Using Hands-On Sales Training to Enable Your Software Sales Team Success

By: Karen Spencer, Area Vice President, OrasiLabs Product Manager

Any technology salesperson worth his/her salt knows the weight of the word ‘No’. It is a word that any salesperson has heard, directly and indirectly, from CXOs and mid-level teams alike. It is a familiar word.

 A ‘No’ originates from three places –

1. Prospect is genuinely not interested in the software product or solution at all.

2. Prospect has not defined their needs or identified gaps.

3. Prospect does not understand how the solution works and could benefit their organization.

What lies beneath a ‘No’

While hearing a ‘No’ is hard, think of it this way: How many people jumped to grab a smartphone three decades back? Not as many as you think. Not because they did not need it, but because they were not confident in their level of tech literacy. A lack of understanding how technology works, could be the real reason behind a lot of ‘Nos’.

And the chances of hearing of a ‘No’ increases when the solution you are selling impacts an entire group of people. If a manager does not fully understand the solution or is not confident their team could use the solution proficiently, then the answer is likely ‘No’. It is difficult to justify investing in a tool if it translates to training expenditure, loss of productivity, and mistakes that could cost dearly in actual work scenarios.

So, the best route to bypass these obstacles is to pre-empt the concerns of your prospects by demonstrating the benefits of the solution; however, to do this effectively your sales team must be expertly trained themselves. Complete product training gives your team real confidence, ownership, and interest in the software that they offer because they understand the solution on a deeper level and how to articulate its value.

But how to train your entire sales team without pulling them out of the field for onsite training, which could entail travel, and away from prospecting and selling?

Empower Your Sales Team Through Hands-On Sales Training Sessions to Get Closer to ‘Yes’

Here, the use of well-designed, interactive, learning experiences delivered through advanced virtual labs can help increase the performance of your software sales team cost-effectively and in less time than traditional classroom training.

Sales training is a multiplier and an accelerator. A well-designed and personalized hands-on software training program delivered through cutting edge virtual labs solutions can help your software sales team cut down a lot of ‘Nos’. It can also create opportunities for upselling and cross-selling opportunities. You are not just selling a product now. You are selling your expertise that helps your customer to transform their business when they invest in your organization and solution.

Once your prospect becomes a customer, your salesperson is well-positioned to create a win-win situation where your customers mature into your partners and advocates.