What are Sales Training Activities?
These activities are basically role play games with a purpose. They are meant for adults and are normally designed to teach better techniques in a field of work, namely sales.
Every day people try to sell things, either a product or a service. Sometimes they are successful, while other times they fail miserably. Sales training activities are designed to cover all aspects of selling, before actually getting out, and on with the job. In this way any disappointments or weaknesses can be faced, evaluated, and corrected.
Many adults may feel threatened with the thought of sales training activities, but if they are kept positive, everyone will benefit.
Sales training activities are best held in groups of likeminded people. They should be held in a comfortable place where staff can feel relaxed and not under any stress to perform. Try to arrange your activities away from phone calls and other interruptions. The more relaxed the staff feel, the better they will participate.
Why do they work?
Sales training activities give everyone an opportunity to express their views without feeling they are being judged. After all, no two people think the same, so why should a selling technique be identical to the next person.
These activities work because people who are comfortable with each other will ‘open up’ and share experience, both good and bad.
Advanced sales staff will be able to share points with newer employees in a comfortable atmosphere, thus making it easy to ask questions.
When handled the right way, sales training activities are excellent tools for getting points across which may sometimes be difficult or sensitive.
Who should use Sales Training Activities?
These activities will benefit everyone who partakes. Managers will learn how their sales staff think and react in different situations, while staff will learn better and more productive techniques.
Working in a group means that ideas will be pooled, and better end results will come to light. Sales training activities are very effective training aids for new additions to the workplace. They will get a ‘hands on’ idea of the way the company prefers them to work.
These activities are not only useful for sales staff. All staff members can benefit from learning how to sell. Everyone sells something each day, be it time, products or advice, and knowing the best way to get results will mean less frustration and more success.
What are the benefits of Sales Training Activities?
A company that takes advantage of sales training activities for its employees will benefit in several ways. The sales team will be more inclined to work together instead of working as individuals. A team that pulls together can only be good for the company.
Managers who attend these activities will build a stronger relationship with their staff. They will be able to evaluate each member and know the way they work. Some clients may be suited to another sales person, while other employees have different techniques which will work with difficult clients.
People in HR sectors will benefit from these activities, as will anyone who deals with clients on a day-to-day basis.
Once people have learned the best way to close a deal, the company can be sure that it will be more profitable.
Some examples of Sales Training Activities
There are many different types of sales training activities. You should select three or four at a time. Try to keep the sessions short to stop people’s minds wandering. In any activity, people should take no monger than one minute to complete a single task.
Icebreakers: each person gets a subject (which is chosen before) and has one minute to speak on it. No notes are used. This is to get the feel for talking at length about a single subject instead of veering off onto another topic.
Group discussions: any different subject can be used here. The point is to bring people together in finding the best way to perform a task. Example – dealing with aggressive clients. Group discussions work well to get everyone to put their own points across, and people will deal with situations differently. There are no right or wrong ways here, only ways to find a better solution to a problem.
Role play: one person is the seller and a second person the buyer. The buyer has the chance to be as difficult as they want to, while the seller needs to close the deal. This should last no more than a few minutes before moving on to the next pair. This is a great way to see just how other people work.
Sales training activities can use ‘open content’, meaning that people can bring their own experiences to the table. This way, other people can learn different approaches to situations.
While there are many sales training activity packages available, we would suggest that managers opt for HRDQ sales training activity programmes.
A successfully run sales training activity will ensure a happier and more productive staff, with a business which flourishes, and managers who are satisfied.
