Sales Training

How to use recorded calls and demos for sales team training

This post is going to be helpful if you’re recording sales calls and sales demos. If you are then great, if not, set that up first and then come back to this post.

Every sales call made is a training opportunity. Gather your team, pick a recent sales call or sales demo and use it as training material everyone can learn from. Done well this can be helpful for everyone, done badly it can be nothing but embarrassing for the sales rep in the spotlight and uncomfortable for everyone else. Here’s how to do it well.

Ingredients

This is a bitesize but frequent learning session. Commit to a minimum of once a week for 1-2 hours per session. It works best in small groups, no more than 5 people.

1.Position and execute the training carefully

This training session works best when the sales team celebrate all the things the sales rep did well during their call or demo. Create an environment where others can learn from what one member of the team is incredible at. Make the sales rep in the spotlight the hero. Don’t make this training session about all the things the sales rep did wrong during their call and how the rest of the team must avoid their mistakes. You will create a training session everyone dreads and an environment where no-one wants to share and learn together.

2.Start every session with a reflection on the previous session

At the start of each training session take a few minutes for each member of the team to chat about how the previous session improved their recent calls and demos. It sets up the training in a really positive way and highlights the value of each session right from the start.

3.Listen in bite size chunks

If you’re listening to calls that are 20-30 mins long I’d recommend splitting the call up into smaller chunks and give feedback as you go. It keeps the session energy high and you’re more likely to keep people’s attention.

4.Discussing the sales call as a team

Allow each member of the team to chat about what they learnt from the call and how it’s going to help improve their own sales skills. The sales rep in the spotlight will naturally have made mistakes and you can address them in a positive way. Allow the rep under the spotlight to point our their own mistakes by asking ‘is there anything you would have done differently next time?’ Allow the rest of the team to offer advice on where the rep felt he/she could have done better.

5.The sales manager has 3 jobs in this training session

Create a great environment that allows your reps to chat freely. This is about their development. If you’re talking more than 20% of the time you’re doing it wrong. Secondly, there will be loads learnt in one hour. Don’t let the valuable lessons be forgotten after everyone has left the room. Consolidate the helpful lessons together with the sales call or sales demo and house it somewhere easy for staff to access. This stuff is great for new starter training. Finally, be responsible for bringing the coffee and snacks.

 

 

3 thoughts on “How to use recorded calls and demos for sales team training

  1. Hi Tom, are recording customer phone calls or face-to-face meetings? Either way, are you asking the customer’s permission to record? If yes are they ok with that usually?

    1. Hi, Mike thanks for the question.. Yes, we always ask permission as it automatically says that when anyone enters the call. This is the same for an online meeting as well. In years of doing this, I can only ever think of one person that has asked me to not record most companies are really happy to as they understand it is for training.
      Face to face meetings I have recorded off our macs before as well, but again best to ask in advance, this can be more sensitive so maybe pick the right prospect. I know some good systems if you want some recommended?

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