empathy doesn't have the ability to turn a potential customer into a loyal one. But if they know how to prioritize their feelings, you don't have to worry about customer retention.
These sales skills mentioned above boost your team's confidence to provide customers with the best experience.
Career development is one of the things the workforce is looking for these days. So, putting their growth on top of your to-do list empowers them to produce the best KPI for your company.
The digital age is reshaping customers' needs and expectations. But only a few salespeople have the skills that companies expect them to have, and that's where the skill gap starts.
When there's a mismatch of talents and capabilities in the job requirement, people will find it hard to secure a job. At the same time, companies will also struggle to hire seasoned employees. So, the only viable answer to this problem is training employees to fill skill gaps.
Here's how you can close skill gaps in your sales team:
A skills inventory lets you understand your sales team's capabilities and skill gaps. You can use this information to transform weaknesses into strengths and strengths into mastery. But you need to create a system to track their skills efficiently. You may either use a spreadsheet or skills management software to map their skills in one place.
Learning about your sales team's skills provides you with enough data to know what type of training they need. Apart from that, you may also see the following perks:
As your sales team continuously gains new skills and credentials over time, keep your database updated with their progress. It would be helpful to update your inventory every quarter so you won't lose track of their achievements.
Your company can determine how well your employees, not just in the sales department, do their duties through performance assessments. You can scope their skill gaps by giving them a platform to talk about their expectations, challenges, and achievements. As a result of putting their growth into a microscope, you'll know what type of training they need.
Employee performance evaluation can include the following:
You can establish employee assessments quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. By checking on your sales team regularly, you address areas for improvement and maximize their productivity.
Skills training is only useful when your sales team can retain and apply the things they've learned in a practical way. You can't expect your team to learn by burying their heads in a manual. So your goal is to make the workshop engaging enough that they'll participate.
Consider these ideas in your skills training:
There are instances where you can invite a speaker or an industry expert to train your sales team. Asking a thought leader outside your company means your team can learn and grow by tapping into their expertise.
No one can accurately determine future skills. So rather than reacting to changes, implement a process to identify what skills your sales team might need down the road. This will help you avoid any potential risk of falling behind your competitors.
As a leader, take the initiative to conduct your own research. Reach out to industry experts and ask their advice if you're unsure what the future holds for your company. Then act in advance by establishing a continuous method of identifying current skill gaps to predict future skills. This is where employee assessments come in handy. Finally, modify and create new roles in your organization.
A learning culture centers on encouraging employees to realize their potential. It allows them to gain new skills while helping the company grow. When you embed this type of value in your organization early, you're laying the foundation for long-term success.
Your company can scale to greater heights when everyone in your sales team is aligned with your company goals, values, and mission. So as your business grows, so should your team.