Shane Decker: Why Your Team Needs Weekly $ale$ Training

A salesperson can only deliver an awesome experience if he’s taught to do so.

This article originally appeared in the May 2016 edition of INSTORE.

I’m always amazed that when I ask audiences how many stores do one-hour sales meetings every week, it’s almost always less than 10 percent of those in attendance. In our industry, we have a bad habit of setting up new people for failure because of the lack of training. The learning curve in selling jewelry is a long one — approximately three years before a salesperson is truly comfortable and competent when selling the product. That alone should convince you to hold sales-training meetings once a week, but if that’s not enough, here are some more reasons.

1. Each person on your sales team will have more self-confidence, which the client will see. That, in turn, gives the client more confidence to make the purchase. Your staff won’t see as many objections and they’ll close more sales because clients know your staff knows what they’re talking about. Clients won’t challenge their presentation as often.

2. Professionalism goes up. (Clients expect your entire team to be professional.)

Your team is an extension of who you are: your integrity, your professionalism, your attitude, your honesty.

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3. Teamwork and T.O.’s will increase because your people trust each other. Seasoned people don’t like to team-sell with a new staff member because they don’t trust them, but if everyone is well-trained, they’ll work together like a well-oiled machine.

4. Your sales team will be able to answer questions and give the client accurate information. This is vital, especially if the client has researched the product online.

5. Your team will have the opportunity to role-play, which will prevent them from “practicing” on your clients. They’ll learn to handle objections, sell company benefits, close sales, add on, and call someone in if needed.

6. Self-improvement creates a friendly environment. Knowledge empowers your team. The more they know, the less likely that they’ll come and ask a question in the middle of their presentation. If they keep leaving to ask questions, the client will think maybe they should talk to the person that they keep running back to.

We have to invest knowledge, time, support and encouragement into our teams. The most successful stores train their people before they let them step foot on the sales floor. Too many times we hire someone, have them put the jewelry into the cases on their first day, and then they’re on the sales floor waiting on clients who want an awesome experience. What do you think the client thinks? First, that they’re not coming back. And they’re probably going to tell someone about the terrible experience they had.

Clients want to form a relationship with a salesperson they trust. They want that person to be there the next time they come in. And the best way to preserve client loyalty is to close the sale, which takes professionalism. When clients are successful, have fun, and have a memorable experience, they’ll be back.

Your team is an extension of who you are: your integrity, your professionalism, your attitude, your honesty. If you want your team to deliver the best possible experience, it’s your responsibility to make them the best you can. Start with a one-hour sales meeting each week. Go in early and have an agenda to follow, whether it’s diamond knowledge, a new product, whatever. Practice handling objections and closes. Role-play. You’ll be amazed at how far your staff will come in a short amount of time!

Shane Decker has provided sales training for more than 3,000 stores worldwide. Contact him at ( 719) 488-4077 or at ex-sell-ence.com.