Sales Training Programs - Sales Training Programs for Local Sale Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I've gone through sales training before, what makes you different?

2. My industry is so specialized, how can an outsider advise me on improving sales production?

3. My industry is quite unique and with my years of experience I know every aspect of it. How can you do a better job than me at training my sales people?

4. We're hiring a new VP of Sales to solve our current problem, isn't this a better solution than outside sales training?

5. We're in the middle of hiring, should we wait until we've finished hiring before proceeding further?

6. My company did well before this economic recession, why not just wait for the economy to pick up?

7. Isn't low sales production a result of poor marketing efforts - would directing more money into marketing and advertising solve my sales problem

8. Right now I have a cash flow problem and can't commit to sales training?

9. We're only a small company, what's the minimum number of sales people you'd consider?

10. I just started up my company, is it too early for me to start working on my sales strategies and techniques?

1. I've gone through sales training before, what makes you different?

Peak Performance clearly differs from Traditional Sales Training Companies and Motivational Speakers in a number of ways - below are just a sample of differences.

Traditional Sales Training:
Typically training companies provide what we refer to as blanket training. Blanket training is typically canned material that is presented to you and your sales people. Without first uncovering group and individual weaknesses, blanket training is ineffective because it does not address weaknesses or emphasize training in the areas most in need of assistance.

Peak Performance Training:
Peak Performance Training and Development evaluates each training candidate to first uncover the person's weaknesses: Areas most in need of assistance allowing us to focus our coaching time on what the individual really requires. Typically we find across the board weaknesses common to most sales people in the group which allows us to custom design the training to implement corrective measures, sooner rather than later.

Traditional Sales Training:
Emphasizes techniques and increasing behavior. In other words they provide you with dated techniques found in many technique based sales books and urge the participants to increase their behavioral output (phone calls, meetings, follow up, etc).

This modification in behavior generally does provide an increase - unfortunately the increase is in your telephone bill as opposed to your actual sales numbers!

Peak Performance Training:
Technique based training in and of itself is not effective until and unless we first uncover the sales person's internal self limiting beliefs (what they believe they cannot or should not do) as well as their own buying habits. In addition most traditional sales training organizations do not provide one vital component: Communication. Behavioral Selling skills allows the sales person to communicate (or adapt) to the prospect in terms the prospect can relate to. So unless you can communicate your message in a language fully understood by your prospect, all of the best techniques, additional phone calls and effort go unrewarded.

If you are exploring sales training again after going through it before then chances are:

1) There was no buy in - The participants in the training didn't believe that the training was necessary, effective or welcomed. Buy in from those involved in the training is essential. Simply having a so-called sales expert come into your company and push "their sales systems and beliefs" is highly ineffective because what your sales people or sales team as a whole are doing isn't "broken", it's simply what they are comfortable doing. We all work and live in a Comfort Zone and from this comfort zone we develop a routine. A routine is simply doing what we are comfortable doing, and disregarding and deferring what we are not comfortable doing. Quite often, what is disregarded or deferred are vital components to successful selling! Unless the sales trainer first allows the attending sales people to uncover and discover what they are doing that is impeding their own selling success, and more importantly what they are not doing, they tend to not be as open to new systems and methods.

2) Evaluations were not administered ahead of the actual training in order to determine specific individual and group areas of weakness. Visit the Evaluations page for information on why evaluations are an integral part of the sales training process.

3) There was no buy in from management! Management must:

    a) Be involved from the very beginning
    b) Hold the sales people accountable to using the system
    c) Work hand in hand with the sales training organization in order to agree on what areas will require heavy weighting.

4) Proper coaching was not implemented (by both the sales trainer and or management to adapt the material taught in the training to the sales peoples' real world situations.

5) You attended a short-term boot camp on sales training. One- to two-day sales training boot-camps will not change the behavior of a sales person. Behavior is developed over years of doing something in a certain way (comfort zone).

If you want to find out how to break the costly cycle of losing deals and using short term sales training as a band aid then Go to Training for more details on how we can help your company.

2. My industry is so specialized, how can an outsider advise me on improving sales production?

Our experience with well over a hundred different industries allows us to adapt to your selling situations. No sales training organization will ever know as much about your business as you do. However at Peak Performance we know the business of sales, and sales management, a vital component to your growth. If you still have doubts, click here to read about the experiences and results a diverse group of our clients experienced.

3. My industry is quite unique and with my years of experience I know every aspect of it. How can you do a better job than me at training my sales people.

You're right in that you know every aspect of your business; but your prospects are also familiar with one vital component of your business--your sales tecniques! You see, as time goes by, in particular during a down economy, buyers are much more aware of traditional and commonly used techniques. You need every possible edge in this economy in order to use this down economy as an opportunity to increase market share. Focus on the very reason you invested time to come to our site. This problem or area of sales that you are frustrated with is probably costing you time and money. Many efficient managers who foresee problems take the time to explore their options like you are now doing. However it is the most effective managers who actually make a decision to implement strategies to circumvent the problems that currently have or inevitably will have. Go to Training and Evaluations for more information. Also go to Testimonials to read about how other business owners and executives were benefitted by Peak Performance Training and Development.

4. We're hiring a new VP of Sales to solve our current problem, isn't this a better solution than outside sales training?

Most companies believe that the superstar sales person or sales manager is right around the corner. Your first question should be "whose system is the new VP going to work under, theirs or yours." Most business owners typically respond by saying "our system." It is then necessary to look at the system (in many cases there is no sales system) to determine how successful it has been in generating consistent sales. Even the most successful sales manager is destined to fail in an ineffective system. Go to Training for more information.

5. We're in the middle of hiring, should we wait until we've finished hiring before proceeding further?

No! Your past hiring methods may be part of the problem. As opposed to potentially compounding the problem, first analyze why you are hiring. Is it due to expansion because sales are dramatically up? Is it because of turnover? Or is it because your existing sales people are not meeting your company goals and you need to supplement their efforts? Go to Evaluations for more information on turnover and hiring.

6. My company did well before this economic recession, why not just wait for the economy to pick up?

You must ask yourself a question. Were the sales numbers generated during the economic boom more a condition of the economy opposed to effective sales people? During the late nineties we experienced economic growth rates unmatched since the roaring twenties. Unfortunately, the tremendous demand of the late nineties was not business as usual and it is highly unlikely that we will re-experience these same conditions any time soon. Most sales people selling today have never sold in a down economy. The rejection they experience can be contagious. It is up to the business owner to provide the support and tools necessary for the sales team to combat the problems that inevitably arise in a down economy. See Training for more information and check Workshops and Seminars for workshops that relate to selling in a down economy.

7. Isn't low sales production a result of poor marketing efforts - would directing more money into marketing and advertising solve my sales problem?

8. Right now I have a cash flow problem and can't commit to sales training?

Companies often classify their low sales volume as a cash flow problem, whereas it would be more accurate to call it a sales problem. If there is a will there is a way. If there is no will, then there are excuses. However if you desire a change in your bottom line then you must implement change. Call Peak Performance to discuss your situation. We do understand that quite often when companies make the effort to inquire it is because their financial situation is not where they deserve it to be and alternatives may be available for you. Go to Contact for contact information.

9. We're only a small company, what's the minimum number of sales people you'd consider?

Peak Performance helps all companies regardless of size. All companies begin with one. We find that small companies with a big company perception of themselves are most often the ones that make the decisions to take the necessary steps to become the big company. Go to Evaluations or Training to learn how we can immediately help you to increase your sales.

10. I just started up my company, is it too early for me to start working on my sales strategies and techniques?

When starting a company most business owners invest in people, equipment, advertising, but not necessarily in that order. Most business owners implement systems in most departments of the company but neglect to implement a system within their sales department. For example, when a system of collecting on receivables is implemented, the purpose behind that system is to assure maximum efficiency in collecting outstanding payments. However after investing substantial time, energy and money into their companies, many business owners come to the conclusion later, rather than sooner that they don't have a cash flow problem, they have a sales problem.