Four reasons why you should train your sales team this EOFY

As we roll into a new financial year, it’s time to set new targets and implement changes that are going to benefit your revenue goals. One way to achieve this is by training and upskilling your sales team. 

Whether your goal is to continue attracting new residents to units within a retirement community, or increasing profits for your latest product offering, you need a knowledgeable sales team behind the scenes. But is sales training important when you’re already meeting key goals? And is it useful for your experienced staff who say they know the ins and outs of their job?

Yes. Because there’s no time to rest on your laurels in a competitive market faced with ongoing financial challenges. So, before the end of the financial year flies by, take note of these four reasons to train your sales team today and make your move to take control of your revenue. 

1. You can adapt to changes in your market

• Over one-third of Facebook users in Australia are aged 45-plus
• This cohort includes aged care target audiences of adults with ageing parents and older people looking to retire or move into aged care
• 59% of Australians aged 55-plus have at least one streaming service, indicating there is a generational shift away from free-to-air television and the ads they view

The world of sales has changed considerably and it continues to do so. Print still has its place, but many modern consumers find themselves interacting and responding to ads online. The internet’s not just for young people anymore.

Therefore, you need a sales team that’s aware of all relevant changes in your market. They have to know where to look for consumers outside of the tried and tested traditional advertising routes. So if they have a deeper understanding of social media, streaming services and the websites most frequented by your ageing target audience, you can continue to create and disseminate advertising content that’s going directly to the consumer.

2. Skill gaps will be addressed and filled

Salespeople are often the most likely ones to sing their own praises – and for good reason! There needs to be inherent confidence and belief in their own abilities. But sometimes, there are skill gaps which need to be filled. The EOFY is a perfect time to get the ball rolling.

You can invest in training sessions for your sales team that are tax deductible and beneficial for all. The sessions might not even be explicitly focused on sales, but rather personal skills which can strengthen their ability to interact with consumers and clients. Consider training courses that are focused on:

• Marketing and communications
• Effective communication
• Time management
• Emotional intelligence
• Business administration

All of these skills can take your existing team to the next level without having to recruit externally just to meet key targets. 

3. The customer experience will be strengthened

Aged care is a customer-driven industry. The people you’re focused on are often putting their lives in your hands and the experience they have leading up to a move into residential care is of the utmost importance. Even if you’re providing a product or service instead of accommodation, the experience a consumer has is critical to retention of your services.

You want sales training that’s going to give your team new ideas and challenge the way they approach sales. Providing a fresh perspective could ignite a lightbulb moment for a salesperson who’s struggled to close deals or has a disconnect with clients – this could especially be true if they’ve joined from another industry. 

Consider coaching or mentoring your sales team, rather than a straight training course, which would provide more ongoing support for staff who are finding it hard to see from the customer perspective.

4. Bigger benchmarks can be set

Investing internally in sales training will strengthen your staff retention. It will push your team to work harder while working together. Training will also strengthen your position within the aged care field as you have people who know the ins and outs of what you have to offer to consumers. Therefore, if they have room to grow, so too does the company as a whole.

Setting bigger benchmarks promotes growth and success. It pushes your team to work harder. And when they achieve them, everyone’s rewarded. But it cannot happen without training which keeps your company competitive and hungry for sales success.