If you are in the field of consultative selling training, you have likely heard the following common objections in one way or another many times over. Business sales training:
- Costs too much
- Takes too much time
- Will have little impact on performance
We agree that many consultative selling training programs deserve such objections. Why? Because they were not thoughtfully planned or sustained to achieve what should be the result of any business sales training initiative—improved sales performance in terms of revenue, margin, portfolio-mix or win rate.
Those of us who design, deliver, buy and sell consultative selling training programs need to do a better job of ensuring that our sales training initiatives achieve real and lasting business outcomes. And here is how we should address their legitimate objections:
1. Not enough time
We know how busy salespeople are. They resist taking time away from their real work…interacting with customers to drive sales. Sales leaders and their teams should resist any training that does not directly help performance. For it to be worth spending any time, sales training must answer the following questions in the affirmative: Could your sales team do it better and be more productive? Do you have a clear picture of what it would take to turn average sales performers into top sales performers? These questions are the ones to ask before spending time on improving solution selling skills. Address them together to see if sales training, done right, is the answer.
We know how busy salespeople are. They resist taking time away from their real work…interacting with customers to drive sales. Sales leaders and their teams should resist any training that does not directly help performance. For it to be worth spending any time, sales training must answer the following questions in the affirmative: Could your sales team do it better and be more productive? Do you have a clear picture of what it would take to turn average sales performers into top sales performers? These questions are the ones to ask before spending time on improving solution selling skills. Address them together to see if sales training, done right, is the answer.
2. Not enough budget
Investing in sales training takes resources away from other investments and initiatives. You need to find out just how important it is to increase sales performance compared to other priorities. What will it cost if the sales team continues to do things the same way they are now? What are the organization’s strategic priorities? Where does improving the performance of the sales team fit with other organizational needs?
Investing in sales training takes resources away from other investments and initiatives. You need to find out just how important it is to increase sales performance compared to other priorities. What will it cost if the sales team continues to do things the same way they are now? What are the organization’s strategic priorities? Where does improving the performance of the sales team fit with other organizational needs?
3. Not enough impact
This sales training objection is an old one, and one that is no longer valid if you have done the work required to identify the specific sales metric that matters most compared to other priorities. Sales training must solve a pressing business problem and be directly linked to the organizational strategy. It must be fully backed at the highest levels, targeted to the right individuals, cover the critical few sales behaviors that really need to change, measured before and after, and be sufficiently sustained with sales coaching and follow-up reinforcement to ensure the transfer of training on the job.
This sales training objection is an old one, and one that is no longer valid if you have done the work required to identify the specific sales metric that matters most compared to other priorities. Sales training must solve a pressing business problem and be directly linked to the organizational strategy. It must be fully backed at the highest levels, targeted to the right individuals, cover the critical few sales behaviors that really need to change, measured before and after, and be sufficiently sustained with sales coaching and follow-up reinforcement to ensure the transfer of training on the job.
Customers have a right to question you and be sure they are making the right move. Be prepared for these common objections so you can handle them in a way that shows you are focused on doing what is right for them. At the very least you will strengthen the relationship; at the best, you will have completed a sale and acquired a loyal customer.
