Adding to yesterday’s post, here are more questions you should ask as you’re measuring your sales training program’s return on expectations (ROE) and return on investment (ROI).
1. Does It Have a Practical or Real-World Application?
Many sales training programs fail because they’re based on theoretical concepts and hypothetical situations but not real-world application. They’re mostly curriculum-based, and trainees don’t even remember 80% of what they learn in such programs after 90 days.
For your sales training to be effective and meet expectations, it must include hands-on modules and live training, as well as coaching components where sales managers or supervisors help trainees as they’re handling real-life sales interactions with customers and clients. Sales training programs that aren’t based on real-life interactions will not meet real-life expectations.
2. Have You Assessed Your Employees’ Skills and Included Customized Opportunities?
Sales training programs should never strive to be one-size-fits all, where all that’s emphasized is landing more sales. Otherwise, they will hardly ever meet expectations. Instead, each employee should receive the customized training that he or she needs to succeed in sales.
For instance, some employees may need more help with landing more leads, while some employees will need practice handling common objections prospective customers have to buying a particular product or service.
3. Have You Established SMART Learning Goals for Each Trainee?
Sales trainees should have specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely (SMART) goals that can be tracked and measured as they’re in training and after they’ve completed their sales training.
If goals like these aren’t established, you’ll never know if your trainees are properly implementing your sales training (or if they’re implementing it at all) and if your training program is the direct cause of a high ROI or a low ROI.
4. Are Your Sales Trainees Engaged and Performing Better Because of the Training?
If your sales trainees aren’t more engaged at work or performing better (consistently reaching their SMART goals) after they participate in your sales training, the chances are high that your sales training will not reach expectations or yield a high ROI. Unengaged and underperforming employees will not land more sales and generate higher revenues.
5. Do You Know How You Will Reinforce the Training on a Rolling Basis?
To consistently reach a high ROE and ROI, your sales training program should include periodic refresher courses, microlearning courses, and/or coaching. As markets, customer needs, and product or service offerings change, so will the knowledge and skills your sales reps need. Make sure you’re always reinforcing sales training and techniques that work and that are relevant to your trainees’ everyday jobs.
6. Are Your Company’s Sales Goals Fulfilled or Surpassed?
Lastly, you’ll know that your sales training program is successful when each employee’s sales goals are fulfilled or surpassed and when your organization is consistently growing its revenue and surpassing its sales goals, too.
When measuring the ROI of your sales training programs, ask the questions above and in yesterday’s post to ensure they’re reaching everyone’s expectations and objectives.