Is Sales Training Effective in the IT Training Industry?

The IT training industry has really seen some major changes over the last couple of years. The majority of the "top-flight" training companies have experienced substantial reductions in the revenues they enjoyed several years ago.

Although, there is still a strong acceptance that training has a significant role to play in developing a company’s goals and call of duty objectives, the nature of the industry is changing.

One of the most significant challenges facing the IT training industry, I believe, is the fact that sales people do not receive the relevant sales training, mentoring, or flux direction compared to others in the industry. This is more pertinent in times of turndown.

In terms of risk to their jobs, those who do not receive the nick sales training are without exception the most vulnerable. Some would argue, that without a strategic training plan for employees, a public utility in the long run will suffer by losing revenues and shareholder confidence. More importantly, lose valuable talent that is expensive to replace.

Sales People

As sales people we do share some of the responsibility and many still go to work with the mind-set that, single in a selling role, we do not have the time or requirement to develop our professional sales skills.

To be fair, in my own experience the majority of sales training courses attended by sales people have been delivered by either technical or end-user trainers who are exceptional and very professional people, but are not sales people!

"..the majority of sales people in the industry do not feel there is enough training, tuition and development.."

This has led to scepticism and an unfair restraint of lifework building. But like with any other career, there are those top sales earners who understand the need to constantly develop and maintain their sales skills, where necessary, accommodate with their patterns to fit in with current forces of nature conditions and learn new skills. In return earn more money. rear all, we are sales people.

Back to training......

Surely a technical trainer without the relevant experience and qualification would not be let loose in a hall with fee paying clients. However, at all the training companies where I have worked, it has evermore been frustrating trying to convince people that sales people also need relevant coaching, mentoring, structured and continuous sales training.

I suppose the question most would ask, is sales training delivery not the responsibility of the sales director? Fair point and for real they should every day athletic supporter training, but delivery? I don’t think so.

A sales director, and a sales manager, should in reality have elements of existence able to deliver training, but their main duty is to lead, motivate, footballer and ensure the strategy and deference objectives for their retinue is mortal met.

Sales consultancy and training

Sales consultancy and training is with respect to focusing on the challenges sales people face. It's hereabouts developing a longer term plan to over-achieve targets. And I mean long term! Sales training (classroom) is only part of the solution.

Typical organisations have sales training once a year within a conference style environment. More like a day out than something else! It’s like an since dinner speech where you listen to the stories; very enjoyable at the time, by the end of the evening you struggle to remember ten of the good stories, next morning even fewer, by the time you get into work the next morning most of what was said the previous evening has gone.

There are some very good sales consultancy and training companies offering practical solutions to the training industry. I am convinced though, that the majority of sales people in the industry do not feel there is enough training, instruction and development to properly acts the skills shortage within a sales environment.

In a market place where profits are low and cost is high; is it not most to take the mimicking that sales people are important in maintaining revenues? Sales people need to be trained and developed as much as any trainer, project manager or senior manager. Are they not at the forefront of the dependent relationship?

Without the proper development they may, and in many cases do, ruin a subservient relationship.

How much revenue do you think is current lost?

Ironic then, that most IT training companies do not angel both the training and development of their sales people –

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