Sales Success Calls for Building a Better Road: Define, Support, and Drive Action

The following is an excerpt from the ebookWhy Sales Training Fails published by RAIN Group.

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Have you ever gotten angry with someone who did something for you—but not the way you wanted them to do it? Have you ever been reprimanded for doing something "the wrong way"? "I didn't know," "I can't read your mind!" or "Why didn't you tell me?" sound pretty familiar, I'm sure.

Well, according to ES Research, a whopping 70% of companies expect their sales force to "just know" how to sell their products and services—and sell them well—without an established standardized sales methodology and process. Would you be surprised to know those same 70% of companies that don't have a standard process and methodology underperform those that do by significant amounts?

Most would agree that there are right and wrong ways to do just about everything, and sales are no exception. Process and methodology are essentially guides for behavior. They help you know when to do certain things (process) and how to do them well (methodology). It should be the basis for any sales training program looking to increase sales efficiency. It is important to provide a framework that salespeople can follow systematically to move prospects through the pipeline.