I have the highest level of respect for sales managers. They are responsible for the lifeblood of their company — its revenue. 

Sales managers’ duty is to push their reps to meet quotas of the right magnitude. Additionally, they are often tasked to assist in the follow-up and close

FAILURE TO DOMINATE DEALS MEANS A SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH FOR THE BUSINESS

As such, training with the most effective and modern techniques is critical for sales managers to lead successfully. Outdated and clunky processes won’t launch your company, your team, or you to the next level. 

With this in mind, I have compiled the criteria of what would be in the perfect training course for sales managers, not only in 2022, but for years to come… 

But first, you gotta know the theory behind why high-level training requirements are so important. 

What Is the Main Goal of Sales Training?

Most importantly, a sales training program for anyone — not just sales managers — has one main goal…

More sales. If rigorous training doesn’t translate into more money in, then it is a waste of time. 

Also, mindset, confidence, and attitude can be even more powerful than the closing material itself. (And I believe in closing material as if it were a religion.)

That being said, I’ve studied a lot of strategies during my 30 years in sales…

Some worked every now and then, but not always…

Others were based on tricks and felt dishonest…

Today, I’m here to tell you that sales methods can be predictable, ethical, and get your team more deals

However, as a leader, training is just as necessary for you as it is for your direct reports.

Why Do Sales Leaders Need to Train?

I’m sure you have your personal motivation for researching the best sales training courses.  

Nonetheless, I want to share with you three core reasons why managers should train as much as their sales team — if not more. 

In fact, the most reliable and successful leaders on my sales team have gone through ALL our training MULTIPLE times. And they revisit it regularly. I get reports back from my managers all the time on how this helps them better perform their jobs.

So, here are several specific whys to keep in mind, as well as the benefits you can expect as a sales manager participating in training.

1. Create a Success-Driven Culture

In today’s world, staying positive, motivated, and high-energy is difficult in the best of circumstances.  

Training programs can support all the above for a sales manager which, in turn, instills the values into the entire department.

A good sales training course should be educational, but also get the student to start thinking bigger

Because trainees know more, they set loftier goals and realize they can accomplish greater things. 

A manager who has seen these effects of sales training will encourage others to do the same, thus creating a culture of success. 

And speaking of improving the quality of your people… 

2. Build a High-Performing Sales Team

One of the top five questions I get asked as a business owner is how I find great talent for my company. Generally speaking, I answer that you should always assess how this person can increase your profits in their role

You can see how this can get tricky when determining if someone will be able to actually make sales or not. So how do you figure it out for sure?

A trait of an outstanding sales manager is their ability to spot and recruit killer closers. Sales training allows them to recognize what traits translate into great salespeople. 

Although I believe anyone can become great at sales with training, hiring someone with the right mindset can speed up the process.  

SALES MANAGERS WHO TRAIN BUILD THE STRONGEST TEAMS IN THE MARKETPLACE.

2. Lead by Example

The third reason why sales managers need great, consistent training is pretty clear…

You cannot expect others to do what you have not done yourself first

Leaders who do not lead by example tend to not get very far. This is not just a matter of your sales team seeing that you’ve put in the work. It is more about having the tools to guide them when they get stuck in the weeds

As a sales manager, your job is not just to set quotas and leave your salespeople to fend for themselves. You have to be able to exemplify and offer solutions. 

But how else can training courses improve a sales manager’s ability to lead other than by example? 

How Can Sales Managers Improve Leadership Skills?

Ultimately, those in a sales manager position are there to bring out their team’s full potential. In this regard, leadership skills are essential. 

Despite this, many of the clients I work with have trouble in this area in particular. 

“I’m not a natural leader!” is a phrase I’ve heard so many times, I’ve lost count. 

Contrary to popular belief, being a good leader is not an ability some people are born with and some are not. It has to be learned and practiced just like anything else. 

With this in mind, check out these tips I’ve picked up that can strengthen your leadership skills within a solid sales training program…

Coaching and Being Coached

To begin with, ask yourself this question…

Have you experienced effective leadership yourself? 

When you are coached to produce positive results, you can use similar techniques with your team. I am a strong believer in learning from other people’s experiences and duplicating their winning moves. 

LEARNING FROM OTHERS’ MISTAKES AND WINS IS THE ONLY SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS

For example, we have a coaching option as a part of my extensive sales training program, Cardone University. With the business owner’s permission, anyone in the company can participate in guided sales training. Not just the sales force.  

The main goal of this designated Cardone coach is to keep those involved accountable and to get them studying and using the platform. Equally important, he or she guides them through the specific issues they are having executing in their roles. 

When you are all under the same coach, it immediately puts everyone on the same page. You all are learning the same material and understand the expectations. 

Moreover, the sales manager can learn some tips and tricks when he is coached alongside his team. In addition to teaching students, coaching should encourage discussion. 

Look, coaches are everywhere — TV, books, online, or even people in your life you look up to. Their insights and perspective are invaluable. 

Take advantage of coaching whenever possible. 

Hitting and Exceeding Targets

I hate to break it to you, but this is the reality…

WITHOUT A TARGET, YOU WILL FAIL.

This is because without forced accountability to push them towards something more, most people just won’t move on their own

For this reason, anywhere you want to do well, you need a goal in mind — one that seems almost impossible. This is especially true for sales managers when setting quotas for themselves and their teams.  

If you’re not setting these targets at this magnitude, you’re probably not setting the right ones. 

The reason for this is that when you hit your massive targets, it not only keeps you motivated and up to task; it inspires your team that it can be done

Remember, no one is inspired when they or someone else accomplishes something reasonable

Set huge targets for yourself, hit them, and assist your salespeople to do the same. 

Now, it’s time to get into the meat and potatoes of what makes up the baddest training program for sales managers…

What Should a Training Program for Sales Managers Include?

As we’ve previously discussed, the goal of sales training is more revenue. Therefore, a top-rated, fully-developed curriculum will have courses on all the following categories. 

With the content I’m about to share, you can be prepared for anything — before, during and after the sale. 

Look for the following elements to be integrated into your training of choice. 

Role-Playing Exercises

No matter what industry you look at, the greats practice. Role-playing the steps of the sales cycle has been a game-changer for my success in sales, as well as the numerous clients I’ve worked with. 

Practical drills where you can simulate what a customer may say gives the student the chance to fail in the role-play… 

Instead of in front of the customer. 

This practice creates confidence and results in more deals. So, in my opinion, a legit training program must include role-playing exercises. It’s non-negotiable. 

Back when I got into the sales game, I had to rehearse my techniques in a mirror. Luckily, we’ve come a long way with technology since then…

For example, in my training platform, we have computer-simulated role-play where you handle a sale over the phone. You don’t even have to have a person to practice with! 

Whatever program you go with, make sure it makes you practice what it’s preaching. 

Otherwise, what good will it do you? 

Prospecting Strategies

Since prospecting is different from selling, many training courses don’t include lessons on it… 

THIS IS A HUGE MISTAKE.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good your product is if there is no one to sell to

Therefore, you need some prospecting strategies in your arsenal. Prospecting is the secret sauce to generate your own market, so you are independent of any economic condition. 

Creating a full pipeline has to be a priority, and it’s an activity to be done on a large scale in order to get results. 

Despite the importance of prospecting, many sales professionals don’t do it enough. Apparently, they don’t know what to say to different types of potential customers…

So, training courses for sales managers should include strategies for tackling cold and warm traffic alike…

Don’t neglect it in your selection process. 

Pitching Methods

The ideal program for sales managers would definitely include some training on how to best deliver your pitch. 

Many people believe that just because they are talking, they are communicating… 

If you’ve ever heard someone who speaks softly or mumbles, then you know that’s not the case. 

Knowing what language will help your sales pitch and properly articulating it engenders trust from the customer. 

Plus, being able to present a written proposal that clearly outlines your offer cultivates confidence in the prospect as well. 

PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY SEE NOT WHAT THEY HEAR.

But even if you deliver the perfect pitch, your sales training will have to prepare you for this… 

Handling Objections

However long you’ve been a salesman, you’ve heard customer objections. I’m sure some of these classics are familiar to you… 

  • “The price is too high.”
  • “We’re going to wait till tax time.”
  • “I have to talk to my spouse.” 

Every salesperson in the history of the universe has heard a variation of at least one of these. 

The point of the matter is that if salespeople didn’t know how to move the buyer past these, nothing would be sold…

Ever. 

As a result, economies would cease to exist. Seeing as our world keeps turning, there are effective methods out there to dominate objections. 

Since it is such a common issue, a course on handling objections is the bare minimum for any sales training worth its salt. Make sure there is extensive training available on it for your sales managers and team. 

Negotiating Techniques

The ability to negotiate can be the difference between living in abundance or scraping by. You need to get a fair price for your products and services for your own financial stability, let alone your company. 

Nonetheless, social training and rigid customers make this step of the sales process tricky for some. 

There are negotiating strategies that give you a leg to stand on even when the going gets tough. Contrary to what many old-school players say, many of these techniques begin with agreeing with the buyer rather than saying you can’t. 

You want to have your training program produce lethal sales managers? Then see that it has content on how to negotiate. 

Follow-Up Resources

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times…

THE GOLD IS IN THE FOLLOW-UP.

Yet 48% of all salespeople never follow up, and those who do aren’t consistent enough to turn it into a sale. 

Learning how to creatively follow up with cold traffic leads, warm leads who have not purchased, and those who have bought in the past is its own art. 

There are right and wrong ways to follow up via:

By this token, the right sales training will light that creative spark for you to start doing the right method and level of follow-up for your business. 

But as we all know, there is one real goal to all this. More closes. And for that, there is a critical aspect to address…

Closing Scripts

In the end, the only way doing any of this will matter is if you ink more deals. 

In recent years, there has been a pushback against standard closing scripts. People feel it makes them sound “unnatural” or “robotic.” 

However, I have to disagree…  

If you knew exactly what you were going to say would result in more closes, wouldn’t you say it? 

Besides, that stiff or robotic quality is handled when you practice. Once you know the right words by heart, you can inject your personality into the scripts and make them your own. 

With this in mind, great training programs will have hundreds of closing scripts — that work — for you to use. 

So now, the real dilemma becomes finding the source where you can get ALL these features in one place…

Where Can You Access the Best Training for Sales Managers?

Earlier in this article, I mentioned two facts about myself. 

One is that I have been in the sales industry for over 30 years… 

And two, that I created my own sales training platform, Cardone University

Armed with my experience in sales — and my trial and error using other training programs — I determined that a successful platform would need everything I talked about in this article

The problem was that it didn’t exist.

So, I built it myself. 

As things have changed over the years, I have adapted it to fit the needs of salespeople and customers today. I designed Cardone University so managers, team members — anyone — can master every step of the sales process. 

That is the way everyone wins. You can schedule a call with my team and get more information about Cardone U here

Look, I can guarantee that my program has all these features that you and your company can benefit from. 

I can’t speak for the other guys. 

But know that if they can’t provide everything on this perfect checklist, you’re selling yourself and sales force short. 

Choose the training that will make you Great,

Grant Cardone

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Star of Discovery Channel’s “Undercover Billionaire,” Grant Cardone owns and operates seven privately held companies and a private equity real estate firm, Cardone Capital, with a multifamily portfolio of assets under management valued at over $4 billion. He is the Top Crowdfunder in the world, raising over $900 million in equity via social media. Known internationally as the leading expert on sales, marketing, and scaling businesses, Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 business books, including “The 10X Rule,” which led to Cardone establishing the 10X Global Movement and the 10X Growth Conference, now the largest business and entrepreneur conference in the world. The online business and sales educational platform he created, Cardone University, serves over 411,000 individuals and Forbes 100 corporate clients throughout the world. Voted the top Marketing Influencer to watch by Forbes, Cardone uses his massive 15 million plus following to give back via his Grant Cardone Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring underserved, at-risk adolescents in financial literacy, especially those without father figures.