I stopped by Paul McCord's blog recently and this post really caught my attention: "The REAL Dirty Secret about Selling that Will EXPLODE Your Sales Career". I thought - what have I missed all these years?

The gist of the post was that every day we are exposed to ads that promise to deliver the "secret about Selling". Paul argues that this is a cycle: us wanting an easy road to success, and somebody more than happy to promise quick fixes.

Think about the first time you worked with that Rep, the one who kills their number every quarter, seemingly without breaking a sweat. Was it because they have a better territory? The best accounts? A tested, honed and proven process? Nah, they must have figured out the secret.

I guess it's human nature to hope such secrets exists. The discussion reminds me of all the products geared towards hitting weight loss goals quickly and easily. I'm no dietician, but the consensus seems to be consuming fewer calories and exercising works. We can call that the boring little secret.

So, what about the secret about Selling? According to Paul, top producers:

Here's my take on the secret - selling is hard work which requires focus and commitment.  We know the old saying "time is money". That holds especially true for sales people.  Ask yourself, "Are all my activities focused on generating sales?"  It's easy to become reactive when you have dozens of activities coming at you, but if those activities aren't progressing the sale they probably aren't necessary.

Here's a final word from Paul:

So you see the dirty little secret is YOU.  You have to commit to the hard work, dedication and passion that make people the best at what they do.  You're in charge of your destiny - so get out there and explode your sales career!

(Photo credit: ianus & Tim Dorr)

Introduction:  This is the 3rd in the series "How to Successfully Build an Inside Sales Team in Technology Companies". 

Part 1 - Your Inside Sales Strategy
Part 2 - 6 Rules for Successful Inside Sales Hiring

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In April 2008, we conducted a survey of 60+ Inside Sales Executives on the state of their training programs.  Here are some highlights of the Inside Sales Training Report:

• Only 34% hold monthly training sessions
• Only 33% conduct live coaching
• 58% of the training is product focused
• 12% of the executives surveyed are highly satisfied with their training programs

So, what does this tell us?  Pretty much: we expend huge effort in hiring great reps and then fail to invest in their success.

Even if you can't get the budget to invest in a professional inside sales training program (beg for it - it will pay off in spades), there are some simple things you can do to improve the skill of your reps.

1. Document your process and tools.
   Don't let your reps create their own messaging. Listening to their voice mail messages may scare you: "Hi, I am calling to follow-up because you went by our booth". Or you might find emails that could sink a server because they contain so much information and have 8 pdfs dangling off them.
   
   Messaging needs to be succinct, about the prospect and arouse curiosity...that is it!
   
   
2. Conduct live coaching.
   I stink at sports analogies but let me give this a whirl: Football coaches don't sit in a booth and watch their players run around only to coach them when they are in the red zone. They are on the field, interacting, trying to get ahead of what the opposing team is going to do so they can be prepared and respond.
   
   So, why do you think you are providing coaching if all you do is forecast reviews? By then, you are in the final 2 minutes. Your ability to add value is greatly diminished.
   
   Get in the trenches, double jack in with your reps, listen to what they say but better yet - listen to how the market responds to what they say so you can improve the "plays" they use on a daily basis.
   
   
3. Remember the basic rule of business:
   "People don't buy technology for technology's sake; they buy it to address business issues."  So, why do we spend 58% of our valuable training time talking about product? We do it because that is our comfort zone.
   
   We can bring in product experts to talk to our team and feel like we have provided training but as Inside Sales Managers, do we know how to provide sales training? Probably not but shouldn't we?
   
   Make an investment in yourself as well and start to build out a curriculum that focuses on specific skills and then train your reps in monthly sessions. They want to learn and you want to teach right so what is stopping you?

To sum it up, don't let a lack of budget get in the way of getting the job done.  You have skills that you can transfer to your reps, use your time wisely and it will pay off in enhanced productivity and greater achievement of goals.

Share with this community...what are some creative ways you are training your reps?

(Photo by Cyndie@smilebig!)