Weekly Training: "____ University"

A regular drumbeat of training is the best way to create lasting results. We run a weekly, self-organized training session modeled after the Toastmasters format, but customized for our specific business needs.

A Simple Format
There is a regular format, with a variety of roles that are rotated through the team. Each role is filled by a team member, and at the end of the meeting the next week’s roles are re-assigned:

1. Meeting Leader Opening (1min)
2. Sales Skills 1 (10-20min)
3. Quick Questions (10-15min)
4. Sales Skills 2 (10-20min)
5. New Best Practice (10min)
6. Industry/Vertical Learning (15min)
7. Meeting Leader Closing (5min)

The entire meeting averages about 1:15, and the meeting leader is responsible for keeping it on track. It’s easy to update or swap in different kinds of training. For example, you could easily replace “Vertical Review” with product-centric training. Once in awhile we’ll organize special sessions, such as a full-team demo practice exercise.

Because “Meeting Leader” is an assigned role, the manageronly participation is to share feedback with speakers. This a leadership/meeting management training component.

More Format Details
Note ‘presentations’ are called ‘conversations’ here. We never want speakers to get into a transmission mode – they should always try to make their speaking interactive.

1. Meeting Leader
Gets meeting started on time. Introduces first speaker. Keeps the meeting on track and on time.

2. Sales Skills #1
We usually use this block for public speaking/presentation practice, from simple first-time presentations up to a full “first call” sales role-play exercise, including a business scenario, pitch, objection handling and competition. Before moving on, Meeting Leader asks team to share immediate feedback.

Alternatives: role-play phone calls, practice demo, etc.

3. “Quick Questions”
A team member prepares 4-5 questions requiring 1-2 minute answers. Examples: objections, competitive questions, best practice/training questions. After each answer, other teammates quickly share feedback/better answers.

4. Sales Skills #2
Public speaking, role-play phone calls, demo practice, etc.

5. New Best Practice
The team member shares one of their own best practices or finds a coworker’s worth sharing.

6. Industry/Vertical Learning
Each week we select a vertical for someone to research. They update the team with information that helps prospect and sell more effectively: terminology, business model fit (or lack thereof), targeted discovery questions, current reference customers, etc.

7. Meeting Leader
Closes the meeting by:
a) Finding out if any changes should be made to the SalesU format, and
b) Choose roles for next week. Once the next meeting leader is chosen, the baton is passed, and the new leader writes down the updated roles and is responsible for making following week’s meeting successful.

With the meeting-to-meeting handoff of roles, and a feedback mechanism built in, SalesU becomes a self-perpetuating engine.

What Works For Your Team?
Have a great practice or idea? Please share with me: [firstname] @ [rossmail.net]