What’s Different about Sales Momentum’s Programs?

In 2000 a founding goal for Sales Momentum® was the design and development of an entire new generation of sales training programs.  The principals believed that the world of sales had changed dramatically in the last decade, yet the basic design of sales training programs had remained unchanged for a very long time. For leading edge companies a clear disconnect had and was developing between what was needed … and what was available.

This disconnect can be described from a number of perspectives. But the core gap arises from the fact that, heretofore, most sales training programs were exclusively about skill development.  The programs focused on the sales person knowing more about and having the skills to do a better job at skill sets such as: asking questions, handling objections, developing strategy, or handling a negotiation.  This was an adequate objective in the past; however, it is not sufficient for today’s competitive business environment. 

Whereas in the past, the sales force was often looked upon simply as a necessary mechanism for delivering a winning product from Point A to Point B – that is no longer the case.  As other options for sustaining a competitive advantage have faded, today a sales force must not only be able to sell a company’s competitive advantage – they must be good enough tobe a competitive advantage. That shift requires a sales force that can perform at a different level – it means being able to have an impact on business results is the new standard. 

After the initial six years working with Fortune 1000 companies, the first generation of new programs have been designed, developed and deployed.  So let’s explore what’s different!

Custom Designed versus Customized.  The jury has been in for a long time on the notion that generic sales training programs simply don’t have the desired impact when it comes to improving sales performance.  Moreover, if the standard of business impact is to be met, a new level of customizing must be adopted.  As a baseline, let’s take a historic look at what has constituted a customized program.

First, no common standard has ever been established – everybody has had different idea as to what makes the most sense.  But, typically “customized” has meant inserting customer specific information into some common role-play template and developing a customer specific objection handling and/or feature-benefit exercise.

If the new standard of business impact is to be achieved, two changes to that practice are necessary:

• Level of Customization. The level of customization must be substantially greater.  If the transfer of learning is to be optimized, than the experience in the classroom must map as closely as possible what’s going on in the real world.  To achieve this standard, Sales Momentum® has integrated sales simulations into many of its programs. For those programs the customization process begins by identifying the type of company on which sales teams will make calls. Then a series of choice parameters are applied to the simulated company – such as: the company’s business strategy, competitors, customer positions, and marketplace trends.
• Selection of Models, Tools, and Skills.  Customization is all about adapting the application of the models, tools, and skills taught in the program to your organization.  But what about the more fundamental question of which models, tools and skills should constitute the program?  Does it make sense, for example, that every company would find the same set of models, and tools as the best fit for developing and implementing account strategies? The answer, of course, is “probably not.” 

To maximize the fit to the specific history and business challenges of the customer’s sales team, Sales Momentum’s programs are not only customized to a greater degree; the specific sales models, tools and skill sets used in a program are determined for each client.
 
Process, Not an Event.  For anyone who has every tried it, it is clear that improving the performance of a sales team is difficult and it takes time.  There’s no “quick fix” – it’s a lot of hard work over an extended period of time.  Today, most people have accepted the “hard work” premise and decided that the journey is worth taking.
What does this imply for sales training?  It means that what happens before and after the program is as important as the training itself.  The training must be a process not an event.
Sales Momentum® believes this “it’s not an event” notion must be taken seriously and must be executed creatively.  What happens before and after the program must be crafted in a way that recognizes that time committed is a significant factor when it comes to the sales team.  So whatever is done must not only be effective, it must also be efficient.  One approach to achieve that combined goal is the use virtual classroom technology. The intent behind virtual classroom technology is to expand the number of learning interventions, hence achieve the desired business impact, without dramatically escalating the cost or the time commitment

• Before the Program.  This part of the process has historically been underemphasized.  Think back. Have you ever walked into a sales training program not quite sure what you were about to do?  Two days later, did it turn out that what you did experience and what you thought you were going experience were substantially different?  That’s not unusual and it’s not okay. 

The purpose of what goes on before the program is primarily about positioning. Questions should be answered such as: What is the nature and scope of the upcoming classroom program, and how does the focus of the classroom program tie back to the issues and challenges being faced by the sales team? Or, in other words, why is the program important? In addition, positioning includes generating excitement about the program.  Depending on the content of the classroom program a secondary purpose could involve exploring a prerequisite body of knowledge.

• After the Program.  Over a fixed time frame – 30, 60, 90 days, for example – there should be at least two to three post program activities to extend the learning from the classroom sessions. The primary purpose of the post activities is about maximizing business results.  Are we doing every thing possible to help the sales team to apply the lessons learned to the wide range of sales scenarios and challenges they are facing day-to-day.  Often one of the post sessions involves the front-line Sales Managers as a follow-up to review how the coaching effort is coming along.

Integrated vs. Incompatible.  In today’s complex market being a top performing sales person requires a wide variety of interrelated skill sets ranging from product and marketplace knowledge to sophisticated sales skills to being business savvy.  In the end the requirement is about not only being accomplished in each skill set, but being able to tie it all together. 
From a training perspective this means it’s important to be able to reinforce and integrate what is taught in one program to other programs and learning opportunities.  Although this sounds straight forward, historically this type of integration has frequently not occurred due to over-restrictive proprietary concerns and overly complex skill models that do not lend themselves to the creation of a common language.
In creating both its business and sales skill models Sales Momentum® has addressed this need for integration and avoided the two aforementioned problems. With Sales Momentum® programs, building a common sales language and achieving cross program integration can be accomplished efficiently and effectively.  This is true whether you elect to use Sales Momentum® programs to build your entire sales curriculum or you already have invested in some foundation programs and are looking to take the next step. 

Targeted vs. Something for Everyone.  Today the old notion that “selling is selling” has fallen on hard times.  The art and science of selling has by necessity been refined beyond the point that any set of ideas and techniques are universally the best fit. 
Sales Momentum® has spent the last seven years working with Fortune 1000 companies to develop sales training programs that can make a difference when you are involved in a complex sale.  From that research and design work it is clear that the complex sale is not just a big little sale.  It is qualitatively different. 
The differences are pervasive – ranging from the length of the sales cycle to the customer network to the consequences and rewards of winning and losing.  Perhaps most telling is what it takes to capture the business.  In a complex sale market the sales force needs to do more than sell the product – it must communicate and create value.  Sales people must have the ability and confidence to carry out a technical and business conversation with a customer who cares more about solutions than products.
If your organization faces the challenges and issues faced in a complex sale than the Sales Momentum® programs will be a great fit.

Summary.  Leading edge companies are spending more time, money, and effort on implementing sales training than ever before.  Along with increased commitment comes an increase in expectations.  Sales training has to make a difference that matters.
Success is not easily achieved – it takes a lot of work and creativity on the part of many players inside your organization.  An additional piece of the success puzzle is the selection of the right training partner – one who has spent a like amount of time and creativity to create an organization and a set of programs that can help you make that difference that matters. 
We hope you will explore creating that partnership with Sales Momentum®.