How To Foster Accountability And Self-Governance In Sales Online Training Courses
The second you turn 18 in most corners of the globe, the state assumes you’re a responsible citizen. Of course, ‘responsible’ is a relative term. Whether it happens overnight or progressively during teenage, adults are assumed to be mature. The main aspect of their maturity is accountability. You may be no smarter or wiser at 18 than you were at 17 and eight-ninths. But you are now responsible for your actions. How does this look in work settings? In this article, I am sharing 7 tips to foster accountability and self-governance in sales online training courses so that your employees know how to take the initiative and seize every opportunity to seal the deal without putting your brand image at risk.
7 Tips To Boost Accountability In Your Sales Course
1. Group Work
Asking sales employees to work together seems like a roundabout way of teaching them personal responsibility. It’s valid though. Introduce structured collaborative tasks into your sales online training courses. Don’t just pick a group and leave them to their own devices. Instead, assign specific duties to each group member. Make it clear that they can’t do anyone else’s tasks. This way, if they slip up, they see the direct effect on their teammates. They’ll realize their individual role does make a difference to the whole. They should also be tasked with appointing a group leader and other key positions on the team. This tests their ability to identify skills and make the most of everyone’s talents.
2. Share Your Thoughts
Instant eLearning feedback is another useful tool. Usually, the sales team doesn’t recognize their impact until their end year bonus arrives (or doesn’t). By including quick eLearning feedback tools, you inculcate the premise of action-reaction. Your team will learn to give their views on a matter and to request the thoughts of others. Seeing how your (in)action influences those around you is the best way to give you more internal drive. You can then utilize your self-motivation towards a keener external focus.
3. Control And Motivation
We are often told the main selling point of eLearning for adults is self-direction. However, you may need to direct your salespeople on how to use their ‘freedom’. As a salesperson, you’ll hear that your income is entirely dependent on you. You’ll be paid in commissions, which are intended to motivate you to work harder. But it’s just as easy to decide that you’re okay with earning ‘less’ or rationalizing reduced targets. You have to teach teams how to stay in the game. This can be learned by using unconventional techniques. For example, online training simulations or branching scenarios that show cause and effect. They are more likely to go onto the sales floor and give it their all if they’re aware of the negative repercussions of their inactions.
4. Walking The Talk
Include online training resources that show sales teams how to give themselves ‘pep talks’. This could range from meditation and mindfulness to gamification. Teach your corporate learners how to make everyday activities competitive. Quick-fire exercises can develop this muscle, as a break between tough units put a playful ‘test’. Salespeople could be offered a limited period to stack items in a virtual basket. These ‘silly’ games build up their competitive spirit, and they can transfer that one-up-man-ship to their sales tasks.
5. Tie It To Real-World Outcomes
Little kids can’t wait to grow up because they can do what they want. No bedtime, no curfews, no rules. And as adults, we do get to decide a lot of things. Sometimes, this works against us. Without a designated adult telling us what to do, we can procrastinate to chronic levels. To equip sales teams with self-regulating abilities, tell them why they should be accountable. Don’t just teach them to write sales reports. Show them how their refusal to file records can lead to loss of income.
6. Intertwined Exposure
Branching scenarios do this really well. So does interdepartmental sales online training. In some of their online training sessions, show them the sales chain. Simulate what happens after they log a sale, so they can see the chain reaction when they don’t. Sales online training course content here will cover invoicing, debt collection, following sales leads, and how delays and inefficiency affect cash flow. This shows them how powerful their cog is in the overall system.
7. Service Perspectives
Your sales team isn’t restricted to negotiations and ringing up customers. They must also provide service to consumers to build loyalty and bring in repeat business. Even if they’re having a bad day, they must be able to approach each customer with a cool, calm, and collected demeanor. This involves a high level of empathy and being able to control emotions, despite the circumstances.
Develop real-world examples and customer persona simulations that allow employees to see things from the customer’s point of view. This also tests their ability to stay calm under pressure and regulate their reactions. For example, remain professional and composed when a customer asks the same question about a product for the tenth time. Or, when they listen to the entire sales pitch and seem interested in the item, but suddenly decide they aren’t ready to buy.
Conclusion
Accountability and self-management are skills every adult is automatically assumed to have. But if you didn’t learn them from your parents or teachers, you have to train the hard way. Sales online training courses can develop these skills in several ways. Tightly controlled group work shows you what happens (to others) when one employee slacks off. Teach sales employees to motivate themselves through clear thought and affirmations. Offer unconventional incentives and tell them the ‘why’ instead of just the ‘how’. Interdepartmental sales online training is another good way to build personal responsibility. Once sales employees see where they fit in the organization, they’re more likely to play their part.
Corporate learners, especially your sales team employees use their communication skills during client meetings or any sales transactions. Therefore, it is imperative for them to be able to put their skills into practice in a real-world context. Find the best soft skills online training solutions using our free online directory.
