People may learn best by doing. But once producers have knowledge and skills they need, every time you close business for them, less they learn and closer they get to leaning on you. Worse, every time you don’t make a sale, you lose credibility.

Many salespeople have left business because their sales managers didn’t know when to stop making sales for them. That instinct is even stronger with pre-contract candidates, since sales managers and trainers have a stake in candidates satisfying their pre-contract requirements.

Resist temptation.

To be an effective career test, pre-contract training must allow candidates to make it or break it on their own. Unless on joint calls with candidates to demonstrate a sales talk or give technical backup, let them take sales presentations as far as they can before stepping in.

Not to put too fine a point on it, good sales managers understand that their relationships with producers should one of coach or counselor, not true friendship. The treatment of pre-contract candidates and new producers should always be cordial and considerate. However, evaluating a person’s ability to perform to a minimum standard is part of job, and friends should no more judge each other than they should try to change each other.

Good trainers, moreover, should have a "coaching" attitude in all their dealings with trainees; and good coaches should be caring, non-threatening, and build confidence, trust, and respect.

Want More? Send questions and comments to w.willard3@knology.net.

Jim Peterson, President of The Concrete Network (a website that specializes in residential concrete information and marketing for contractors), suggests these tips for selling to your current customers:

- Continuously let your customers know of services you offer. Sometimes even a regular customer won’t know you are also capable of doing something else for them.

- Drop all your customer email addresses into a “group” list. Once every month or two send them an email with something interesting and include a note about services you offer.

- If you don’t already do so, offer complementary products and/or services that are natural companion purchases for your customer. By offering one stop shopping for your customer, you will be providing a valuable service.

Lastly, always remember that out of sight is out of mind. So make sure you are constantly putting your services in front of existing clients through your email distribution list, and you’ll continue to sell.