You've just finished your team's big sales training. You brought all the bells and the whistles. You handed out shiny folders of full-color pages of information and utilized a flashy presentation.
Now you're waiting to see the "aha" moment make its appearance – when everything that you have so painstakingly presented comes together and launches your sales team towards the biggest goal of the year.
You waited for a reaction... for electric energy to fill the room... for an acknowledgement that they understood the words that were coming out of your mouth... something, anything?
And you got... nothing.
No excitement. No enthusiasm. Not even a nod to let you know that what you had shared had even sunk in.
So, you think it's over. You think there is no way in the world that that team of salespeople will ever be able to catch the vision of the big sales opportunities that are on the horizon.
But, you're wrong.
The reality may actually be that the way you went about presenting your sales training just didn't make the right connection.
Different Strokes for Different Folks
It is generally understood that people hear, analyze, and process information in different ways. Unfortunately, many people – including sales team leaders – fail to delve deeper into what that actually looks like when it comes to practical application.
Understanding the four main ways that people think and how to connect with them in leadership coaching can bring a whole new level of cohesion, motivation, and vision to your team. As you discover how to tailor your sales training sessions to engage each of these four types of thinkers, you may find that your big sales goals are closer than you think.
- Thinker #1: Analytical
Looking around the room during your sales training, you can identify these sales people by noticing which people are reading through the facts and figures pages of your handouts. They are enamored with flowcharts, spreadsheets, profit loss statements, and statistics. These are your employees who depend on data to make the most logical decisions.
They want the facts... they require the facts... before they will make any decisions or take action. So be sure that during your next sales training, you are prepared to give them answers to questions like, "What will this cost? What do we know for sure? What options do we have?" et cetera. Provide them with the logical information – the cold, hard facts – to get their buy-in to your big sales goals ahead.
- Thinker #2: Practical
These members of your team are organized. They like things to be in a sequential order, and there is nothing they appreciate more than a detailed plan. They like to follow a consistent schedule, and you know that every "i" will be dotted and every "t" will be crossed for the projects that these individuals are responsible for.
These are the members of your team who require structure and will respond positively to thorough plans, descriptive details of what to expect, and clear, step-by-step instructions for how to succeed. During your next sales training, start off the meeting with an agenda – and then stick to it. Consider providing checklists of tasks, relevant timelines for product rollouts, or a schedule to follow. Although your ultimate sales goal is the BIG one, create mini goals to accomplish along the way to keep these team members motivated.
- Thinker #3: Relational
Your relational employees are just that – they are all about the relationships that exist, whether internally with the other team members or externally with customers and clients. They internalize everything, and they are aware of how actions and words affect the feelings of others.
Whereas the Analytical team members hone in on the numbers, the Relational team members focus on the faces behind the numbers. They want to go beyond facts and figures in order to truly connect with clients, customers, and their team members. In your next sales training, provide some emotional connections, personal stories, and engaging conversations that allow them to be inspired and motivated by the human elements of your big sales goals. Discuss the importance of being customer-centric and describe how your products can meet specific needs that these customers are experiencing.
- Thinker #4: Experimental
These are the big thinkers. The dreamers. The ones who ask, "Why not?" when it comes to suggesting new ways of doing things. The Experimental thinkers in the room during your most recent sales training may have thoroughly appreciated all of the bells and whistles. They were impressed by the shiny folders and enjoyed looking at the full color images on your handouts.
...But in your next presentation, provide them the big picture of where you're heading first. Help them see the destination and then bring in the tools, techniques, and methods that will help get them there. Or, better yet, give them an opportunity to forge their own path to that Sales Goal Promised Land... you may find they have some pretty innovative ideas to add.
It Takes the Whole Brain
No two salespeople are the same, which is why your sales training needs to be intentionally structured in such a way that will effectively connect with each of the different thinking styles represented in the room. Avoid camping out on any one thinking style and learn how to incorporate time dedicated to each type throughout the process... and then you can bask in the glow of that "aha" moment you've been looking for.
