6 Great Ways to Help Make Training a FUN Team Effort!

If you really think about it, customer service, sales, and marketing are all a part of every one of your employees’ job descriptions, aren’t they? Wouldn’t it make sense to train for that skill set? In today’s market, things are changing faster than ever so we have to adapt. By proving ongoing training we can make the transition from one skill set to another, easily. I think it’s safe to say training is essential.

Everyone in your company needs it. Heck, even your best employee can use a refresher on the basics, wouldn’t you agree? It is an ever-changing and fast-paced world, it’s easy to get left behind if you allow it. With consistent training, there is an opportunity to address changes in your industry, along with new methods and proven strategies to help improve skills.

I think a lot of frustration comes from the mundane approach to training. Nobody likes to feel like they are wasting time in a classroom when they could be and should be making money on the sales floor.

In this article, I will cover 6 great ways to help you implement sales training and make it a FUN team effort.

• Scheduling routine training sessions, even during the busiest time of year. This may include in-person or virtual sessions, whichever is most convenient for you. The benefit to virtual is convenience and accessibility. However, nothing can take the place of in-person training. As long as you make yourself available to answer questions, a self-paced, content-rich program should be used. Implement whatever works best for your organization but try to make it fun. You can do this by adjusting the environment. Music, snacks and energy! There is nothing worse than a boring sales training session. You leave with less energy then you had to start with and the knowledge you hoped for was lost in the midst of the monotone instructor you were trying to avoid eye contact with.
• A few minutes of open discussion may be invaluable, especially immediately following a session. Shortly after a training session is when we remember the most. Make yourself available to answer any questions your team may have. You can also get everyone involved by having a group discussion. Making sure everyone participates is the goal. Valuable information can be exchanged this way and everyone can learn from each other.
• Consider asking each employee to present a different topic at each meeting. This gives your employees a sense of ownership and that will motivate them to act upon their ideas. It also helps them to focus on a specific topic and gives them an opportunity to become experts. This, in turn, will give them creditability among the team.
• Focus on one subject per training or meeting session. Focusing on more than one topic at a time can result in overlooking pertinent information. Trying to cram as much as possible in one session is never a good idea. Make sure you give each team member enough time to absorb the information presented before moving on to the next topic. If this meeting will be more than an hour, take breaks! A quick 5-minute break can be all they need to stay alert.
• Encourage discussion among the entire team. Group discussions are one of the best ways to form relationships and come up with great ideas. Sometimes, it gives the introverts an opportunity to participate as well. Everyone’s personality is different. Give each team member a chance to shine.
• Positive suggestions and ideas that develop during these meetings and training sessions should be acted on right away. Don’t just say you’re going to do it…do it! Act on it sooner rather than later. This gives you as a leader, credibility and you gain your teammate’s trust this way.

Just remember, 80% comes from seeing and doing, 20% comes from reading, 10% comes from hearing. It doesn’t stop there it is imperative to provide ongoing training in any organization. Making sure that any questions or concerns are answered immediately, is key. Consider giving your employees access to a portal where they are able to search for answers and specific subjects themselves. This can be a great way to implement accountability as well. If by chance you are not available, they will have resources available to them. Set your employees up for success, not failure.

When your team is properly trained and motivated, success is no longer a goal, it’s a reality.