casual sales training goes deeper

As the owner of a small, but growing, parts supplier I often look for informal opportunities to train my sales staff. I find that communicating to them the principles of selling that I want them to embrace in a casual setting goes deeper than the training they receive in sales seminars. For example, I'll often have 2 or 3 members to my home on a weekend evening for a relaxed barbecue on the deck. After the meal I'll pour another round of beverages and invite everyone to grab a chair around the fire pit that is a centerpiece of our landscape. It's one of those stone fire pits that rises about two feet off of the ground.Ahead of time I've placed some wet wood in the fire pit along with somedamp newspaper that I know won't light easily, if at all. I ask someone to grab the nearby lighter and start the blaze. After trying for a minute or two with nothing to show for their efforts but some smoldering paper and stinging eyes from the smoke, I'll stop them and make a point. I'll say, "There's something wrong with that wood in the fire pit. It won't perform. What would it be like to have to sell product that don't perform as they should?" That leads to a profitable discussion about making sure we have the best products from our suppliers. They begin to understand why I simply won't carry underperforming brands for them to push. Selling junk hurts their reputation and the company's. This object lesson and discussion helps to solidify their sales philosophy that selling better parts, even at a slightly higher cost, leads to more fruitful business in the long run.Then I'll remove the wet stuff from the fire pit and replace it with dry wood and kindling. It lights quickly and soon a roaring blaze is being enjoyed by all. After conversation about things other than business I'll go around behind whoever sat in the chair that has the wheels on it that make it easy to move around the yard. I'll slowly start pushing the person toward the fire pit. An awkward chuckle or laugh usually follows as they start heating up or get some smoke in their face. I'll then apologize and move them back. Then I'll say, "The fire is wonderful...but being pushed toward it makes you want to push away. How is that like being too pushy in your sales approach?" More great sales-oriented discussion follows before we get back to chatting about family life, sports and news of the day. We all enjoy ourselves and that builds a healthier work environment. In addition, they leave with a better grasp of what I'm looking for from my sales staff. I find that these informal sales training sessions increase their confidence and motivation, and tracking corresponding growth in their sales figures is inevitably the result.

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