How can you align sales training delivery with business objectives?

1 Assess the needs

Before you design or deliver any sales training, you need to assess the current and future needs of your organization, your sales team, and your customers. This means conducting a thorough analysis of the gaps, strengths, challenges, and opportunities that affect your sales performance and goals. You can use various methods to collect and analyze data, such as surveys, interviews, observation, feedback, reports, and benchmarks. The purpose of this step is to identify the specific skills, knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes that your sales team needs to develop or improve to meet the business objectives.

2 Define the outcomes

Once you have assessed the needs, you need to define the expected outcomes of your sales training. These outcomes should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They should also be aligned with the business objectives and strategy, as well as the needs of your sales team and customers. For example, if your business objective is to increase the market share in a new segment, your sales training outcome might be to increase the number of qualified leads from that segment by 20% in six months. By defining the outcomes, you can set clear expectations, monitor progress, and evaluate results.

4 Implement the plan

After you have chosen the methods, you need to implement your sales training plan. This involves preparing the materials, resources, instructors, learners, and logistics for your sales training delivery. You should also communicate the plan to all the stakeholders, such as the management, the sales team, and the customers. You should explain the purpose, benefits, expectations, and outcomes of your sales training, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each party. You should also provide support and guidance throughout the process, and address any issues or concerns that may arise.

5 Evaluate the impact

The final step is to evaluate the impact of your sales training delivery on your business objectives. This means measuring and analyzing the outcomes, outputs, behaviors, and reactions of your sales training. You can use various tools and indicators to collect and evaluate data, such as tests, surveys, interviews, observation, feedback, reports, and metrics. The purpose of this step is to determine the effectiveness, efficiency, and return on investment of your sales training, as well as the areas for improvement and the best practices. You should also share the results and insights with all the stakeholders, and celebrate the achievements and successes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?