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Every successful team has a trainer/coach and you need to find the right trainer for your team in order to reach your goals. There are many different styles of training and coaching. You must find the best trainer to fit your team of professionals to help them reach their sales potentials. Time and resources are limited so you must focus your efforts for the benefit of the team.

Here are five basic steps to consider in finding the best match and getting the most out of any education or training program:

1. Define your goals.

You must be very specific about the key goals you and your team are trying to reach. Your goals needs to be more than putting a number on the wall like, this year we will sell a million dollars worth of product. You will want to focus your goals on the skills you and your team need in order to be successful in sales. Define these goals and write them down. Then put a time frame on when these goals need to be achieved. Now you need to find the trainer or coach that matches the skill sets you are looking for. You can now look for the trainer that will get teach these skills efficiently and effectively. If you are able to achieve these goals, then the million dollars in sales will be achieved.

2. Determining cost.

Too often when a person looks at cost, all they see is how much the item or product will cost them today. Unfortunately, they miss how much the product will cost them if they don*t have it. If a trainer is able to double your sales in a year, what does that cost your company if you don*t pay for the training? You must look at both the cost of the program and the opportunity cost of not obtaining the right training for your employees.

3. Engaged students.

You will want a program that engages the students in their own education in sales. Your company doesn*t need more wasted time or meetings to attend. You want a trainer that puts the training responsibility back on the employee. If you remember your favorite high school or college class you will most likely also remember that it was interesting and engaging. The teacher or trainer called on you to actively participate.

The more participation your team will have while learning sales, the better they will internalize the training. You want a trainer that has the learners listening, discussing, writing, creating, questioning, practicing, and receiving feedback and coaching from the instructor. This active involvement is what leads to the fun and engaging and long-lasting learning.

4. Industry experts.

You want a trainer that has developed his training with the help of industry experts. Quality education programs and training sessions regularly consult with industry experts who understand what the students deal with. This allows them to improve and refine the course better for your employees.

5. Follow-up.

You need a trainer that will provide follow-up for your employees. Education is not a one time event that is forgotten once the schedule is complete. You will need follow-up as your sales force practices the things they have learned in the field. This follow-up can come in a variety of ways or maybe you will need on-going training sessions for a period of time so the students can learn practice and review the materials necessary for success.

In summary, you have hundreds and even thousands of trainers and programs to choose from. You will need to define your goals and then pick the trainer that best fits your sales team and the progress they need to create. Remember the opportunity costs of not providing the correct training.