Over the last couple of years, I’ve attended nearly 100 sales kick-offs and quarterly business reviews. And at each one of these events, I’m always amazed at how much companies focus on the status quo. Every time, they focus these three- to four-day events on product-based information. They look at new tools and products they’re launching. They go through the features, advantages, and benefits, talk tracks, and call sheets for these new products. But where is the skills-based training?
When you look at the agenda for the few days, only a small portion is dedicated to skills-based training. I’m astounded at how many companies continue to focus on the status quo within the skills of their sales professionals. They’re running all kinds of new initiatives, new communications plans, new territories, and new products—but they’re not dedicating enough time to building the core skills of the sales professionals.
