Investing resources in the sales force (direct or indirect) is almost always paying a good interest rate. The best part of it all is that you can invest in your sales force in different ways; however, I think one of the key investments is Training.
As you already know I started my professional career in sales, and I still strongly believe that spending a few years in sales is one of the best things you can do to develop a deep understanding of the market’s needs.
Surprisingly, one of the market’s needs often not totally understood is a well-trained sales force. And for a prospect or customer, there is nothing more frustrating than interacting with a salesperson who does not have sufficient knowledge about their product.
The Basics Of Sales Force Training
In general, there are two main training areas for a medical device sales rep:
- product knowledge
- selling skills knowledge
Product knowledge is not limited to the product, but it includes the complete set of expertise around the product. Examples include, the use of the product, the pathology, the medical condition, the treatments, the competitors, the substitutes, the reimbursement etc.
The selling skills knowledge is related to the selling skills of the salesperson. Since the medical device category is very heterogeneous, the know-how of the sales force could be very diverse.
However, some basic skills are common to all the salespersons in the field. Such skills include, prospecting, targeting, needs exploration, active listening, objection handling, SPIN technique, features & benefits selling, closing, etc.
The best sales forces are trained in both areas on a regular basis; however, instead of being the norm this is more of an exception. And even the big MedTech companies still miss the point and compromise on training.
Training Direct And Indirect Sales Force In Medical Devices
Although direct and indirect sales forces are managed differently from the training point of view, they should be treated in a similar manner.
The salesperson of a distributor is doing the same job of the salesperson belonging to a direct sales force. Therefore, why should he or she be treated differently from the training point of view? Or why should he or she not be as competent as a direct sales rep?
For sure, the training of indirect sales has more, and different challenges compared to a direct one, but this should not be an excuse for neglecting it or not trying to find solutions.
The Purpose And Impact Of The Sales Force Training
The purpose of the training is to provide the right tools to make the sales force more effective. The goal of the sales force is not selling; actually, it is solving a customer’s problem and bringing value. When this is achieved, selling is the by-product.
The impact of a well-trained sales force is massive and it includes:
- Better customer relationship: customer needs are understood and satisfied, sales reps’ visit brings value to the customer, sales rep is trusted, customers like to work with the sales rep.
- Better sales rep productivity: salespeople are confident about product, service, etc…, salespeople know the market, industry, customer profile, medical condition, etc…, salespeople do not rely only on learning on the job.
- Better company results: lower pressure on price, products and services are correctly positioned and differentiated, morale and retention of the sales force are higher.
Closing Remarks
These benefits of training are relevant for both direct and indirect sales forces. In the case of an indirect sales force, the supplier and distributor should reach an agreement for effective and appropriate sales force training, as both organizations have too much to lose in missing this opportunity.
The success of the sales force is not only dependent on the training, but the purpose/end result of training is a successful sales force.
What do you think about the training of the sales force? Share your thoughts in the section below and if you like the content of this blog don’t forget to subscribe.