Be a Sales Training Manager

Large organizations often hire sales trainers and sales training managers to educate their sales force. Sales trainers must be gifted educators, who know inspiring ways to communicate new sales tactics or product information. Sales training managers create long-term management plans for hiring, training and improving their sales force. They work closely with sales managers and upper management to reach quotas and constantly improve the company's sales strategy. This is a competitive market, where experience, education, public speaking and confidence are extremely important. Read more to find out how to be a sales training manager.

Steps

  1. Get a degree in Business Management or Business Administration. Sales jobs are often ranked by education. In order to be qualified for most sales management positions, including sales training management, you must show that you have learned advanced management techniques.
    • Sales managers must think in the short and long-term. They must be able to analyze data and decide what is the best direction to take for the company as well as the sales department.
  2. Obtain 7 or more years of sales and sales training experience. In order to understand the sales process, most managers have to show that they can sell the product. Sales training managers have the extra burden of needing to show they can sell and they can teach - 2 very different disciplines.
  3. Be prepared to travel. Many sales training manager jobs involve creating a training plan and then implementing it in various branches throughout your territory or country. This job is 10 to 90 percent travel based, but occasionally it is done remotely, through telecommuting.
  4. Become extremely familiar with the company's products and services. This will help you tailor your training plan to the company's needs. For most people, this means moving up through the ranks at a company, from salesperson to sales trainer to sales manager.
    • Many people get their first sales training management jobs in a company where they have been working for years. After obtaining a successful training management experience, they can look for jobs at other companies where they can repeat their success with new products or services.
    • If you are looking to be hired for a new job as a sale training manager, get to know the products and services very well before you interview. Speak to a salesperson before you interview, so you can get a good idea of the company's approach.
  5. Know the sales training manager lingo. You should be ready to talk about your approach toward quotas, efficiency, retention, competitive advantage, turnover, mentors, sales training funnels, subject matter experts and knowledge transfer. Include these topics in your training plan, or a sample training plan if you are interviewing for a job.
  6. Make sure you have solid references and numbers that point to your success before looking for a job in a new company. You can build references from veteran sales people, sales managers, sales trainers and executive staff. You should also have a "brag sheet" of results that your training methods brought to your past companies.
  7. Market yourself. Consider hiring a graphic designer to create a "brand" or look for a website, business cards, letterhead, portfolios, resumes and more. Any management position requires you to dress in business formal attire and project an air of professionalism, especially as you search for a sales training management job.
  8. Network within the sales community. Sales training management jobs are more rare than sales jobs or sales training jobs, so you have to try to have an advantage over the competition. Use your communication skills to network at your company, at conferences or online.
  9. Use your connections and online job databases to look for jobs as a sales training manager. You may need to look in a number of emerging markets, such as healthcare, green services and information technology (IT), in order to find more job opportunities.



Warnings

  • Beware that sales training management is a results-based job. Like many senior management positions, your contract may be short. It also may rely on improving sales for the company within a set period of time.

Things You'll Need

  • Business administration degree
  • 7 or more years of experience
  • Sales training lingo
  • Brag sheet
  • Sales connections
  • Website, letterhead, business cards and other marketing materials
  • Professional attire
  • Sample sales training plan

References

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