I almost fell off my chair when I did a web search for "sales training videos" and received over five million results! Needless to say, sales training videos occupy a very crowded space. I wonder if I'd be in the sales training video industry today if I did that search years ago. So, just how do you find the right training video program for your circumstances? Here are some tips that will help guide you to the sales training video that best addresses your requirements.
DVD Formats
DVDs are recorded in different formats and the formats are based on geography. So, a DVD recorded in the European format may not play well, if at all, on a DVD player in the United States and Canada. Play it safe and order Training DVDs that were recorded in the country where it will be played. Another reason to purchase a DVD that was recorded close to home has to do with cultural differences in the sales process. For example, rapport building with a prospect could take longer in some countries than in other countries.
The Sales Training Video's Focus
Don't confuse Motivational Training with Sales Training. Motivational training programs will "pump you up" but they are typically not designed to improve sales skills. I encourage salespeople to get some positive motivational inspiration but it should not be a substitute for sales training. A solid training program focuses on improving some aspect of the sales skills involved in the selling process and that should lead to more orders.
The Price of Sales Training Videos
Some sales video programs cost thousands of dollars while others cost only a few hundred dollars or less. That said, I've found little evidence that you get what you paid for when it comes to the actual value of the sales training program. Don't think that an expensive video program is a better training program. There are many less expensive programs that contain valuable content and allow you to stay focused on your budget.
Updated Sales Training Material
Some sales programs were developed years ago and do not take into account changes in today's marketplace and highly competitive landscape. While the basic principals of salesmanship don't change very much, how they are implemented could be as different as mailing a letter to sending an E. Mail. You will be best served with leading edge training that introduces new selling concepts and new ways for salespeople to implement those sales concepts.
Purpose of The Sales Training Video
Sales videos fall into many different categories so you need to have a good understanding of what area you need to improve in the process of selling. Some sales videos improve selling procedures, such as forecasting accuracy, proposal formatting and product demonstration skills. These programs will serve you well if the needs you have are related to sales tools and not salesmanship.
If you need to improve the number of first time appointments you attend, you will be served well by a sales training video program about prospecting skills. You also need to consider your primary form of contacting prospects because some sales prospecting videos are focused on telephone skills while others help you write better E. Mail introductions. Sales videos that focus on prospecting skills will serve you well if you need to improve the size of your sales funnel.
Other sales video programs cover Major Account sales skills. These programs focus on the development of complex sales plans, responding to requests for proposals and how to best navigate a long and complex sales cycle. These are great programs if you are selling something like jumbo jets to an airliner but will do little for those in retail sales or other "single appointment" sales scenarios such as selling autos to individuals.
A third category covers the sales skills you need whenever you are "face to face" with a prospect. Some videos in this area specialize on specific sales skills such as closing the sale, overcoming sales objections or the questioning skills required to uncover a need for your product or service. Obviously, this requires you to know exactly what area of the sales process you need to improve. This is a slippery slope because most salespeople don't fully understand exactly where in the sales process they are actually loosing most of their prospect. You may think the problem is with your closing skills when in reality the problem was that you never connected or properly built rapport with your prospect. So, be sure you understand the problem before you purchase the solution.
Based on my experience, most salespeople are best served by a sales training video course that covers the entire sales process instead of one that specializes on a single aspect of the sales process. This way you are sure to get training that improves your weakness... even when that weakness is not completely understood or revealed to you. Sales training videos that cover the entire "face-to-face" selling process also remind salespeople to actually do all the things they know they should be doing in the first place. So, unless you know the specific sales skill area you need to improve, consider broad range sales training programs that cover the entire sales process, because each step in the sales process is related to the next step in the process.
I hope this article will help you get the right sales video program for your circumstances.
About The Author
Nick Moreno, founder of The National Sales Center, is a well-established sales training consultant with more than 30 years of experience providing excitement, empowerment and benefit to those he trains. Offering a competitive sales training advantage through education and cutting edge sales training video programs, his sales training DVD, The Progressive Sales Process, is known for generating "Sales Superstars" who consistently reach much higher sales commissions. Mr. Moreno can be reached by contacting him at Nick@Nationalsalescenter.com or by visiting his web site at http://www.nationalsalescenter.com
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