HTSS46 - Why salespeople hate sales trainers - Scott Sylvan Bell

Why salespeople hate trainers explained

If you are around sales long enough you will hear people explain how much they hate sales trainers. There are quite a few reasons why sales trainers are disliked and dreaded to watch. Some of the reasons will make sense and others items may take a little explaining.

The roots of sales trainers

When salespeople look at most sales trainers there is an automatic disdain. The reason for this contempt of a sales trainer comes down to the problem where most sales trainers couldn’t sell so they switched up their game. To put this bluntly most sales trainer couldn’t close deals so they shifted to teach sales. Because the salesperson couldn’t close how could they teach salespeople how to be successful? There is a saying of “those who cant teach”

The process may work

There may be another problem and it is that the process being taught can only work for the salesperson teaching it. When salespeople see the training and see that it is personality based more then skills based the attention span is lost.  

It may even be the “sales trainer” has plenty of war stories but no real content. These stories are told over and over again as a way to build a legend.

Most of the time “sales trainers” use old school sales tactics that no long are effective. The closers in the room see the problems for what they are and the issues they create.

The entertainment aspect

Some companies look at the training process like entertainment for the employees. Every quarter a new sales trainer is brought in to entertain and the sales team picks through the content for high level information.  This turns into training soup for the salespeople. This confusion of a Frankenstein sales process leads to deals being lost. The salesperson cant get the process right and the trainer cant show why.

80/20 sales truths

Most salespeople are horrible and they will stay horrible. Companies typically bring trainers in for the 80% that will not train themselves. The closers are stuck in a room with salespeople who really don’t care about their future and are stuck in meetings while they could be closing deals. Most training is set for the lowest percentage of salespeople that will never make it. This burns out the salespeople who could be doing something else or working on their skills.  

Sales basics mastery is important but there is a point where redundant sales training gets old.  

These weak salespeople are unwilling to be uncomfortable and or are stuck their old ways.

The regret of sales performers

Salespeople who get stuck in sales meetings with weak sales trainers end up resenting the meetings they have to work through. The time could be better spent with a team that is going to actually do something with the content. Salespeople know they could be closing a deal instead of being stuck in a room with someone who doesn’t know how to sell.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #Sacramento #Podcast #Howtosellshow

This episode was recorded in Sacramento California