MAKING CONTINUOUS, SUSTAINABLE SALES LEARNING AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE
Before going into the detail of this edition, I have to show you this photograph which fills a few great colleagues and me full of pride. The man on the left is Graham Davis, Sales Director of the Royal Mail and chairman of the group that created the first ever apprenticeship for professional Business to Business to sales people.
Standing next to Graham is Lucie Davies who is Britain’s first ever business to business sales apprentice. An early step on the road to having sales recognised as a profession, and there is a lot more on the way.
At the end of last month’s edition, I said I would describe how organizations large and small, but particularly the smaller ones can have access to continuous, sustainable sales learning. This entails moving away from one off training and moving towards a long term learning process. It also means a variety of learning methods that keep the process alive. Many professions have Continuous Development and Learning Programmes; sales is not one of those professions, but it should be. As I said last time larger organisations have Sales Enablement functions, but the bulk of companies do not, for the simple reason that they are unaffordable or do not see the need for one. The affordable bit I understand to a certain extent, but not seeing or having the need I do not. I can’t remember who said it but “you don’t have to be ill to get better” is very true. Ask any professional sports person.
To remain competitive, or to steal a lead in competitiveness is a business fundamental, and sales plays an increasing role in this. So, if one accepts the need, the next step is how can it be made affordable. Quite simply you have to work with a partner to develop a virtual sales academy that delivers what a sales enablement function does but at a price that delivers sustainable value. Internal functions, particularly in large companies create work (and cost); a partner should not.As a provider of all things sales related, Koru and its sister company The SalesPulse Academy will help you to deliver a sales enablement function that delivers competitiveness at the right price. We can
– work with you to design and implement a virtual sales academy including objectives and outcomes
– Design training materials and execute
– Define one to one coaching and accompanied calls needs
– Review role of formal qualification based training (apprenticeships, Association of Professional Sales accreditations)
– Introduce Continuous Learning and Development, if appropriate
– Build a retention programme based upon our Auxilium™ system to maximise return on investment, and
– Resource it with best of breed practicing professional sales people and specialist subject trainers
We can build an academy for experienced professional sales people, people who are new to selling and for non-sales people whose job includes selling. There are probably more people in this category than there are in the sales functions. We give this group the same advantages as professional salespeople thus allowing them to compete on a level playing field.
If you would like to know more, please steve.rowe@korusales.com
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