Employees want more out of their employers, now more than ever. And after the Great Resignation, companies are looking for helpful ways to retain talent. Add in how many employees want to learn more, become more valuable, and be less replaceable, and the need for sales training and development is undeniable.  

This is especially true since many statistics suggest you can easily lose current employees due to a lack of training. One report says 40% leave in the first year if they don't receive the necessary job training, and 91%  are looking for more employee training and development opportunities. You can get a leg up on the competition through marketing and sales training courses by giving employees what they want. 

Employees Want More Training: The Desire to Learn More   

A clear desire for more training and development opportunities is being observed in today's job market. More people prioritize it in their search for work and demand it in their current roles.  

Here's what SHRM has found in the gap between employee desires and training opportunities: 

• Employees want to be upskilled and reskilled. 68% would be happy to stay with their company throughout their career if their company would make an effort to upskill them. Another 65% cited being 'reskilled' as another reason they would stay with an employer. 
• Many aren't optimistic about advancing in their careers. 40% of workers don't see a clear path to career advancement, impacting the engagement, motivation, and satisfaction of many in the workforce. 
• The desire is there, but the knowledge of how to get started is not. 49% of people desire to develop their skills but aren't sure where to start (6% higher than in 2021), and more than half (66%) of employers cite having the same problem.  
• Despite how badly they need training, many still don't think they'll receive it. 52% of workers cite a need for learning new skills within the next 12 months as a must; 46% expressed not being as skilled as they need to be; and 29% aren't even hopeful that their employer will provide them with opportunities for upskilling, training, and retaining new skills. 

Solving Performance Issues: Salespeople Lack Skills  

It's clear the desire for more training and coaching is there — both for employees and training — but why do you think that is? Although there are often varying reasons for wanting to train, one issue remains the same for most: salespeople lack the basic skills they need to perform at the best of their ability, and it's the best way to solve a company's performance issues.  

Take, for instance, these three eye-opening statistics HubSpot noted in their 2022 report: 

1. In a study they reported by Rain Group, a client closed 15.2% more deals after receiving professional sales training. The profit margin also improved by 12.2%. 
2. HubSpot's Sales Blog contributor, Aja Frost, also said that the "research from the Sales Executive Council (SEC) examined thousands of salespeople and found receiving quality coaching helped them improve long-term performance by upwards of 19%."
3. A CSO Insights study revealed that 94.8% of sales reps met the quota when their coaching skills exceeded expectations. On the other hand, just 84.5% were about to make their quota when coaching skills weren't up to par and needed improvement. 
   

 Skills Salespeople Need  

The importance of training and coaching lies within your employee's ability to close the deal using the necessary skills. The following are among the most important for salespeople, although they are far from the only skills that can improve their performance.  

Convincing communication  

Communication is key at every touchpoint of your marketing and sales funnel. However, it is particularly crucial for those actively communicating with customers to influence their purchasing decision. For salespeople, good communication means effectively: 

• Learning about the customer problem 
• Explaining the value your products/services offer the customer specifically
• Answering any questions or concerns
• Demonstrating the use of a product or service 

Problem-solving   

Not every sales opportunity will be the same. As a result, the ability to problem-solve is crucial because, when it comes down to it, everything depends on your staff's ability to solve your customer's problems. When they can solve those problems consistently, the company comes off as more trustworthy, and customers become more loyal. 

Negotiating   

Negotiations are important for getting over customer hesitations and benefitting both parties. There are also many cases where a few extra benefits or lower pricing can begin a long-term relationship beyond a short-term advantage and well into years of profit with the client.  

Prospecting   

Developing a pipeline of prospects plays a vital role in sales, making prospecting the first step in any sales process. With prospecting skills maximized among your sales team, team members will identify more leads interested in your offers and improve their ability to nurture those leads into conversions.  

Relationship building  

Products and services no longer sell themselves. Your sales team is front and center in influencing which way the sale will go. Customer relationships with your sales team are critical to getting the first sale and enabling many more sales from clients in the long term. It can also lead to referral opportunities and positive reviews! 

Active listening  

Finally, your sales team needs to know when to talk and, more importantly: when they should just listen. There is a time for them to answer questions and show off how much they know about a product (and how it solves their problem specifically). However, there is a very delicate time right before this stage when your sales staff must listen to the client's needs, interests, and problems to better tailor the solution and experience to the customer. 

By now, it's clear that employees want and need more training, but where will you find the skills your sales team needs? Navaquest! Navaquest coaching and training cover these and more, elevating your team to its highest potential with customized solutions and strategies. Contact Us directly or schedule a demo to learn more.