I had to change a flat tire on my daughter’s car the other day. This forced me to pop open the owner’s manual because I hadn’t changed a tire since … I can’t remember when. So what does this have to do with sales manager skills training?
I’ll get to that in a second.
Unsurprisingly, I didn’t memorize the owner’s manual when I bought the car. Nor was I paying much attention as the salesperson walked me around the car and showed me where the jack was.
What I was up against was something most of you have probably experienced at one time or another – a knowledge deficit. Thankfully, this is exactly the kind of situation where you and I learn best. It’s that tense, back-against-the-wall moment where you have no alternative but to learn—where you need to know something, now!
Salespeople face this every day. They don’t remember your product launch or sales training event days too long after they happen, let alone months later. They are just-in-time, situational learners. My latest CMO.com column shows you the convergence of marketing messaging, content and sales skills training into a single, integrated learning experience—available in that moment of need!
Specifically, I explore what it takes to make situational, in-the-moment learning possible – and effective – today.
When Marketing Stories And Sales Skills Converge
All kinds of tools and apps promise to help your salespeople “in the moment” across the different types of selling situations they face. However, the marketing messaging, content assets, and sales manager skills training needed to take advantage of these situational sales enablement technologies have not been ready, leading to many technology failures due to lack of adoption.
That is changing—and fast. Here’s a quick look at three trends happening right now that are making it possible to provide just-in-time, situational messaging, content assets, and skills training to enable salespeople to have the right conversations at each stage of the customer life cycle.
- Situational messaging frameworks: One-size-fits-all messaging is being replaced with tested, proven frameworks for creating messages that work for different moments of truth in the customer life cycle.
- Situational skills training: Standalone skills training over the course of days in classrooms is being replaced by short, compelling video-based skills coaching modules that are aligned to the various selling scenarios.
- Integrated, interactive online experiences: Static playbooks are being replaced with interactive mobile experiences that combine your stories and your skills in one situational messaging and coaching experience.
Tim Riesterer
Chief Strategy Officer
Tim Riesterer, Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions, is dedicated to helping companies improve their conversations with prospects and customers to win more business. A visionary researcher, thought leader, keynote speaker, and practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in marketing and sales management, Riesterer is co-author of four books, including Customer Message Management, Conversations that Win the Complex Sale, The Three Value Conversations, and The Expansion Sale.