Sales Training Can’t Replace Sales Management

 In addition to teaching our sales training workshops, I always enjoy the opportunity to do 1-on-1 coaching because it helps to remind me that sales training is not always the only solution.

 Three recent sales coaching examples illustrate what I mean:

1. Sales manager #1 was frustrated that one of his sellers kept spending his time on the wrong accounts. “He calls too often on smaller accounts and hardly at all on new prospective accounts.”  
2. Sales manager #2 complained about a technically-savvy seller who could impress new and current customers with his expertise, but he dropped the ball on follow up. “Sometimes he takes 1 to 2 weeks to get back to a customer with an answer, and the sales opportunity is gone”.
3. Sales manager #3 had a senior key account manager who often did a poor job on his sales call reports. “He learns great information about the market and our competitors but doesn’t share it with anyone”.  

Sales training could certainly help on each of the above three cases, but good management and coaching is even more necessary, with or without any training.  Sometimes the solutions can be found in non-training issues such as:

• Have you hired the right person?
• Does your sales compensation system encourage the desired behavior?
• Has the sales manager set clear expectations?  

Based on your sales or management experience, what would you recommend for Sales Managers #1, 2 or 3? Let us know what you think!

- Bill McCormick, President of Sales Training And Results, Inc. (STAR)