How to Roll Out a Global Sales Training Program

The phrase “Not invented here” is probably the leading challenge facing the rollout of global sales training programs.

In too many cases, someone in corporate headquarters says, “We need an international sales training program for all our locations. We will develop it here, in our home country, and then roll it out around the world.”

It doesn’t matter where that corporate headquarters is located. If a training program for your sales team comes solely from any one place, the rest of the world will say, “That won’t work in our country.” It could even be that the proposed program is exactly what they themselves would recommend, but the fact that it came from somewhere else makes it tainted.

The resistance to a program developed in Country A being implemented in Country B, C, or D is high and often justified because the targeted customers — their communication styles, their customs — are different. Overcoming this resistance is possible and can be relatively easy. It just takes collaboration and alignment of stakeholders.

Aligning Global Stakeholders

The people in Country B, C, and D should be considered stakeholders, not recipients, of the proposed training. Taking the time and effort to ask their input may not significantly change the construct of what the program would have been without their involvement, but it will make a huge difference in adoption.

The stakeholders will feel listened to, engaged, and more receptive. They are more likely to say, “Yes, I think this will work in France,” and their acceptance can help influence everyone who takes the training in France. If a training program comes out of the US and it has never been vetted by anyone in Europe, then there is sure to be strong resistance to implementation.

Most global sales organizations provide a certain amount of local autonomy, which gives staff around the world the flexibility required to do business locally. They are often given control over local budgets, including local training. They may well use this autonomy to refuse to pay for a training program developed by headquarters without their input.

In that case, headquarters has to sell it to the foreign managers, and that’s a very tough sell because the product was created without first identifying the customer needs — the customers, in this case, being the foreign sales staff.

The conceit by headquarters of thinking, “We know what you need,” backfires with regularity. Sales professionals in other countries don’t want to sign up for the program, so it’s difficult to get training events filled with participants in advance, making it harder to book the desired trainers, produce materials cost-effectively, secure the right venues, and settle other logistical matters.

As for participation, there will be a certain percentage of people who won’t come. As a result, there will be inconsistent approaches to selling across the company and its locations.

It may seem cumbersome to do the upfront work of involving stakeholders around the world before developing global sales training programs, but it’s nothing like the task of trying to get a program invented elsewhere implemented by local managers around the world.

Simply put, to avoid deep resistance to rolling out global sales training programs, make sure to involve key stakeholders. It can make a world of difference. This is the first, and most important, step in creating an international program. With the right players on board, you can move forward into the details of the initiative.

Rolling out a global sales training program is very much like rolling out a global product. It requires understanding the needs of the customer, reviewing and discussing what the stakeholders want, getting their buy-in to the proposed solution, and gaining approval and acceptance of the final product.

To successfully roll out this process, you need to include five key elements.

1. There has to be a Consistent Sales Process

There must be a benchmark, standard or consistent norm that clearly and succinctly describes the steps required for successful sales within the company. This sales process must be widely communicated, accessible to all involved, translated into the appropriate languages, and championed by the management team. Promoting the sales process is essential so that everyone will know what “good” and “success” look like. Without this consistency, sales teams have to recreate the wheel everywhere, and sales training will teach a different approach everywhere. Companies can’t afford the false steps, inefficiency and mistakes as each salesperson around the world creates their own way of doing business.

2. Identify Skills and Activities

The next step is to break the sales process into the specific skills and activities that people need in order to be trained around the world. Diagnostic tools — such as SkillGauge™, to benchmark existing skills, and TalentGauge™, to assess whether the right people are in the right jobs — can help in determining the current capabilities and need for specific training.

These tools, or company assessments, help provide a platform for individuals to identify their strengths and areas to improve. With so many successful people in sales divisions, it’s important that training isn’t perceived as “fixing poor performers,” but as improving skills for everyone. There is no such thing as “good enough,” and even gold medal winners in sports keep practicing and improving.

3. Develop Training for Skills and Activities

Build a global sales training program to support the skills and activities required to implement the sales process. For international training, it’s important to include time or a module to discuss how these will vary based on the culture of different countries.

The conclusion will likely be that the same skills apply, although in slightly different ways. But to not address cultural differences directly will undercut the credibility of the training. Participants need to understand the flexibility of the sales process and the expectations of their companies. This information allows them to make the necessary modifications, specific to each region.

4. Create a Realistically Timed Agenda

International training should take into account the need for additional discussion stemming from the difference in language and cultures. It also needs to deliver training that addresses the gaps in desired skills and behaviors in each country.

This might mean spending more time on needs dialogue in one part of the world than another. Or developing listening skills so participants fully understand both the content and emotional message conveyed by prospects and customers. In some cultures, participants may need more practice in the skill of “presence” — learning to project confidence, conviction and interest in body language and voice.

5. Sales Managers are the Most Important Group to Train

Rolling out a global sales training initiative is an expensive proposition. Without the full commitment and reinforcement from sales managers, the training has little chance of succeeding and changing behavior.

This is true in domestic programs, too. Sales management training is a top priority. In fact, if there is only enough budget for one group, it should be sales managers. But, they have to be trained in the skills and the ability to transfer them to their sales teams.

By focusing on sales managers around the world and improving their skills and behaviors in managing and coaching, they can be the champions who make sure the desired sales process is implemented around the world.

In developing a consistent sales process for use across global operations and training local sales teams and sales managers around the world, companies have a greater chance of achieving their targets and getting better results quicker.