Excellent point, and one that underscores the changing business landscape that many are dealing with. The way customers buy is a world apart from the way it was done ten, or even five years ago. Not only do sales teams need to understand current changes in buying behavior, they need to develop a highly adaptable approach and a watchful eye toward the way discovery is happening, the way risks are being assessed and the ways decision making keeps evolving.

I like that you use the word “intervention” because it belies a few key characteristics of a healthy consulting relationship: that the trainer should be mindful of the delicate balance of historic systems and mindsets clients have come to trust, and that they must be careful to provide help that can be incorporated cleanly into those existing systems without disruption of business critical functions or conflicting with strong predispositions clients may have.

Good form!

Great points!

I’d just like to add that one of the foundation components of any sales training intervention is a complete, objective understanding of customer buying preferences, tendencies, alternatives, and trends.

In a word, we have to sell to how the customer buys. Without that, we might as well wear blindfolds and earplugs.

If the sales training curriculum isn’t based on the gaps among how the customer buys and the sales person’s existing capabilities, the training will be worth nothing more than a temporary bump in performance.

Happy New Year!

Dave