Comments on: Sales Training Doesn’t Work Because ________. http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2008/08/26/sales-training-doesnt-work-because-________/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sales-training-doesnt-work-because-________ An Independent Expert's Observations on Sales Performance Improvement Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:56:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: 18 Reasons Why Sales Training Doesn't Work and How to Fix It | SmartLemming.com - Manage your career or it will manage you http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2008/08/26/sales-training-doesnt-work-because-________/comment-page-1/#comment-189 18 Reasons Why Sales Training Doesn't Work and How to Fix It | SmartLemming.com - Manage your career or it will manage you Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:23:37 +0000 http://davesteinsblog.wordpress.com/?p=721#comment-189 [...] to remedy these reasons for sales training failures? Check out David’s post, “Sales Training Doesn’t Work Because ________.” for a strategic approach to sales training. Take David’s five-question test to [...] [...] to remedy these reasons for sales training failures? Check out David’s post, “Sales Training Doesn’t Work Because ________.” for a strategic approach to sales training. Take David’s five-question test to [...]

]]> By: Nick Moreno http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2008/08/26/sales-training-doesnt-work-because-________/comment-page-1/#comment-187 Nick Moreno Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:52:28 +0000 http://davesteinsblog.wordpress.com/?p=721#comment-187 So very true Dave. Thanks for a fine article. Nick So very true Dave.
Thanks for a fine article.
Nick

]]> By: Richard Barkey (CEO, Imparta) http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2008/08/26/sales-training-doesnt-work-because-________/comment-page-1/#comment-188 Richard Barkey (CEO, Imparta) Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:27:24 +0000 http://davesteinsblog.wordpress.com/?p=721#comment-188 I'll confess that I too have written an article with exactly that title! I guess it's a good thing that so many of us are focused on this issue. I'd agree with your points Dave, and also the governing thought on strategy vs. tactics. At the end of the day, changing behaviour requires both "skill" and "will". People emerge from the classroom with various levels of each, and the follow-up (and indeed the preparation) for any training has to ensure systematically that issues with both are managed. Although much of what is needed is "top down", it's only by thinking through the impact on the individual salesperson that we can really test our approach. I’ll confess that I too have written an article with exactly that title! I guess it’s a good thing that so many of us are focused on this issue. I’d agree with your points Dave, and also the governing thought on strategy vs. tactics.

At the end of the day, changing behaviour requires both “skill” and “will”. People emerge from the classroom with various levels of each, and the follow-up (and indeed the preparation) for any training has to ensure systematically that issues with both are managed. Although much of what is needed is “top down”, it’s only by thinking through the impact on the individual salesperson that we can really test our approach.

]]> By: Michael http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2008/08/26/sales-training-doesnt-work-because-________/comment-page-1/#comment-186 Michael Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:34:30 +0000 http://davesteinsblog.wordpress.com/?p=721#comment-186 Having worked for two sales methodology providers, I can relate to this post. If you go up a level, I think a lot of the issues with sales training are similar to what you find with other change initiatives - need sponsorship, alignment to goals, enabling infrastructure, etc., etc. When all is said and done, most change initiatives fail or don't live up to expectations - understanding the success metrics is another story. With the average tenure of a VP of Sales of around ~18 mos., it becomes more and more challenging to really inculcate the cadence into the sales org. The C-suite has only a slightly longer tenure. Add into this mix - for public firms - the quarterly "EPS" cycle + the quick hit nature of sales, and you get a lot of "popcorn" projects that don't really have a foundation. Per the ESR list of reasons for failure, the heavy lifting up-front is never really done. With the risk of using a well-known adage: "if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." Having worked for two sales methodology providers, I can relate to this post. If you go up a level, I think a lot of the issues with sales training are similar to what you find with other change initiatives – need sponsorship, alignment to goals, enabling infrastructure, etc., etc. When all is said and done, most change initiatives fail or don’t live up to expectations – understanding the success metrics is another story. With the average tenure of a VP of Sales of around ~18 mos., it becomes more and more challenging to really inculcate the cadence into the sales org. The C-suite has only a slightly longer tenure. Add into this mix – for public firms – the quarterly “EPS” cycle + the quick hit nature of sales, and you get a lot of “popcorn” projects that don’t really have a foundation. Per the ESR list of reasons for failure, the heavy lifting up-front is never really done. With the risk of using a well-known adage: “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”

]]> By: Sue Massey http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/2008/08/26/sales-training-doesnt-work-because-________/comment-page-1/#comment-185 Sue Massey Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:01:18 +0000 http://davesteinsblog.wordpress.com/?p=721#comment-185 I found your site on Google and read a few of your other entires. Nice Stuff. I'm looking forward to reading more from you. I found your site on Google and read a few of your other entires. Nice Stuff. I’m looking forward to reading more from you.

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