Some Thoughts & Questions About Sales Training
**WARNING** This might annoy you! I'm taking a risk in frankly sharing my experience, and you may not like it! Remember that I'm interested in your opinion.
In answer to the standard “What do you do?”, I used to tell regular people that I was a sales trainer. In return, I got a mix of:
* Blank looks.
* “Oh.” <no comprehension>
* Outright hostility (“So you teach people how to manipulate others?”).
After awhile, I realized something. The average member of the public has never worked for an engineering or technical firm, an IT firm, a grocery wholesaler, or office products supplier, for instance. They are completely unaware that there is an army of professional salespeople sallying forth from these organizations, out to do business with other companies.
They equate “salespeople” to appliance, electronic, and mall stores; telemarketers and car lots: direct or consumer sales.
The fact that there is another, different level of professional salesperson out there is completely beyond their experience.
Of course, most people have no idea how groceries arrive on the shelves of their local supermarket, either, and think that trains are quaint relics of another time (those little 40’ tractor-trailers don’t carry enough food for a day, and your city would starve in a week without trains).
After I got over being dumbfounded that this was the common perception, I quit saying that I was a sales trainer when I was talking with a member of the general public. Instead, I started replying that I was a business development consultant. This was a good fit, since I also did copywriting and marketing/branding work, and it avoided the incomprehension.
So here we are on the Warrior Forum, where people often have more knowledge than the average bear. What is your perception:
* Does “sales training” make any sense at all?
* Is its value confusing, or clear?
* What do you think you would get out of sales training?
Very interested in your responses!
In answer to the standard “What do you do?”, I used to tell regular people that I was a sales trainer. In return, I got a mix of:
* Blank looks.
* “Oh.” <no comprehension>
* Outright hostility (“So you teach people how to manipulate others?”).
After awhile, I realized something. The average member of the public has never worked for an engineering or technical firm, an IT firm, a grocery wholesaler, or office products supplier, for instance. They are completely unaware that there is an army of professional salespeople sallying forth from these organizations, out to do business with other companies.
They equate “salespeople” to appliance, electronic, and mall stores; telemarketers and car lots: direct or consumer sales.
The fact that there is another, different level of professional salesperson out there is completely beyond their experience.
Of course, most people have no idea how groceries arrive on the shelves of their local supermarket, either, and think that trains are quaint relics of another time (those little 40’ tractor-trailers don’t carry enough food for a day, and your city would starve in a week without trains).
After I got over being dumbfounded that this was the common perception, I quit saying that I was a sales trainer when I was talking with a member of the general public. Instead, I started replying that I was a business development consultant. This was a good fit, since I also did copywriting and marketing/branding work, and it avoided the incomprehension.
So here we are on the Warrior Forum, where people often have more knowledge than the average bear. What is your perception:
* Does “sales training” make any sense at all?
* Is its value confusing, or clear?
* What do you think you would get out of sales training?
Very interested in your responses!
>> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services
>> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services
>> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services
>> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services
>> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services
>> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services
>> For Agency Founders: The Fast Shortcut To Selling SEO, Leadgen, Webdesign & Other Services