GB533 Unit 7 Sales Training Outline Example

From Waiting for the Call to Noticing the Need: A Unit 7 Sales Training Outline for Dental Territory Representatives

[Student Name]

Purdue University Global

GB533: Salesforce Management

Unit 7 Sales Training Outline

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The distributor, its representatives and every figure are composite and illustrative; the methods and sources cited are real.

The Problem

Palmetto Dental Supply's territory representatives visit their A and B practices regularly, take orders, solve problems and maintain good relationships. But when a practice needs a new scanner, an imaging unit or an operatory upgrade, the practice usually calls Palmetto, or a competitor, first. Last year about 70 percent of equipment demonstrations began with an inbound request. Representatives were present in the practices but rarely asked the questions that would surface an equipment need before the practice went shopping.

Rackham (1988) found, in a large study of sales calls, that successful salespeople in complex sales asked more questions about a customer's problems and their consequences, and that the most effective questions led customers to state the value of a solution themselves. The training applies that finding.

Table 1: Objectives

1. Discovery questions. Representatives ask at least three of six standard discovery questions on A and B practice calls. Measure: observed on ride-along calls and recorded in call notes. Date: by week six after the workshop.

2. Discovery notes. Representatives log a short note on what they learned within one business day of each A or B call. Measure: share of calls with a note in the customer system. Target: 90 percent. Date: by week eight.

3. Specialist referral. Representatives refer qualified equipment opportunities to an equipment and imaging specialist within five business days. Measure: time from note to referral. Date: by week ten.

4. Representative-originated demonstrations. The share of demonstrations that begin with a representative's discovery rather than an inbound call rises from 30 percent to 50 percent. Date: by the end of the second quarter after the workshop.

The training counts what representatives do on calls, because the outcome Palmetto wants, more equipment sales, depends on behavior the workshop alone cannot produce.

The Six Discovery Questions

The questions follow a sequence from situation to consequence: how the practice's patient volume has changed; which procedures it refers out and why; how old its imaging and operatory equipment is; what slows the schedule; what a new associate dentist or hygienist would need; and what the practice would do with an extra hour each day.

Agenda: Day 1

Morning: why demonstrations start with inbound calls, using Palmetto's own data; how practices decide on equipment; the six questions and why each matters.

Afternoon: role-plays in pairs, using profiles of real Palmetto practices with names removed; feedback from equipment specialists on what a qualified opportunity looks like.

Agenda: Day 2

Morning: writing discovery notes that a specialist can use; the referral process and the specialist overlay rules from the structure analysis.

Afternoon: each representative plans the next month of calls for five A and B practices, choosing which questions to ask where; managers review the plans.

Field Reinforcement Calendar

Weeks 1 to 4: each representative's manager rides along on one day of calls every two weeks and gives feedback on the questions asked.

Weeks 5 to 8: weekly fifteen-minute calls between each representative and manager to review discovery notes.

Weeks 9 to 12: specialists join one ride-along per representative to show how a referral turns into a demonstration.

Johnston and Marshall (2016) emphasize that sales training transfers to the field only when managers reinforce it through coaching, and the calendar gives managers a specific role for twelve weeks.

Evaluation

The training will be evaluated at the four levels Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) describe:

Reaction: representatives' ratings of the workshop's usefulness.

Learning: a short scenario test at the end of day two.

Behavior: objectives 1 to 3, observed and recorded in the field.

Results: objective 4 and equipment sales from representative-originated demonstrations, compared with the prior year.

Why Not Product Training Alone

An obvious alternative is more product training on scanners and imaging, so that representatives feel confident discussing them. The data argue against relying on it. Representatives already attend manufacturer training each year, yet demonstrations still start with inbound calls. The gap is not knowledge of the equipment but the habit of asking about the practice's situation. Product training will continue, but this program targets the questions that come before any product is mentioned. Representatives who ask well can bring in a specialist for the product detail, which the overlay structure was designed to provide.

What Happens After Twelve Weeks

If the behavior objectives are met by week twelve, managers will move to monthly reviews of discovery notes and quarterly ride-alongs, and the discovery questions will become part of the scorecard in the performance evaluation. If they are not met, the sales director will review which parts of the program were delivered as planned, especially ride-alongs, before concluding that the content needs to change.

Cost

The workshop costs about $18,000 including venue, materials and representatives' travel. Managers' and specialists' coaching time adds about 120 hours over twelve weeks.

Risks

Representatives may see discovery questions as scripted and use them mechanically. The role-plays use real practice profiles to avoid that. Managers may not keep up ride-alongs during busy periods, so ride-along completion will be reported monthly to the sales director.

References

Johnston, M. W., & Marshall, G. W. (2016). Sales force management: Leadership, innovation, technology (12th ed.). Routledge.

Kirkpatrick, J. D., & Kirkpatrick, W. K. (2016). Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation. ATD Press.

Rackham, N. (1988). SPIN selling. McGraw-Hill.