Nurturing Sales Talent: The Power of Investing in Your Team’s Success

I was chatting recently to the leader of a business supplying business technology solutions and it transpired I had worked with his father 30 years ago!

He, like my own son, followed his father into a sales career providing and supporting technology solutions. – and both have been very successful, as indeed has one of my daughters who has followed the same career path.

So is that down to the tutelage, mentoring, and coaching of their fathers? There is no doubt a bit of osmosis learning around the breakfast or supper table will have done no harm.

However, the bigger proportion of their success is down to the in-depth training (formal and informal) that they have undertaken and been given throughout their careers. They have been invested in by their employers!

In the UK we tend to deride the term ‘salesperson’  and it has all but been replaced by the term ‘Business Development’ person, manager, director, etc but ultimately most businesses need someone to sell their products and services into their chosen market and that is generally a salesperson, so whatever the title used, the role is to generate business – that’s the end game.

Many forward-looking businesses recognise the importance of having a well-trained sales function and invest in their salespeople, but too many businesses still treat salespeople with too little respect and resist ‘investing’ in them.

Most top performers (sports people are a great example) invest in their continued development to improve or maintain their peak performance, and great business leaders (like Pabasso – Peer Advisory Board Associates members) invest time in their own continued development and in their wider teams so why the reluctance to invest in developing salespeople?

If you want more revenue for your business you need more orders, whether they be from existing or new customers. One of the best ways to do this is to recognise the value to any business of good salespeople and invest in their training/coaching/mentoring – never assume that just because they are being paid big bucks they know how to do the job ‘your way’ and that they will not get better from continual development – and never feel uncomfortable that your best salesperson may be earning more than you!

I love the challenge what if I train them and they leave? Well, what if you don’t train them and they stay – which is most damaging to your business?

Think about investing in a specialist and ongoing training program for your sales team – you will get a return on your investment!

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