To paraphrase from Anna Karenina:“Happy sales teams are all alike; every unhappy sales team is unhappy in its own way.” When working to fix an unhappy sales team, it can seem like the challenges you’re facing are completely unique to your company, situation, and industry. Many sales managers and CEOs set out to find customized sales training solutions that suit their particular type of “unhappy.” Customized sales training is seen as the perfect solution – it will be tailored to my unique circumstances and thus will get the best results. However, not every type of customization is created equal. It is indeed possible to customize too far and get away from the best practices common to all those “happy sales teams.” Here are six common pitfalls when designing or signing on for a customized sales training solution.

1. 6 Common Mistakes
That Could Tank Your
Customized Sales Training
@CFSPlayBook www.criteriaforsuccess.com

2. 6 Common Mistakes
1. Reinventing the wheel
2. Ignoring your star performers
3. Addressing the “how” and ignoring the “why”
4. Excluding other departments
5. Failing to document
6. Taking a “one and done” approach

3. Reinventing
the Wheel
Mistake #1:

4. “Customized”
doesn’t have to mean
brand new.

5. When trying to
fix a broken sales
team,
it can seem like
every challenge
is unique.

6. But even if your challenges are unique,
the solution might be straightforward.

7. Certain sales best practices are
common across sales teams – and
really great salespeople often
have similar behaviors.

8. It’s like building a house –
Your customized sales training must
have a solid foundation before adding
bells and whistles.

9. Ignoring Your
Top
Performers
Mistake #2:

10. It might seem natural to leave out top
performers when designing your
customized sales training.

11. After all, they don’t need training –
right?

12. Actually…

13. Top performers are your
most valuable asset
in designing a training program.

14. Your top
performers have
killer best
practices
locked inside their
heads.

15. Get those out – SHARE them – and
everyone will improve.

16. Addressing the
“How” &
Ignoring the
“Why”
Mistake #3:

17. Too many sales trainings focus only on
the mechanics of selling – the “how.”

18. Training Topics
 How to handle
objections
 What to say to a
new prospect
 How many follow-up
emails to send
 How to close

19. Sales greatness is not just about
performing the right set of actions.

20. Great salespeople also
understand the
“why”underpinning
their actions
and approach their day
with the right attitude
toward selling.

21. Philosophy:
1. It’s not how you feel that determines
how you act – it’s how you act that
determines how you feel.
2. The little voice in your head telling you
“I can’t” & “I don’t want to” is Head
Trash – get rid of it!
3. The “why” underpinning your actions

22. Incorporating your
unique philosophy
makes your
customized sales
training
flexible and
sustainable
for the long term.

23. Leaving Out
Marketing &
Operations
Mistake #4:

24. Sales does
not operate
in a
vacuum.

25. For your sales improvement initiative to
succeed, you must include all departments
that impact the sales cycle.

26. A customized sales training is a great time
to achieve and reinforce alignment
between different departments.

27. Sales
Operations Marketing

28. Failing to
Document
Mistake #5:

29. Don’t set up a customized sales training
program just to forget all the
lessons-learned.

30. 73% of Best-in-Class organizations
deploy a central repository of sales
best practices and tools, [which arm]
front-line sellers with a treasure
trove of collective wisdom.”
– Aberdeen Research

31. Before you start sales training…
have a plan in place to
document the training itself
and continue to
capture best selling practices
in the future.

32. “One and
Done”
Mistake #6:

33. Best-in-Class firms are 22% more
likely than all others to refresh their
teams’ training at least on a
quarterly basis.”
– Aberdeen Research

34. Quick-hit sales training is
just not as effective
as multi-stage, reinforced training.

35. Set up your customized sales training to
include at least quarterly check-ins,
and revisit your training program annually.

36. Sum it up for me:
1. Don’t reinvent the wheel
2. Don’t ignore your star performers
3. Address both the “how” and the “why”
4. Include other departments
5. Document, document, document
6. Don’t sign up for a “one and done” training

37. Thanks – and stay in touch!

38. Need a way to document sales training?
Check out the CFS Sales PlayBook!