How To Use Blended Learning Software To Boost Sales And Service Stats
A lot of us label sales as the most important part of our business. In reality, it’s just the most visible. We can easily see how many deals were closed and validate income levels. It’s why so many workplaces give their sales teams carte blanche. Yes, your sales superstars can’t do their work without the background support of their non-sales colleagues. But it’s still in the company’s best interests to amplify your sales team’s efforts. After all, they’re the infantry of revenue streams. So, how can you use blended training to arm them for the sales battle? Here are some insider tips to leverage your blended learning software to improve sales stats and service scores.
5 Tips To Use Blended LMS To Improve Those Scores
1. Live Online Events
Training programs often avoid communal events due to expected expenses. It can be tricky to justify hiring a venue and transporting everyone there. You must feed attendees, and it may involve paying for flights and hotel rooms, especially for the facilitator. However, if you can live stream their presentation instead, they could even host it from their couch. The catch is content. It has to focus on relevant sales skills. So, rather than spending hours on sales theory and progression paths, make every moment count. Cover practical sales tasks like how to profile customers, dealing with common customer excuses, and closing the sale. You can also tackle difficult tasks that are frequently overlooked, like how to start a sales conversation without putting off people you know; e.g., former classmates, family members, or even in-laws.
2. Customer Service Simulations
In sales training programs, simulations are often restricted to cold calls and closing. But sales personnel are often the front-facing department of any organization. So, when customers have a complaint, they’ll come to the same person that sold it to them. This makes customer care a facet of sales, and it’s a skill you should build into your sales machine. True, many sales teams are all about the next cha-ching, so they’ll offload follow-up to other departments. That said, having a sales team with superior customer service skills makes everyone look good. So, include simulation sequences that train your salespeople on the basics. Show them how to stay calm and not take it personally, even when they feel attacked. Train them on escalating the situation in ways that retain the sale. They could upsell, cross-sell, or convince the customer to take a voucher rather than a refund. Simulation debriefs are helpful in spotting errors as well.
3. In-Depth Product Knowledge
No salesperson can succeed unless they know their product back to front. Yes, there are sales gurus that can sell air to birds. But even these sales wizards falter the moment prospects start to ask questions. Product knowledge becomes even more crucial for referrals and upselling. A happy customer might call for an additional product or send you a potential sales prospect. You must meet this newer set of needs. One-on-one instructor coaching can help talk your sales trainees through this. They could loop in an instructor via phone call or instant message and receive sales tips as they go. Or they could access comparative product charts in the corporate reference library. This will help them differentiate products at a micro level. As a result, they can customize a product fit, which really impresses their returning customer or the person they referred. Build customizable comparison tools into your blended learning LMS and make them accessible on the go.
4. Consistent Data
Blended training systems are more malleable than traditional techniques or eLearning software. Why? Because the nature of blending requires flexibility. You have to consistently toggle online and offline formats, adjusting as needed. This means your L&D team has comprehensive oversight and editing tools. Thus, if there are any changes in products, services, or compliance requirements, they can be adjusted in real-time. This can be very impressive from a customer perspective because your brand appears more up-to-date than industry peers. They might see a casual tweet and ask you about it, and you can respond immediately from an informed perspective. Blending online training allows employees and trainers to gather all sorts of data on the product, the customer, and even the sales team. This data can be analyzed and repurposed to keep your sales machine well-oiled.
5. Incorporate Peer-To-Peer Support
The beauty of implementing blended learning software is giving employees the best of both training methodologies. They can go at their own pace and access online JIT support tools. However, they also have access to face-to-face training resources such as peer coaches and mentoring groups that allow them to bridge gaps and boost sales stats. For example, discussing how to deal with a difficult customer so that they seal the deal. You can use video conferencing tools to bridge the distance and give them anytime, anywhere support.
Conclusion
Metrics are a big part of sales protocol—so much so that they’re sometimes faked. Still, short of cooking books and massaging stats, how can you use blended training to raise service scores? Livestream real-time training events and record them for future reference. Use simulations to train sales teams in basic customer care. This helps if their customers follow up and will prevent them from handing off customers and making them feel dismissed. Ensure your sales team can compare products fairly instead of just pushing your flagship. And keep data up to date, reviewing it consistently and making necessary changes to your sales approach. Lastly, integrate peer-based support tools so that they share insights and benefit from each other’s experiences.
