MKTG3503 Sales and Account Management

MKTG3503 Sales and Account Management

The Sales Training Manual

ARTICLE: Decrease Ramp-up Time and Improve Consistency with Veterans

Source: Go-To-Market-Strategies, 2011
A recent study shows that it takes, on average, a minimum of 3-months for a new salesperson to ramp up. And, more
than 40% of companies surveyed said it took over 7-months for a new salesperson to produce at the level of their
predecessor. While this has improved from years past, it is still a costly situation for the sales managers and marketing
teams who support them - not to mention a HUGE frustration to your new employee.

Unfortunately, this is a cost we bring on ourselves. We have the best intentions when we hire someone new. We plan
on taking the time to train them and ease them in during their first two weeks; and, then reality hits - the reality of our
already overflowing schedule and a pipeline that is drying up. The new hire is lucky to have a log-on to the network
by the time they start. And this situation repeats itself until we have an army of sales people trained by ad hoc
orientation.

Sales Training Manual. Arming your sales team with a training manual is critical to getting new reps ramped up
quickly and getting the existing team as a whole on the same page. You'll need to customise the training manual to fit
your particular needs, but be sure to cover the following areas thoroughly:

Company Overview The Competition

Company Background The Sales Team Structure
Product/Service Description The Sales Process
Target Market Sales Tools / Collateral
Not only does the sales training manual unify and focus your sales team, it also informs marketing on how to better
support your sales efforts. When your sales and marketing teams are working together, magic happens. Especially for
your new sales recruit! Feeling supported and armed with the proper tools ensures a smooth and successful ramp-up.
There is a lot more you should do in the area of sales training, but start with the basics! Sales training is often the
missing link to achieving the sales edge!

Remember to make this manual very concise and easy to read. This is why I have limited it
to 10 pages. Too long and boring or with the text dense (dont write it as an essay) means
your reps wont read it, which really means you have wasted your time writing it.

TIPS:
Write your sales manual as if it were an instruction book or recipe so that anyone can pick it up and
easily make a successful sale for your company.
Keep it to 10 pages (if you have lots of technical details put them in the back as an appendix as the
appendix is not included in the page limit. The page limit also doesnt include any cover or contents
page if you want to use these).
Break up the text with pictures, tables, graphs, white space, or different size fonts, colour if
appropriate (make it interesting)
Dont be afraid of using bullet points to highlight key points or put important things in text-boxes.
Include samples of sales materials (these can either be worked into the manual to help explain a key
point, or referred to in the appendix).
Keep your sales manual updated; when your team learns new lessons about your sales methods and
targets, log them for future versions of your manual.
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 Include a date and version number on the cover of the manual so sales reps know they have the
latest version.
Keep your manual confidential; make sure employees sign a confidentiality agreement, just in case.
Use your manual as a complement to, not a replacement for, hands-on training.

NOTE: The following pages should give you a guide to writing your Sales Training Manual
however the instructions are not exhaustive nor are the sections necessarily complete. If
you feel there is something that your reps need to know then include it. Use your own
experiences in the sales interview to fill in the gaps.

This guide gives no instructions about layout or presentation this is up to your skills as a
creative marketer to make the manual look interesting and easy to read.
Content Page

INSTRUCTIONS: Put this in for the reader to find sections easily (you dont need to include this in
the 10 page limit)

Company Overview
INSTRUCTIONS: This section should include a concise (about 100 words) description of your
company based on your Brand Strategy. It should describe what the organisation does and for
whom. It also includes the unique value proposition, and promotes aspects of the organisation that
lend credibility.

TIPS: In general, start by addressing three key areas: 1) Company Description. Come up with a
concise statement about who your company is, whom your product/service is for, and what you
offer. 2) Benefits. Create 1-2 sentences that state the benefits your company and/or its products
and services provide to your customers. Focus on what is UNIQUE to your organisation or offering.
3) Competitive Advantage. Describe how or when you are better than your competition. Be very
specific and be sure that your competition does not offer it.

Company Background
INSTRUCTIONS: The Brand Story illustrates the organisations history and focuses on why that
history adds value and credibility to the brand. Who founded the company? When? Where? How?
Why? How has it evolved? Mention the various milestones of the company and its products to show
its path to where it is today and where it is aiming in the future. The brand story is a great place to
illustrate the companys culture, values, and mission.

TIP: Dont make this too long as the manual is about providing information to help the reps sell.

Product/Service Descriptions
INSTRUCTIONS: List each product and/or service, describing and listing the features and benefits
of each.

TIP: A feature describes an aspect of the product or service - what it looks like or what it does. A
benefit describes what positive results the product or service brings to the person or organisation
that uses it. Add all or key product/service sections as needed. Again, focus on the
DIFFERENTIATING features and benefits for each product.

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Target Market
INSTRUCTIONS: Think of markets as customer groups and be very specific in your definitions.
Determine which markets have the most profitability potential, the least competition, and most need
your expertise.

Under Examples, list up to three representatives of the market from your existing customer base.
Under Characteristics, include aspects such as geographic location, company size, industry, start-
up vs. established, the buyer profile, what the key needs are, etc. List your target markets, in
priority order of meeting your overall business goals.

The Competition Matrix

INSTRUCTIONS: Your customer defines your competition, not you. So to truly know your
competition, you must: 1) Ask your customers who they used before you, and who they think of
when they think of alternatives to your service or product and 2) Ask your sales people what
companies they sell against and who they lose to when they lose.

Organise the information you get from your "surveys" into competitive categories or the top 3-5
individual competitors, whichever is more relevant to your competitive landscape. Then outline the
summary of your findings in a matrix below.

The Sales Team

INSTRUCTIONS: Provide an organisation chart, or list, and describe who does the selling - what
are their roles and responsibilities. Also include territory distinctions as appropriate.

The Sales Process

INSTRUCTIONS: Insert a sales process chart. For example, identify the process for converting
suspects into prospects, prospects into leads, leads into customers. Cover issues such as how to
engage and qualify prospects, how to assess potential customers needs, how to propose the
benefits for the customer, how to close the deal, how to handle the actual sale and what to do after
the sale.

TIPS: You must also make sure you touch every milestone within your sales process. Not doing so
can result in wasted time quoting or selling to unqualified opportunities. Build out your sales process
to include the milestones in your standard sales process.

Sales Checklist
INSTRUCTIONS: List all of the tools/steps expected by the company of its sales force. For
example:

PROSPECTING Due Date Responsible Comments

Industry Overview and Competitive Matrix
Social Networking (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)
Prospect Lists
Call Scripts
Sales Introduction Letter
Lead Qualification Checklist/Form

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 QUALIFICATION
Marketing Collateral:
--Company and Product Brochures
--Case Studies
--Articles/White Papers
--Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Sales Presentation

PROPOSING SOLUTION
Price Sheet/Tools
Product Demos/Samples
List of References
Proposal/Contract Template or Order Form

CLOSING A SALE
Common Objections/Closings
Credit Application/Process
Thank You Card/Gift

Marketing Collateral
INSTRUCTIONS: Include all of the marketing materials available for your sales team, how they are
to be used, and where they are located. Be sure to specify any restrictions you may have (i.e.
quantity, mail vs. email, etc.). Also, insert a copy of each in this section of the bound copy of the
sales training manual.

Common Objections and Responses

INSTRUCTIONS: Include the most common objections to a sale of your product or service. Include
a turn around response for each. Add bullets as needed or put these into a table.

TIPS: For the most common of sales objections, use the following to guide you in your responses.
Always try to use a current customers voice or case study for added credibility.

For example:
Not Interested - Cant see the Benefit. Focus your response on the benefit your product/service
provides. Mention another customer who at first didnt have an interest but after they saw a product
demo realised they could really use the XX benefit your company provides.

You could also provide some tips on how the sales rep prepares himself/herself for possible
objections, such as:

We recommend you and your team REHEARSE these objections/responses, so that the responses
can be delivered naturally and with a positive result. We know everyone hates to role-play, but it is
the most valuable way to become an effective objection killer!

Proposal Writing or Order Taking

INSTRUCTIONS: Include processes and tips for writing and gaining internal approval for a
proposal, such as what are your discounting authority/policies, etc? Also, insert a copy of your
standard Proposal Template and/or Order Form in this section of the bound copy of the manual.

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Contact Database
INSTRUCTIONS: Describe your sales contact database and data entry requirements. Specify each
field in the database and what information is stored there. Include any how-to guide documents
you have for navigating and using your system.

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