Training is tough, but you should still do it. Here are some examples of opportunities or forums during which training can happen:
• Business Planning Meeting. During the business planning meeting a manager may need to train an agent on how to create a plan. This is a good opportunity to share examples and tell stories of other successful agents and how they started off their years with the same type of plan.
• Weekly one-on-one meeting. During a 1:1, through proper discovery, a manager will often identify a particular skill issue. For example, if an agent has a high number of dials to prospects but has not set many appointments, he/she may be having trouble arousing the prospects interest to meet. A good manager could identify this issue through proper questioning. If there is enough time during the 1:1 meeting, it may be appropriate to train on the opening line and script so that the agent can build skills and confidence in this area immediately.
• Scheduled one-on-one training session. At times, a manager may identify a certain skill issue and may not be able to address it immediately. In this case, time should be scheduled to concentrate on the issue. For example, if an agent and manager decide to go through a dry run of a customer meeting, they may schedule a separate meeting to do so.
• Training or coaching in the moment. Training opportunities often arise while managers are out in the field, or side-by-side in the office performing the step of a sales call or presentation with an agent. The training typically happens immediately before or after the customer interaction. For example, we see many top managers practicing pieces of a meeting in the car with an agent on the way to the customer meeting.
• In team or agency meetings. Some managers include training in every regular sales meeting (best practice), while others schedule separate group training sessions. This is often most relevant when managers notice that several team members could all benefit from training on a similar issue. Training in a group setting is great for team building and creates lots of opportunities for public recognition.
• Spontaneous opportunities. The best sales managers always have their training hats on. While walking around the office, they will hear an agent on the phone. After the call, the manager can immediately train the agent on how to improve a certain portion of the call. This quick training is excellent because often the agent has an opportunity to implement it and see success with the training immediately.