sales training disasters when sales

Sales training through sales mentoring within a selling organization is only a good idea when it is well structured and complemented by a broader system. Unfortunately, many harried and time-starved business owners take shortcuts with sales training and assign new trainees to shadow current salespeople in lieu of more comprehensive and systematic preparation.Sales Mentoring can also be applied in a very dangerous and counter-productive way when the sales trainees are compelled to shadow the wrong mentors. There are a few problems that can arise when this happens. Not only do organizations forfeit many of the benefits that can be gained from a strategic sales training system, they also incease the chances of contaminating trainees with performance-limiting thoughts, attitudes and behaviors.You can save yourself a lot of grief and your selling organization a lot in lost profits if you keep in mind the 6 traits of salespeople who should never be involved in your sales mentoring process.1. They lack Self-awarenessThey lack the sort of self-awareness that generates integrity. They often don't filter their words or behavior very well, so they don't improve in the areas where they need development. Very often, these people may be among the top producers in terms of closing deals, and so their undesirable behaviors get tolerated.These people are very big risks for contaminating your new trainee because they probably are already in your selling organization and new trainees are likely to be assigned to shadow them.2. They are InsecureThis second type of undesirable mentor may not be as reliable a top producer as those in the first category. As a result, they have issues with insecurity around top producers as well as any others they worry may make them look lazy and under-performing. In the worst cases, they may even be prone to unconsciously sabotaging their teammates.Promising new trainees may be subject to their attacks if they threaten to make these types of incumbent salespeople look like the underperformers they often are.3. They lack intellectual curiosityThey do not keep up with the latest facts, statistics, and trends that affect their products, their company and their customers. They lack the drive to stay completely up-to-date on even the products and programs they sell. Lacking the correct information, they make up for it by sounding authoritative even when they don't know. The discerning ear may them arrogant and overbearing.4. They make excusesThey are not accountable for results. They spend a lot of time complaining and making excuses for why they do not get results. Generally, they do not hold themselves responsible for their failure to hit their goals.5. They resent customers.They have very unhealthy attitudes towards customers, and they betray these attitudes in their conversations and actions. They often will only do the minimum required to get by. You can identify them by the negative "nicknames" that they assign to their customers, their grumbling about having to manage customer accounts they have sold to, and other such behaviors.Again, such a salesperson should never find themselves in the role of mentoring anyone...in a perfect world. Unfortunately, when sales managers and business owners are strapped for time and other resources, decisions get made that have long-term negative consequences.6. They have unproductive personal habits and lifestylesTheir personal habits and lifestyles intrude on their ability to produce great numbers. They have a hard time keeping the consequences of their poor lifestyles out of the workplace. They give customers a bad impression of themselves and also of your organization.ConclusionAll the traits listed above may be found in one person. Or they may be the only trait that marks the salesperson. In either case, you should consider replacing such employees. The last thing you should do is assign a new trainee to shadow them.Prevention is the best medicine. You should have a strategic process in place for identifying exactly what you want out of a salesperson in terms of motivation, objectives and competencies. You should have a continuous ongoing process for sourcing talent, and then you should have a customized sales training program that helps your sales force communicate your USP and follow through in a superior manner.

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