Sales training shouldn’t stop after the onboarding process. In fact, according to HubSpot, high-performing sales organizations are twice as likely to provide ongoing training as low-performing ones.
Consider administering the four assessments listed below as you continue to develop your sales employees to maintain your organization’s high-performance standards.
1. Mock Phone Calls
Asses how your sales associates interact on mock phone calls. Engage in a role-play environment where you’re a customer and they’re trying to sell you something. Follow multiple scripts where you play an indecisive customer, a customer who’s all-consumed with cost, a dissatisfied customer, etc. And then provide real-time feedback to each sales associate after they try to sell you something. This exercise is especially helpful when your organization is trying to sell new services or products that repeat customers may not be familiar with yet. While Bob may be able to sell washing machines with his eyes closed, will he be able to sell a robot vacuum?
2. Ask Them to Develop Their Sales Strategies and Techniques
Many sales associates will do a decent job over the phone or in person when selling items to a prospect who is already interested. But they may not know how to consistently build a funnel of new prospects, how to nurture leads, or how to follow up with previous customers. First, ask each sales associate how they land sales, and ask them to write down their strategy and techniques for you. Then, have them develop strategies and techniques that will also help them find and nurture leads. Having them do this allows them to assess their own strategies while providing them with insight into how they can generate more sales.
3. Personality Tests
Certain personalities are better suited for sales jobs than others. Have your employees take a personality test (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Strengths Finder are popular options).
Typically, employees who will excel in sales will rate high in the following categories:
- Modesty
- Curiosity
- Conscientiousness
- Achievement orientation
- Friendliness but not too friendly
- Highly confident and self-driven, decisive
- Lack of discouragement when faced with challenges, highly adaptable
4. Customer Surveys
Finally, if you really want to assess your sales employees to see where they need more training and where they excel, ask the customers they’ve sold to in the past about their experiences. Beyond simply asking the customers if they were satisfied with their purchasing experience, you’ll want to ask them:
- Did the associate listen to your needs?
- Was the associate helpful but not pushy?
- Did the associate consistently respond to you in a timely manner?
After completing the above assessments, you’ll have a clearer idea of who is best suited for sales, what type of sales training your employees need, as well as how you can continue to coach them.