Building Sales Training Programs

There are several types of sales training programs. The most comprehensive and longest is the training program for newly recruited sales personnel. More intensive and shorter programs on specialized topics, as well as periodic refresher courses (collectively known as continuing sales training), are presented for experienced sales personnel. In addition, many companies offer sales training programs for the sales personnel of their distributors and/or dealers. Some programs are designed to develop individuals as sales trainers (full or part time) or as junior-level sales executives (district or branch sales managers). Each type of program serves a different purpose, and its content reflects that purpose.

Building a sales training program requires five major decisions. The specific training aims must be defined, content decided, training methods selected, arrangements made for execution, and procedures set up to evaluate the results. Some sales training specialists refer to these decisions as the A-C-M-E-E decisions-aim, content, methods, execution, and evaluation.