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Who is Training the Trainer?

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A quick Internet search provides a plethora of sales training topics such as “Online sales parties,” “How to get repeat orders,” and “Steps to the sale.” When it comes to the availability of direct sales training materials, there is limitless supply. That’s a good thing, right? Well, it depends. In reality, the problem is that much of the training is not effective.

I spend much of my life teaching and training. So, last semester, I decided to review the research on training effectiveness. My initial review proved dismal. Research suggests that the impact of training may be short lived, non-existent, or even counter-productive!

Think about it. When was the last time you attended a training meeting for your direct selling business, personal fulfillment, or to gain spiritual enlightenment? Can you envision the meeting clearly in your head? You can probably remember where the meeting was held and the general topic. You may even be able to remember some of the people you met. If you were really paying attention, you probably remember some of the sessions you attended. The bottom line, though, is did you do anything as a result of what you learned? Did the training actually change your behavior? If it didn’t, it just plain wasn’t effective. And, if it wasn’t effective, it was a waste of time and money.

Training is obviously essential in all arenas. It has been a consistent field of study for almost 100 years. The consensus is that the following elements are crucial to successful training.

Assess the group to be trained

What do they do well? Are they great at getting appointments, but can’t seem to make a sell? Or do they spend most of their time just trying to get in the door?

Of course, the easiest way to assess trainees is to ask them what they need help with. This can provide some amazing insights. They may say that their confidence is the problem. They may be some of those people who can observe their own behavior. However, many people cannot see how they are actually behaving. It may be that they can talk to strangers, but they do not have the confidence to talk to those they know.

A second way to assess is to observe the trainees. Go with them to a meeting or participate in a three way call, but let them lead for part of the call. That way, you can see what they do well and where they might improve.

Design training to fit the audience

Customize the training based on your assessment of the group to be trained. The training needs to fit the business, emotional, and intellectual needs of the trainees.

Teach what you know

As the trainer, ascertain what you know that will fulfill the needs of the trainees. If you can’t close a sale, it makes it tough to train others how to do it! Even when you know how to do something, you may just not be a natural at teaching it. You have to carefully think through the process and break it down into easy to understand steps in order to effectively teach it.

Research your topic

What does your company say works? Has corporate found that those who don’t make a sale in the first month never make a sell? If that is true, then it is crucial that you tell your trainees the facts and what to do about them. Sometimes there is even academic research that will support or inform you regarding what works best in your area. dsef.org has some great case studies on direct selling companies. For example, it may be that selling durable plastics takes a different approach than selling a monthly juice drink. mlm.com is also a great place to find what experts in the field are saying.

Design training that is active rather than passive

It takes very motivated learners to change their behavior based on just hearing something. Most of us change only after trying a new behavior. There are several ways to get your trainees involved: ask questions, brainstorm, share experiences, and role play. Role-playing is one of the most effective training techniques. Give your trainees a typical situation and then have them act out how they would handle it based on their new knowledge received in the training session.

Help trainees set new goals

Help trainees set a goal(s) based on the training information. Training is only successful if it produces a change in behavior.

Provide feedback to trainees on progress made achieving their goals

Periodically, give trainees feedback on their progress. This requires you to know your trainees. It also means that you must continually assess them to determine how they are coming along on their goals.

Training is not easy. Most people who say it is are the ones who are talking at people not with them. These presenters may even be entertaining, but the point is, they are not making a difference in others’ lives. The core concept to remember is that to be effective, training must be designed so that it will produce change in the behavior of the trainees. Change is the true measure of a successful training program.

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