As we head into Q4 and the end of the year, we also phase into planning for sales to kick-off during the new year. If you happen to be in charge of planning, organizing, or building content for a sales kick-off, this blog may be helpful.
Many companies use this time to enlighten their sales teams about their products, features, and benefits, and the best way to get the product into the customer's hands. In fact; it might be days of what we would like to call ‘product knowledge training.’
I challenge you to be critical of how much product knowledge training you are giving your sales team versus sales training.
Obviously, this may sound self-serving, but based on the feedback we’ve gotten from multiple sales teams in multiple industries over many years; here are a couple of thoughts to keep in mind when you’re putting together content for your sales kick-off.
1. Whatever you think you need in product knowledge, reduce it by half or more. Too many sales teams leave sales kick-offs overwhelmed with the amount of information given to them. If at all possible, they want to learn by getting the product into their hands. This allows the sales team to actually experience the product, which in turn will help them build conviction to ask better qualifying questions of their prospects. Therefore, they can sell more in the coming year. If there’s necessary information they need to have, it is not urgent for the sales kickoff. Make sure they know where to find the additional information when needed.
2. Building engagement with the entire team by realizing you have auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners on your team. The kinesthetic learners will appreciate you allowing them to touch the product. Visual learners will love your PowerPoint, but please don’t overdo the amount and uncertainty of the words on the slide. (One time, one of our coaches got a standing ovation before he started a session with a team because he had no Powerpoint!) Finally, realize your auditory learners may need a little bit more time to process how the particular points relate to them in their sales success, so take it slow.
Remember the Sandler Rule - “Product knowledge is worthless when used at the wrong time.”
Of course, if you would like to engage with one of the Sandler coaches in our office for your sales kickoff, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
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