How much to spend on training?
Averages for new salespeople
Time
Consumer 5,513
4.2 months Industrial
8,913 4.1 months Service 8,014 4.1
months
Source: Dartnell Corporation: Sales Force Compensation Survey, 1996
Average Order Size per
New Customers Total Customers
Salesperson per Salesperson per Salesperson
Experience Less than 2 year
392 21
86 2-5 years
593 29
145 5-10 years
565 5
152 Over 10 years
470 8
139 Regions
Northeast 528
6 140
Southeast 520
8 161
Midwest 512
18 107
Southwest 421
26 111
West 544
21 131
Criteria Importance Measure
Type Rank
Trainee feedback Reaction
1 Supervisory
Behavior 2
appraisal Self-appraisal
Behavior 3
Bottom-line Results
4 measures
Customer appraisal Behavior
5
Evaluating Sales Training
Experimental Design
Notation: O
1
= Results before
sales training
X
1
= Sales training
O
2
= Results after
sales training
O
2
- O
1
= Difference in results
Experimental Group O
1
X
1
O
2
Control Group O
3
O
4
Sales Training effect O
2
- O
1
- O
4
- O
3
BUILDING A SALES TRAINING PROGRAM
1. Treat all employees as potential career employees.
2. Require regular re-training.
3. Spend time and money generously.
4. Salespeople and sales managers must take the lead in developing
what goes into the program.
5. In times of crisis, increase, rather than decrease, the training program.
STEPS IN PERFORMING A TRAINING ANALYSIS
1. Interviewing key members or management to find out what changes are needed in performance
of the sales force. 2.
Sent an anonymous questionnaire to customers and prospects asking: •
What do you expect of a salesperson in this industry? •
How do salespeople disappoint you? •
Which company in this industry does the best selling job? •
In what ways are its salespersons better? 3.
Sent a confidential questionnaire to each salesperson asking: •
What information do most of our salespersons need? •
What information do you want to learn better? •
What skills do most of our salespersons need to improve? •
Other suggestions for ongoing training? 4.
Did field audits making sales calls with 20 of the sales force? 5.
Interviewed sales supervisors. 6.
Analyzed the information gathered in Steps 1 through 5 to determine trainable topics and separate them. 7.
Discussed and agreed on training priorities with management. James F. Carey, “Assess Your Personal Needs,” Sales and Marketing Management, November, 1977,
Special Report.
8,014 8,913
5,513
4.10 Months
