Sales Infrastructure: Why Sales Training Alone is Not the Road to Revenue

Jon Anderson broken road photo
Reading Time: 2 minutes

As the business climate improves, companies are often faced with an associated increase in competitive and pricing pressures.  The result of increasing cost, such as delivering more personalized service, has many business leaders looking up from the bottom line and seeking improvement in their sluggish top line.

Driving an increase in revenue means improving sales team productivity, so the clear route is sales training to help sharpen some selling skills and close more deals, right?

Not so fast.

Consider being asked to get to your destination by driving too fast down a poorly maintained road in a vehicle low on fuel and in need of new shocks. Your driving skills will likely get you past the first few miles without any incident. Then, as the fuel gauge needle drops from maneuvering around road hazards and maintaining an unsafe speed for the current conditions, you eventually bottom out on a pothole, the oil pan disappears, and you’re left wearing out your good boots on roadside gravel, arriving at your destination much later than expected, exhausted, and probably alone.

That’s the same experience you’ll have by providing training for a sales team that is working with outdated systems, processes, and incentives. When better performance is needed, you must consider an operations tune-up before you pour in high-octane “skills” fuel. Some key elements of the tune-up should include:

  • Compensation Tied to Goals: This is the fuel that drives motivation for the activities and results you desire.
  • Activity Tracking and Reporting: Does the sales team use all the tools they have at their disposal in order to be as productive as possible? Do they know how, why, and when to apply each tool? Are they working within your vehicle’s capacity, or wearing it out faster?
  • Accountability: Do you know the answers to all of the above questions? If not, you need to!

Once you are confident your vehicle is ready for the trip and the conditions you will face, fuel up and get moving! Preparing a solid sales infrastructure will get you to your destination faster, in better shape for the next journey, and with your driver intact, smiling, and ready for the next leg. For a quick preview on the results of your –current vehicle, check out this free Sales Xceleration Sales Agility Assessment tool. No permit required, and there’s a certified SX mechanic ready to assist with any questions you have about your results.  Questions?  Reach out to me at [email protected] or 603-762-3710.