Ask just about any independent manufacturers’ representative about the need for ongoing sales training and chances are everyone is a believer. The double-barreled problem is how to get it done and where to find the time.

According to agents who have already dipped their toes into such training — there is a way and there is time to get the job done. The way and time they refer to has been provided by Nicki Weiss, president of SalesWise, a long-time participant in the series of teleforums that have become a MANA training staple.

According to Weiss, “The challenge today is that a majority of sales managers struggle to really engage and teach reps and sales support people the skills that are needed in today’s challenging marketplace. Sales managers are often stretched in so many directions and don’t necessarily have the time, or often the skills, to continuously train and coach their sales team. Yet, they know ongoing learning and practice are a key competitive advantage.”

She continues that SalesWise — in the form of its SalesWise Academy — provides sales leaders all the tools they need in order to engage and motivate their team, with minimal effort.

Long Sales Cycles

According to Weiss, the impetus for the SalesWise Academy content occurred “When I noticed that a lot of the companies I work with have long sales cycles. In the course of their sales efforts, they would be tripping over the same things time and again. I put together a program particularly with these long sales cycles in mind to help them learn and develop and to make it easy for people on the go. Basically there were three components:

• Audio.
• Worksheet.
• Open Mic — I facilitated this so they could bring situations forward and deepen their understanding of how to get over obstacles.”

She continues that in terms of whether anything unanticipated came up as the program rolled out, a great deal of the time “There were questions about how to start the sales conversation. Even from experienced salespeople we heard questions about how to get in to see the customer, what’s the best way to start the sales conversation and how to make effective use of joint sales calls. All of these were ‘How do we get out of what I’d call the ‘Land of Horrid?’ experiences.”

Weiss explains that in putting the program together, “I based my efforts on research and best practices and made use of input I’ve received over years of working with rep firm owners and principals — basically years of experience of asking for their input. I asked for their ideas. Basically it’s been a lot of ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ as I’ve learned from others.”

She adds that in the course of creating the program, “I also learned that when company sales leaders were actually engaged in this process, then everyone learned a great deal more. On the other hand, if a leader had what I’d call a ‘Let’s fix them’ attitude, it wasn’t nearly as successful. Everyone has to buy in to make it work.”

Learning From Others

“Also a part of what I did was to interview managers about what they wanted to learn. This approach was not industry-specific, it was more about managing people, helping them get more off their plate, motivating and delegating people to get things done. It also entailed how to make internal sales meetings more engaging; how to make these meetings different. Some did and some didn’t know how to incorporate role playing and behind-the-scenes practice. This all became a part of the program.”

Along the way of research and building on best practices, Weiss explains that “One thing I’ve learned is that it’s never too late for anyone involved in sales to come to the party. Most of the people we’re working with have never gone to leadership programs, and CPMR is more focused on the operations side of the rep business. We’re focused on sales.”

When asked what type of feedback she’s received thus far from SalesWise Academy participants, she reports, “They tell me that they’re driving more revenue and navigating problems more easily. A few who’ve lost their biggest line have learned how not to fall apart and help each other. All sales leaders have felt a sense of relief no matter what happens. They’ve grown into their jobs.”

Program Content

In a nutshell, here’s part of the SalesWise Academy sales training regimen:

For Sales Managers/Leaders

• A monthly 10-minute audio leadership lesson delivered right to your inbox. Each lesson focuses on ideas about how to develop individual reps and a cohesive sales team. Topics include: how to create a high-performing team sales culture, skills and tools to become a more effective coach-like leader, how to run interesting meetings that get everyone engaged and learning, how to incorporate sales training into regular meetings, how to set up and lead practice sessions, delegation as a leadership practice, leadership books and resources, what else to talk about in your meetings, and more.
• Monthly 45-60 minute “open-mic” conference calls with other sales managers. A small group of leaders (three to five max), facilitated by SalesWise, share leadership challenges, opportunities and wisdom, and learn from others. The open mics also answer specific questions and explore the leadership audio lessons in more depth.
• Twice a month, A Sales Manager’s Guide: SalesWise provides fresh content with a one-page guideline about how to incorporate SalesWise Academy sales lessons into a 10-15 minute discussion/practice into your regular team meetings. The sales manager’s guide significantly reduces meeting preparation time allowing for concentration on other critical sales tasks.

For Your Sales Team

• Twice monthly 10-minute audio sales lesson. Every two weeks a 10-minute audio sales lesson is delivered to each participant’s inbox. Topics include consultative selling skills, developing sales strategy, negotiating, how to open new doors, and the “human beingness” of selling.
• Worksheet — The sales team receives a customizable worksheet to help them apply the lesson to their own territory and customer base. The worksheet assists salespeople in planning upcoming customer interactions and can be used in sales meetings to drive learning and accountability.

Time Commitment

• Leader and sales team listen to sales audio lessons (twice per month, 20 minutes per month).
• Leader and team work together on the worksheet/role playing during regularly scheduled meetings.
• Leader listens to leadership audio lessons (once per month, 10 minutes per month).
• Leader participates in 12 open mic sessions with other leaders (45-60 minutes per month).

Input from Participants

What might be promised in a training program is all well and good, but the real test resides in what participants have to say — and that’s a test that SalesWise Academy passes with flying colors. Consider the following:

Rick LaPiana, Cain-Forlaw Company, Chicago, Illinois, explains that when he attended a couple of events that Weiss was speaking at, he was struck by the content of her presentations and the level of her enthusiasm when it came to delivering her message.

“The timing was right for me since we had reached a point where I was looking to do something different with our sales training. Participation in SalesWise Academy was something different and just what we were looking for.

“Since we started our participation about six months ago, it’s still a little too soon for us to quantify results. Like so many rep firms we have long sales cycles, but everything I get in terms of feedback from training participants points to this being right for us. So while I can’t point to any sales increase yet, word of mouth has been very positive.

“A key for us is that our reps are a quick study when it comes to sales training. As a result, they’re able to put what they learn to work immediately out in the field.” He adds that with six months of training under its belt, he sees the SalesWise Academy training to continue into the future for his agency.

Gilbert Leblond, president, MarkTech, Montreal, Canada, explains that he had been working on a one-on-one coaching basis with Weiss when she alerted him to the concept of the SalesWise Academy. “I let her know right away that this was something I had been looking for and felt this would be right for my company.” As with so many agencies, Leblond indicates that despite best intentions, “You’re lucky if you get training once or twice a year during sales meetings. What this program did was to provide us with the ongoing training that we needed.”

As to whether what he and his staff have been learning has benefited the agency, Leblond offered a definite “Yes. We review our lessons every two weeks and offer each other good examples that we’ve put into practice.” For instance, he cited what was learned about how to maximize joint sales calls. “When we recently had such a call scheduled, two of our salesmen pulled out the worksheet prior to the call and went over everything that had to be covered.”

Taylor Veleke, Mel Foster Company, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has only been working with SalesWise for two years — about the same length of time he moved over to sales from engineering. In that short period of time, however, he’s already seen that the training has made a difference for him. “I can point to a couple of very significant opportunities that have grown from what I’ve learned,” he maintains.

Among the more significant aspects of the training that he points to are the audio lessons and the open-mic training. “With the latter especially, a number of us get on the phone, exchange ideas, share experiences and do some role playing.”

He also points to the benefits of the time spent learning how to listen. “I come from engineering and engineers have to talk. What we’ve got to learn is how to listen and provide the customer a chance to say what’s on his mind.”

He adds that everyone is busy today and finding the time for needed sales training isn’t always easy. “In the past, I’ve found that typical sales training programs are long and drawn out. Given the content and way it’s been presented, the time with SalesWise has been well spent.”

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