In the dynamic landscape of professional development, online sales training has emerged as a valuable tool for smaller teams with budget constraints and dispersed workforces.
The advantages are evident, ranging from flexibility in scheduling to streamlined management of training content. Like any tool, online training comes with its own set of challenges that organizations must address to maximize its effectiveness.
Advantages of Online Training for Small and Dispersed Teams
1. Cost-Effective for Smaller Teams
Online sales training stands out as a cost-effective solution. This is particularly beneficial for smaller teams grappling with budget constraints.
On the one hand, traditional sales training methods often involve significant expenses such as venue rentals, travel, and printed materials. On the other, online sales training provides a more economical alternative.
This cost mitigation empowers organizations to allocate their resources more efficiently. Companies can redirect funds towards other critical aspects of operations.
By eliminating the financial burden associated with traditional training, online platforms make professional development accessible to a wider range of businesses. It fosters a culture of continuous learning and growth.
2. Suitable for Dispersed Teams and Remote Work
The prevalence of remote work has given rise to dispersed teams, and online sales training has emerged as a crucial tool to support their professional development. In the era of flexible work, where team members may be spread across different locations, online training offers a seamless solution.
It ensures that individuals working remotely receive an equitable and consistent quality of education. Adaptability is particularly advantageous for companies embracing remote or hybrid work models.
Online sales trainning enables companies to foster a cohesive learning environment and maintain a unified standard of knowledge across the entire team.
By leveraging onlinesales training for dispersed teams, organizations can bridge geographical gaps. This creates a sense of unity in their learning initiatives. The flexibility of online platforms accommodates diverse work settings and caters to the individual schedules.
It promotes a culture of continuous learning that aligns with the demands of modern, dynamic workplaces.
3. Self-Paced Learning
Online training offers a self-paced learning environment which allows team members to engage with the material at their own convenience. This flexibility is crucial for individuals with varying schedules and locations around the world.
In other words, online training empowers employees to take control of their development. Autonomy is one of the Top 5 requests from sales people in relation to behing successful at their job.
Sales people want to have control over their schedule. By giving them this autonomy, you prove to your sales team that you recognize them and their desires and build a stronger bond between you and the sales team member.
4. Direction and Cohesion in Online Sales Training
Management can leverage online training platforms to provide a unified direction for the team. By selecting specific topics or courses, organizations can ensure that every team member is aligned with the company’s goals and standards.
This approach enhances cohesion and promotes a consistent understanding of key concepts.
Challenges of Online Sales Training
1. Lack of Customization
Online sales training offers a wealth of resources and trainers, the challenge lies in the lack of customization. Generic content may not address the specific needs of a company, including industry nuances and individualized sales strategies.
Customization is crucial for tailoring training programs. This way you can align with the organization’s unique requirements. Before choosing an online training is crucial to analyze if that training answer the company’s needs and expectations.
2. Potential Lack of Accountability
Whether sales training happens in person, on Zoom, or via an online portal the biggest challenge is always stickiness.
Stickiness concerns along with the absence of face-to-face interaction creates a big leak in the funnel between obtaining the knowledge and actually executing and impementing the knowledge. It is not realted to the trainer or the content.
This happens because management does not create an accountability plan for themselves or the sales team.
Overcoming this challenge requires a proactive approach from management. So, leaders have to emphasize the importance of completing online training and monitor progress.
For online training to be effective, management must adopt a style that encourages accountability. If leaders are uncomfortable holding team members responsible for completing online courses, the efficacy of the training program may be compromised.
Establishing a culture of accountability is essential for reaping the full benefits of online training.
Here are a few ideas to help create an accountability plan.
- Leaders must take the online training along with the sales team
- Define the days certain modules must be completed by for everyone.
- Sales leaders should build role play and real play scenarios based on the modules covered.
- Managers should lead by example during the role play and act as a sales rep.
- Sales reps should then do role plays as the sales person.
- Managers and reps should decide a single tactic to work on each week.
- Managers and reps should build a feedback and sales coaching loop based on the execution of tactics from the online training.
Conclusion
Online training offers undeniable advantages for small and dispersed teams. That provide a cost-effective and flexible solution for professional development. However, organizations must navigate challenges such as customization and accountability. This way they ensure that online training aligns with their specific needs and objectives.
It is crucial to strike the right balance between embracing the benefits and addressing the challenges. This will enable businesses to unlock the full potential of online training in the realm of sales and beyond.
At The Harris Consulting Group, we provide a wide range of onsite and online training focused on specific topics of the sales area. Visit us and discover the training that most aligns with your company.
If you want to know more, download for free a section of my book and discover what The Seller’s Journey is all about.
