Sales Training Topics – 5 x To Boost Your Team’s Sales
Although sales training topics will vary depending on your industry; there are a few that remain tried and tested and proven to generate the best return on your time and investment.
Your sales training topics should be engaging, involve all your team members, and most importantly – beneficial so that they can be used when operating their day to day activities.
In this article, we’ll be sharing five effective sales training topics to regularly use with your sales team.
Sales Training Topics – 5 x To Boost Your Team’s Sales
Sales Training Topic #1 – Sales Targeting
The first on our list of sales training topics, is teaching your sales team how they can target the right type of potential client for your offer or service.
Many Sales Professionals will generally assume that there is a large group of people who would benefit from your product or service.
Although this may be correct; the issue with this, is by going broad with your marketing and message, you’ll run thin with your efforts.
Not to mention – by targeting very broadly, you’ll most likely make a minimal dent in a big pond. If you’re also running ad campaigns, this most likely won’t bode well either.
Targeting should be focused on finding out who would be the best ideal client for your offer.
Get specific and go deep.
During this sales training topic, ask your sales team to list the demographics and psychographics of your ideal client.
Demographics may include:
- Age
- Race
- Gender
- Income
- Religion
- Job title
- Education
Psychographics may include:
- Their personality
- Values
- Opinions
- Attitudes
- Interests
- Lifestyle
This is one of the important sales training topics, because it gets your sales team thinking about your potential client and the bigger picture; rather than just thinking about the next sale.
Related article: Sales Targeting Strategy – Your Ultimate Guide
Sales Training Topic #2 – Prospecting
The next on our list of effective sales training topics, is prospecting.
Depending on your business type, this may include inbound prospecting, outbound prospecting, or both.
Inbound prospecting is the method of setting up lead generation systems that drive leads into your business.
Inbound sales training topics may include talking about advertising, landing pages, your website and their personal online profile etc.
Outbound prospecting are the activities of proactively finding your potential clients, and then reaching out to them – generally when they may not have any awareness of you or your brand as yet.
Some outbound prospecting sales training topics may include cold calling, cold canvassing, sending emails to create awareness, reaching out on social media.
Related article: Two Types Of Sales Prospecting Methods For More Sales
#3 – The Sales Process
The sales process would have to be the most important of all sales training topics, because it covers everything from qualifying and building rapport, to handling objections and asking for the sale.
The sales process is the structure in which your whole sales team should use as a road map; they should follow each step consistently, so that all your potential clients will have the same positive experience.
Many Sales Managers struggle with their sales teams if they’re all using a different sales process.
This is because it’s hard to track who’s doing what well, and who needs improvement when everyone is working off different processes.
By aligning the process, you can easily monitor what’s working, where the break down is – and what future topics to cover to improve everyone’s sales.
Our online sales training program covers the following sales training topics:
- Qualifying
- Building rapport
- Setting pre-frames
- Asking questions to uncover pain
- Learning about their ideal outcomes
- Talking about money and budget
- Presenting effectively
- Handling objections with ease
- Asking for the sale in a non-pushy way
To learn more about the sales process and its topics in more depth, read the related article below.
Further reading: The Sales Process – A Step By Step Guide
#4 – Handling Objections
Another one of our favourite sales training topics is overcoming objections in a way that doesn’t break rapport – yet doesn’t result in a stale mate either.
There are a few ways you can do this when training your sales team.
For example, give your sales team the “I need to think about it” objection.
How would they handle it?
Well – there’s two ways.
Firstly – we teach Sales Professionals during the pre-frame stage, to let their potential clients know that at the end of the conversation they have with you, they’ll either know whether they’re interested, or if you’re not the right fit.
It’s important to let them know that it’s more than 100% OK for them to let you know if you’re not the right fit, and you want them to feel completely comfortable to let you know if that’s the case.
What this does – is stops the “I need to think about it” objection coming up later if they aren’t in fact interested in your offer at all.
It stops your Sales professional’s chasing leads that aren’t interested, so they can spend more time on people interested in your offer.
Secondly; if someone gives you the “I need to think about it” objection; they can perhaps respond by aligning with them, saying no problem and agreeing that it’s fine – and then probing by asking what is it that they’d like to think about more?
This non-combative and consultative approach gives your sales team two perspectives on how to handle the objection.
Sales Training Topic #5 – Presenting
The final on our list of sales training topics, is presenting in a way that’ll close the gap of your potential client’s pain points, and where they want to be.
Many Sales Professionals will make the mistake here of pitching their features and benefits; and talking to how good their product or service is.
This is a critical mistake, because it doesn’t speak to your potential clients unique and specific needs.
Have your sales team bridge the gap of every pain point your potential client has raised, and then how your product or service will fix the issue and give them the outcomes they’re looking for.
Finally – have your sales team discuss what it will mean when they have those pain points solved.
People buy meaning; they buy what it will mean when their issue is solved.
Have your sales people sell this point, rather than the features and benefits.
Final Thoughts On These Sales Training Topics
These sales training topics will be an excellent starting point to help your sales team build better relationships, and close more sales effectively.
The easier way to deliver your sales training topics; may be for them to watch our online sales training course, and then follow along with our detailed workbook.
This way – they’ll have everything they need to create and apply a proven sales process and have the content all in one place for consistency.
To learn more about our online sales program, click the link below to find out how.
