Sales Training HQ

Nlp Training Vital For Sales Management

The secret to managing top sales professionals is basically made up of three main components. The first component is the sales managers themselves who need to have the know-how to sell, the second is a sales structure/model of a sales process that can be easily replicated or modified to suit the situation and the third is the ability to motivate great sales professionals and to keep them going.

In order for these three components to materialize, one needs exceptional skill in observing and analyzing human behaviour and providing feedback such which leads to agreement. In this article, we will understand how NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming can help develop such skills.

In the case of the first component, that is “knowing how to sell”, it’s a known fact that every competent sales manage must have started out as a decent sales professional and there’s no doubting the fact that they can effect sales. However, just because a person knows how to sell, it doesn’t mean that they are consciously aware of exactly how they sell. In other words, a great sales professional may not be able to achieve the desired results as a sales manager.

The key word in identifying just how your own process of doing something works and what and where the leverage points are, is ATTENTION. Basically, anything that comes naturally to us, it is managed on auto-pilot without conscious awareness and tends to become a behavioural pattern rather than a planned technique. But in order to teach your team how you achieve sales and to develop a good sales model you need to be able to consciously mark what you do to achieve results.

A good NLP practitioner training provides the necessary processes for creating a conscious model of how the mind of an individual works and how they act in order to consistently reach a specific target. This can be used to for developing one’s own skills or for teaching the same to other people. What it does is basically pay deliberate attention to multiple channels of behavioural traits and communication and then replicating selective patterns that are required to achieve a particular result.

Thus NLP trained sales managers are equipped to model not only their own sales processes with precision and in enough detail to be replicated by the staff, but also the sales techniques of their top sales professionals. NLP training gives them the ability to identify and use those components of a sale process which are invisible to the sales professionals themselves.

To conclude, a NLP Practitioner Course enables managers to replicate successful sales models and also gives them the edge in communicating and motivating their staff by noting and understanding the emotional developments taking place in the minds of their employees.

So, managers with NLP training are skilled at helping their staffs perform to their optimum abilities at all times. Thus in a nutshell, NLP helps to build agreements that build effective sales forces!

Sales Management Training: How To Turn Your Sales Team Into Champion Producers So You Can Double Your Company’s Sales

Most business leaders don't know how to structure their sales organizations or even themselves for maximum productivity. They don't know how to change, adapt and re-organize for new stages of growth. That’s why they spend thousands of dollars looking for the magic secret to get their sales team to perform like champion racehorses.

I learned the secrets to building heavy-hitter sales organizations while working for billionaire businessman, Charlie Munger. I doubled the sales of the first company given to me in just 15 months. And, I doubled the company’s sales three years in a row. The lessons I learned here, I now teach to Fortune 500 corporations and other prestigious companies worldwide.

The techniques I used are remarkably simple. Here’s how I doubled the company’s sales 3 years in a row:

I put into place the policies and procedures that made every single sales representative perform like a top producer. I systematized the complete sales process. These should be normal business procedures. But 99.9% of all companies don't do it.

Turning your sales reps into top producers

In most sales organizations, the sales are ad-hoc. Everyone’s running around doing what they think is best. And, management sets very little or no minimum standards of performance.

For example, do you have a standard for the types of accounts your salespeople should go after? I bet the answer is no!

Have you worked on this aspect of proper targeting? What are your sales representatives going to present? What are the top five strategic objectives you want to achieve from every interaction with every buyer? Have you seriously sat down and talked about that and planned that out? Did you practice it, role-play it and polish it to a fine luster?

If you want to get more appointments and double your sales, you need to keep setting higher and higher standards. You need to raise the bar on what I now call "the minimum acceptable level of performance."

Here’s how you can raise your sales organization’s minimum acceptance level of performance:

To double my client’s sales in less than 15 months, I first motivated the sales reps to go out and complete various assignments. They came back the following week and reported what happened, where they succeeded, where they failed, and where they struggled. Then, I went to work and tuned-up each subtle nuance of getting around the gatekeeper.

I meticulously worked on the exact telephone pitch to use. I discovered the five to seven elements of what would make prospects want to meet with the sales reps. I taught them three to five ways to not let prospects hang up on them. You wouldn't believe how much I had to work on "the close" of a telephone pitch.

Then I role-played the heck out of the reps. My goal was to improve every little word in every sentence.

Within about ten weeks, meetings started to pop left and right. The client that was getting a few lousy appointments per week were now getting 30 appointments per week with the exact same sales team.

And here's the kicker: ALL of the meetings were with "dream" prospects. Instead of working with whatever company they thought of at the time, sales reps were only allowed to work on the "dream" prospects.

Sales reps started to get huge meetings with huge prospects. Every deal was a monster. Previously the client only had a few monster prospects in play. Now they're in play with 20 to 30 monster prospects every single week.

But it didn’t stop there.

If you want to double your sales, you have to systematize the complete sales process.

The more you can systematize the sales process, the more you can rely on excellent selling going on in your organization.

That’s why I started working on the client sales meeting itself. I analyzed the first thing the sales reps did when they walked in. I helped them figure out the exact questions the sales reps are going to ask and why they’re going to ask each one of them.

Then I analyzed the presentation. If you know my material, you know how devoted I am to a great presentation. I worked with the sales team to "set the buying criteria" in that meeting. You want to set it righteous. You want to make yourself the absolute most logical choice. And you simultaneously want to dis-empower all of your competitors completely.

I helped the sales team create the strategic objectives they’re looking to accomplish with every possible customer interaction. Then we figured out, how they would be met? And what the next move would be?

We even narrowed down what the ideal sale was and then what are the five layers of alternatives below if there was no way they’d be able to close the ideal sale.

The sales team got so good at closing prospects for a meeting that many would cool off and cancel once they were out from under the white-hot heat I had perfected in the sales pitch. So I systematized the process even further and put into place three separate steps to make sure no one cancels anymore. They company went from a 25 percent cancellation rate to only one in 30 canceling.

I was able to double sales because I was sure of what a top producer would do because I was one.

I knew what systems and procedures to develop because my instincts in this area are all natural. It’s all part of my innate psychological profile.

Top producers respond perfectly to rejection by becoming more effective. They become more aggressive when someone is brushing them off. Top producers are more persuasive if someone isn't buying.

These steps can be honed into every aspect of your sales process. You too can turn regular salespeople into top producers. You just have to drill down like a scientist into each and every aspect of the sales process.

Jay Levinson of Guerilla Marketing says, "Business Growth Expert, Chet Holmes has the best ideas you will ever hear on super-fast business growth." Learn Chet's top four incredible concepts that will double your sales in the next twelve months. Live videos for free: http://www.howtodoublesales.com

Welcome to Sales Training HQ

Types Of Sales Training

Although we would recommend tailoring training based on the results of your training needs analysis (TNA), there are a number of common modules that can be used as the basis of the training program. Here are some we have developed in the past:

Core Sales Skills
As a company, you need to offer a range and depth of sales training. Many companies forget the depth component and continue to put the same sales people through "Sales 101" year after year. We recommend a tiered approach to sales training, where an individual's competencies in certain areas are measured prior to training, to ensure the training they attend is appropriate to their skill levels and the role they undertake.

Having said that there are a number of core modules that can be used as the basis of a sales training program. These modules would possibly include the following:

* Basic selling skills
o Planning at the territory, account and call level
o Introduction or opening, building customer rapport
o Questioning and listening - in our eyes absolutely key skills for any sales person
o Presentation or proposal
o Overcoming objections and negotiating
o Closing, a natural consequence of the work already done
o Implementation and follow up
* Sales process implementation
o Facilitates the customer's progression through the buying process
o Applies appropriate tactics to guide the process towards a favorable decision.
* Account management
o Develops objective-driven, actionable plans with the customer
o Call/Account strategies support business growth at the customer and align with overall customer plan
o Constructs strong profit, margin, ROI, and cost/benefit analyses to track progress
o Distils data and information sources into actionable conclusions
* Opportunity planning
o Develops objective-driven, actionable plans with the customer
o Call/Account strategies support business growth at the customer and align with overall customer plan
o Constructs strong profit, margin, ROI, and cost/benefit analyses to track progress
o Distils data and information sources into actionable conclusions
* Value based selling
o Able to develop a broad offering for the customer (or channel partner)
o Creates solutions for the customer drawing from the entire company solution (technology, products and processes)

Business Acumen Skills

These skills are often the ones that are forgotten when the sales training plans are developed These are the skills that provide the link between the customer's real business drivers and the actual technology implemented. Too often sales people try to win business by fulfilling the technological needs rather than understanding the real business issues and building the value proposition from there.

* Industry & market knowledge
o Understands the dynamics, trends, and pressures of customers' industries
o Understands competitors and positions our solutions appropriately
o Applies industry information, regulations, strategies, and developments to personal sales strategy
* Customer knowledge
o Understands the customer's business (strategic priorities, mission statement, organization, brand promise, processes, systems, and business operations), loyalty and satisfaction drivers, and the customer's customer
* Product & technical knowledge
o Demonstrates a knowledge of competitor products
o Aligns our products and services to applications to add value that clearly differentiates us from the competition
o Knows product applications and technical capabilities (strengths, limitations, etc.) of our products and customer's applications, procedures and processes
* Finance for sales people
o Demonstrates a knowledge of basic accounts, balance sheet, P&L and cash flow
o Understands profit, margin, ROI, TCO, and cost/benefit analyses
* Talking an executive's language
o Able to understand the differences in language and topics at executive level
o Constructs sound business cases based value to the customer's business
o Understands the real business needs driving technology implementation and positions our solution accordingly

Individual Effectiveness

Business process re-engineering has reduced layers of management and created the need for flexible working. This means that individuals have to come together in virtual teams for the life of a project and then disband to join other teams. So the abilities listed below have become key competencies for sales people:

* Resource management/i>
o Translates our business strategy into measurable operational plans that are focused on the customer
o Considers the strategic "big picture" and the short and long term impact of actions
o Determines priorities and allocates resources accordingly based on knowledge of business priorities
o Understands how to get things done within the company
o Approaches assigned responsibilities from a business perspective
o Organizes for optimal coverage and impact
o Prioritizes activities and follows up to maximize effectiveness and efficiency to achieve results
o Adopts computer and relevant software and integrates them into day-to-day activities
* Problem solving
o Anticipates and handles complex problems and issues, gaining input from appropriate resources and generating possible options before coming to a resolution
o Formulates clear decision criteria and evaluates solutions by considering implications and consequences
o Decides and acts consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences
o Develops contingency plans
o Takes personal responsibility for resolving customer problems/issues
o Follows through on commitments to customer
o Manages questions, conflicts, and problems well
* Communication
o Employs and leverages listening, questioning, oral and written abilities to convey messages and express ideas and points of view effectively in a variety of settings
o Uses the computer to improve presentation and communication ability

Sales Induction

Most companies have general induction and orientation programs. Such programs normally include the following:

* Company orientation
o Understands the company history, philosophy, culture and vision
o Understands the company organization and how it relates to their roles
* Policies & procedures
o Can articulate the company's policy on mandatory and legal items
o Fully understands health and safety policies
o Understands their responsibilities to the company, co-workers and customers
* Core sales skills
o See the information under Core Sales Skills
* IT tools & systems
o Can describe the key sales systems and processes used within the company
o Uses the computer applications efficiently and appropriately both internally and in customer facing situations

Sales Training Books

Books Sales Professionals might like to Read

While developing out new website for Sales Training Consultants, we thought it would be a good idea to provide a reading list for sales people wanting to develop their sales skills and knowledge. So, here it is, divided into various sub-categories for ease of use:

Selling Skills

* Getting Into Your Customer's Head: 8 Secret Roles of Selling Your Competitors Don't Know, Kevin Davis. New York: Random House, 1996. (ISBN 0-8129-2628-5)
* Stop Selling and Start Partnering, Larry Wilson
* Changing the Game, Larry Wilson. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987.
* SPIN Selling, Rackham, Neil. New York: McGraw Hill, 1988.
* Solution Selling by Michael T. Bosworth (Irwin Publishing, 1995).
* Samurai Selling: The Ancient Art of Service in Sales by Chuck Laughlin, Karen Sage and Marc Bockmon (St. Martin's, 1993).
* The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople , by Stephan Schiffman (Adams Publishing, 1994).
* The AMA Handbook of Successful Selling, by Bob Kimball (NTC Publishing Group, 1993).
* The Selling Bible: For People in the Business of Selling, by John L. Lawton (Council Oaks Distribution, 1995)
* Closing Tactics, Andoni Lizardi
* Negotiate to Close, Gary Karass
* Ziglar on Selling, Zig Ziglar. Nashville, TN: Ziglar Corporation, 1991.
* The Sales Strategist: 6 Breakthrough Strategies to Win New Business, Warren Kurzrock. New York: Irwin Publishing, 1996. ISBN: 0-7863-0738-2.
* Selling to VITO: the Very Important Top Officer, Anthony Parinello, Massachusetts, Bob Adams, 1994.
* Selling to the Top, David A. Peoples. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1994.
* Sales Reengineering From the Outside In, Mark Blessington and Bill O'Connell (McGraw Hill, 1995).
* Strategic Selling, Stephen Heiman and Robert Miller.
* Conceptual Selling, Stephan Heiman and Robert Miller. Berkeley, CA: Miller Heiman, 1987.
* Selling the invisible, Harry Beckworth
* Cracking New Accounts: Tips and Techniques for Opening and Closing the Sales in Half the Time, Terry L. Booton (Probus, 1994).
* Guerilla Selling: Unconventional Weapons and Tactics for Increasing Your Sales, Jay Conrad Levinson, Orvel Ray Wilson and Bill Gallagher (Houghton Mifflin, 1992).

Business Acumen

* The One to One Future: Building Relationships One Customer at a Time, by Don Peppers and Martha Rogers (Doubleday, 1993).
* The Monster Under the Bed by Stan Davis & Jim Bodkin. (Simon and Schuster, 1994).
* Corporate Life Cycles: How and Why Corporations Grow and Die and What to Do about It by Izak Adiches. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990).
* The Little Black Book of Business Math, by Michael C. Thomsett. (New York: Anacom, 1988).
* The Art of War, by Sun-Tzu (Delacorte, 1989).
* The Goal, by Eliyahu M. Goldratt (North River Press, 1992).
* The E Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber (Harper-Business, 1990).
* The Popcorn Report: The Future of Your Company, Your World, Your Life by Faith Popcorn (Harper-Business, 1992).
* Finance and Accounting for Non-Financial Managers by William G. Droms, (Reading MA: Addison Wesley, 1990).
* The Vital Difference: Unleashing the Powers of Sustained Corporate Success, by Frederick G. Harmon and Garry Jacobs, (AMACOM, 1985).
* What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School, Mark H. McCormack, (Bantam Books, 1984).
* Zap, the Power of Empowerment by Jeff Cox.
* Marketing, by Robert D. Hisrich (Barron's Educational Series, 1990).
* Multi-Level Marketing: The Definitive Guide to America's Top MLM Companies (Summit Group, 1993).
* Relationship Marketing: Successful Strategies for the Age of the Customer, by Regis McKenna (Addison Wesley, 1993).
* How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Guy Kawasaki.
* The Ten-Day MBA : A Step-By-Step Guide to Mastering the Skills Taught in America's Top Business Schools @amazon.com
* The Complete MBA For Dummies® @amazon.com
* Financial Statements : A Step-By-Step Guide to Understanding and Creating Financial Reports @amazon.com
* Business Planning : 25 Keys to a Sound Business Plan (The New York Times Pocket MBA Series) @amazon.com
* Tracking & Controlling Costs : 25 Keys to Cost Management (The New York Times Pocket MBA Series) @amazon.com
* Forecasting Budgets @amazon.com

Strategic Sales Planning

* The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals, Keith Ellis, Three Rivers Pr., 1998, ISBN: 060980166X.
* Achieving Individual and Team Goals, Terry R. Bacon, Thomas Doggett, International Learningwork, 1996, ISBN: 1577400135.
* The Agile Manager's Guide to Goal-Setting and Achievement (The Agile Manager Series), Walter Wadsworth, Velocity Pub., 1998, ISBN: 0965919323.
* All About Goals and How to Achieve Them, Jack Ensign Addington, Devorss and Co (Txp), 1977, ISBN: 0875162371.
* 10 Minute Guide To Planning (10 Minute Guides), Edwin E. Bobrow, IDG Books Worldwide, 1997, ISBN: 0028618181.
* The Sales Strategist: 6 Breakthrough Strategies to Win New Business, Warren Kurzrock. New York: Irwin Publishing, 1996. (ISBN 0-7863-0738-2)
* Sales Reengineering From the Outside In, by Mark Blessington and Bill O'Connell (McGraw Hill, 1995).
* First Things First, Steven Covey, Roger Merrill and Rebecca R. Merrill (Simon & Schuster, 1994)
* Winning the Fight between You and Your Desk by Jeffrey J. Mayer (Harper Business, 1994)
* Strategic Selling, Heiman, Stephen and Miller, Robert.
* Conceptual Selling, Heiman, Stephen and Miller, Robert. Berkeley, CA: Miller Heiman, 1987.
* Successful Large Account Management, by Robert Miller
* Major Account Sales Strategies, by Neil Rackham. New York: McGraw Hill, 1989.
* Managing Major Accounts, Neil Rackham
* Stop Selling and Start Partnering, Larry Wilson
* Power of Consultative Selling, Bryce Webster
* Organizational Capability: Competing from the Inside Out, by Dave Ulrich and Dale Lake, (John Wiley and Sons, 1990).
* Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In, Fisher and Uri.
* Cracking New Accounts: Tips and Techniques for Opening and Closing the Sales in Half the Time, by Terry L. Booton (Probus, 1994).
* Guerilla Selling: Unconventional Weapons and Tactics for Increasing Your Sales, by Jay Conrad Levinson, Orvel Ray Wilson, and Bill Gallagher (Houghton Mifflin, 1992).

Customer Focus

* Discipline of Market Leaders, Treachy, Michael and Wiersema, (Addison Wesley, 1995)
* Brain Power: Learn to Improve Your Thinking Skills , Karl Albrecht. Prentice Hall, 1987.
* Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Stephen R. Covey. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.
* Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service , Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. New York, William Morrow & Co., 1993. ISBN 0-688-12316-3.
* Stop Selling and Start Partnering, Larry Wilson & Hersch Wilson.
* One-to-One Marketing, Martha Rodgers and Don Peppers.
* The Customer Driven Company: Moving from Talk to Action , Richard C. Whiteley. Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1991. ISBN 0-201-57090-4.
* Customer Centered Growth: 5 Strategies for Building Competitive Advantage, Dianne Hessen and Richard Whitely. Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1996. ISBN: 0-201-47967-2.
* Getting Into Your Customer's Head: 8 Secret Roles of Selling Your Competitors Don't Know , Kevin Davis. New York, Random House, 1996. ISBN 0-8129-2628-5.
* Changing the Game, Larry Wilson, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1987.
* Solution Selling, Michael T. Bosworth. Irwin Publishing, 1995.
* Customer Visits: Building a Better Market Focus , Edward F. McQuarrie, Sage Pubns., 1998, ISBN: 0761908838.
* Customer Focus: A Strategy for Success, Roger Langevin, Bill Christopher, Crisp Pubns., 1998, ISBN: 1560524855.
* The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow Your Focus, Dominate Your Market , Michael Treacy, Frederik D. Wiersema, Perseus Pr., 1997, ISBN: 0201407191.
* Implementing Quality With a Customer Focus , David N. Griffiths, Quality Resources, 1991, ISBN: 0873891104.

Sales Training Effectiveness: Increase Your Bottom Line With Sales Training That Sticks

Why are sales training programs so often unsuccessful? The typical company spends tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars to put its entire sales force through the latest, hottest sales training program touted to increase its bottom line numbers. But, just as with all the previous sales training efforts, only a small percentage of participants embrace the new skills taught. For everyone else, the status quo reins, and the bottom line doesn’t move one bit. What went wrong, and how can it be done right?

Getting to the next level in selling requires a careful evaluation of your sales executive’s true intentions.

Many executives, and even the sales trainers themselves believe that sales training is a one-size-fits-all proposition. They couldn’t be more wrong! Your sales executives or representatives cannot improve unless they are absolutely honest about who they are, what their intentions and motivations are, how good they are and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Only then can behavior be modified. Not all reps have the same intentions or motivations and therefore are not equally prepared for training. That’s why standard training programs work for only a small minority, while leaving the majority of the audience unmoved.

The first step to sales training success is to determine and evaluate the makeup of your organization’s sales team. The four types of sales professionals are:

* The Performers -- They are the natural-born top producers. They have big egos and are emotional, intuitive, passionate, competitive, extroverted and impatient. Performers don’t learn in training sessions, they learn by doing.

* Professionals -- They also top producers, but they are even-tempered, analytical, logical and quietly competitive. They are internally passionate and patient and have a very controlled ego. They thrive in the classroom setting.

* Caretakers – They are those are stuck in a comfort zone. They are passive-aggressive, don’t like change and don’t like to attempt anything difficult. Although they show signs of brilliance, they are inconsistent or mediocre producers. The good news is that they are sleeping Performers or Professionals, depending on their personality.

* Searchers – These sales representatives get into sales because they perceive it to be easy, but then they don’t do what it takes to be successful because it is too painful for them. Victims of poor hiring decisions, they soon realize that they really dislike sales. Searchers do not belong in sales positions.

This eye-opening exercise gives both rep and manager a basis for future discussion in a one-on-one meeting. Even in a private session, reaching agreement can be challenging, but one thing is certain -- productivity never lies. If someone is in the top tier or is showing consistent upward sales, he or she is most likely a Performer or a Professional. If not, the rep belongs in one of the other two categories.

The remaining steps of the breakthrough model focus on developing customized training based on identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the individual and then getting personal commitments to change from all those willing to do so.

Step 2: Identify what makes a superstar salesperson.

What does the perfect sales executive or representative do? What are their characteristics? What are their strengths? What is the most important qualities that they possess?

While most sales training is focused on product knowledge, get specific to your industry and items such as solid work ethic, superb presentation skills, and the ability to build relationships. Define passion and goal setting. Here’s a tip: Let the sales team build the perfect rep.

Step 3: Evaluate each salesperson’s skills and behaviors against the best, identified practices

Have the sales reps rank themselves and each other on a scale of one to five (from weak to strong) against the “perfect rep.” Then, have their manager rank each one in the same manner. Finally, synthesize the scores and come to an agreement on each rep’s ranking in each category. Gaining agreement may have to come in an individual meeting between manager and rep.

Step 4: Customize the path to breakthrough achievement.

Once every rep’s strengths and weaknesses have been identified and rated according to the ideal, it becomes possible to customize each sales executive’s path to breakthrough. Train individuals in their weak areas weak, and leverage their strengths to help in the effort. Schedule ongoing training sessions that range from 15 minutes to one hour each, depending on topic and individual needs. Make sure ongoing and consistent weekly or monthly follow-up takes place. It is critical for successful transformation.

Step 5: Get a commitment to change.

It can be difficult to get everyone on board, but if the first four steps are done correctly the percentage of committed salespeople skyrockets. Unless they are motivated to improve performance, no amount of training will succeed. Some people are simply not interested in changing, but these first four steps can break even the hard cases.

When motivation and commitment are strong, a Caretaker can become a Performer or a Professional depending on their personality. Professionals can begin to take more risks in their selling game, thus opening up new opportunities. Performers can learn to balance their emotions and spend more time in the selling zone.

Invest In Success

Pure and simple, traditional sales training programs fail because most participants don’t embrace them. . Lacking any motivation to improve, they only go through the motions of the program because they have been told to do so. Next time before spending your money on sales training, make sure the sales force is prepared to train and that the dots are connected through the five steps of the Breakthrough Model.

Can Professional Sales Training Improve Your Bottom Line?

Sales is like any other business. There are people who just do it as there jobs and are pretty good, there are people who do it cause its what they want to do, and are great at it, and there are people who are in the process of burning out.

Only, doing sales, you burn out much more quickly than in other fields. That's why it wouldn't even make sense to do professional sales training as you're starting out – how do you know you'll even be in it for more than a year or two.

There are many seminars, services, books, and other such like that offer you so called professional sales training, but take it from me, a professional. That is not where you want to start.

Of course, once you've made it past what we call the “two year hump”, you're probably in it for good, and can do professional sales training. You'll know who the players are, who use approaches compatible with your personality, and who you can avoid because they've got nothing to offer you.

Some professional sales training courses are really offered by the best people in the industry, people with such a nack for sales that they can charge hundreds of dollars for seminars to teach others how to do what they do.

But other times, professional sales training is just offered by two bit huksters, who don't know jack about sales, people who are good enough maybe to teach a beginner some tricks, but who aren't really worth the money you've got to pay to see them.

You see, professional sales training events involve salesmanship themselves, only they have to be sold to salesmen. You can tell good professional sales training, because there will be a lot of veterans there as well as newcomers.

Most sales companies offer professional sales training on the job, because, lets face it, you've either got it or you don't. Now, once you get into the game a little bit, you can sometimes benefit from further professional sales training seminars, classes and the like, but until then it's a bad idea to try that approach.

Until you've been in the industry a year or two, you won't have a nose for it, and won't be able to tell what professional sales training courses are likely to be good and which ones are just a money making scheme to exloit new comers.