When hiring new employees in the sales department, many companies step on the same rake. They overload newcomers with excessive information, forget about regular training and expect quick results. What result does this strategy lead to? Beginners get lost and do not show the expected results.
But there are ways how to avoid these mistakes. They not only help sellers to become real pros in sales but also help to achieve higher profits.
In this article we will analyze the main mistakes in the training of sellers. And we will tell you how to avoid them with the help of AI.
The reason for this problem is most often the company's desire to give maximum information to its employees in a short period of time. But more often than not, this approach leads to sales reps simply drowning in information.
This phenomenon is called the “fire hose effect”, when a person is physically unable to assimilate huge amounts of information.
Neuroscience research shows that the brain is unable to efficiently process excessive amounts of new information at once. For example, David Rock compares learning large blocks of data to trying to eat all of the day's meals at one time. This leads to “cognitive overload,” which causes sales persons to forget much of the information. If you use an incremental approach to training, you can get better employee engagement.
Any theory will be of no use if you don't know how to put it into practice. This principle also works in sales. Unfortunately, many companies do not pay enough attention to the practical part of training.
If the acquired knowledge is not applied in practice, 90% of the information will be lost in just 7 days.
What is necessary for quality consolidation of information and transformation of knowledge into skills? Practice, of course. Neuroscience has long ago explained everything. Regular repetition and application of knowledge in practice strengthens the connections between neurons. As a result, information becomes more accessible to the brain and available in the future.
A special kind of practice is modeling real-life situations. A future sales representative can simulate real scenarios of working with clients, gain confidence in his own abilities in any negotiations.
Constant practice helps to bring actions to automaticity, which is especially important in sales, where quick decision-making and self-confidence are the key to success.
Another critical mistake in training salespeople is not providing sellers with modern tools to practice their skills on their own. Without such technologies sales teams are driven into the framework of only the knowledge they received during training.
But the only way to really grow in skills is through constant training. And at a rhythm that is convenient for a person.
Today effective and continuous training can be achieved with AI sales roleplays. This technology allows to adapt the training process to the individual needs of each sales rep. They can practice real scenarios, get instant feedback and constantly improve their skills without having to wait for the next training session.
SellMeThisPen AI gives your sales team the opportunity to practice constantly, hone their sales skills and work on mistakes at their convenience.
Leveraging technology in onboarding significantly increases the effectiveness of training and the efficiency of sales teams.
Modern technology can be a solution to these and other problems in training salespeople. For example, AI role-plays can help improve the quality of employee training.
An AI coach like SellMeThisPen AI offers customized training for each employee based on their current skills and needs. The system takes into account individual knowledge levels and selects appropriate cases, allowing reps to focus on areas where they struggle the most.
Instead of taking one-off training sessions and hoping sellers will memorize the information, AI training allows sales persons to continuously practice skills in real cases. This constant practice promotes deeper learning and minimizes the risk of knowledge loss, which is especially important for trading, where mistakes can cost profits.
AI role-plays provide regular updates and training, adapting to changes in the market and new company products. This helps sellers stay up-to-date with new products and adapt faster to changes in sales and negotiation techniques.
One of the main advantages of SellMeThisPen AI is the ability to get immediate actionable feedback. The system immediately points out mistakes and helps to correct them, which significantly speeds up the learning process and improves the final results of sales teams.
AI coach enables sellers to learn at a time and pace that is convenient for them. This makes the learning process more motivating and effective, as sales reps can train when it suits them without distracting them from their main work tasks.
Information overload, lack of hands-on practice, and other mistakes in sales training can lead to poor sales team performance. Integrating modern technologies such as AI role-plays avoids these mistakes by providing personalized, regular training with instant feedback. This contributes not only to better knowledge assimilation, but also to the continuous professional growth of your seller and revenue growth.
In this episode of SellMeThisPen Podcast, Michael and Andy talk about the common mistakes companies make during the sales onboarding process, the pressure it puts on new hires, and how to create a more effective and supportive environment for sales teams.
Andy Korenak has over 20 years of experience leading enablement for notable companies like Oracle, Impact, and 8x8. Now, he's the founder of MVP Sales Coach, where he offers expert sales coaching and fractional leadership, particularly beneficial for mid-sized companies.
