As we do sales training and talk with sales managers, I'm constantly amazed at how many have the training cart away out in front of the horse.

Their sales training has included lots of fancy closing techniques and complicated objection handling strategies. Yet most of their sales people - new and experienced - do not have a working grasp of the fundamentals!

Each sales rep carries a mental and physical "tool kit" into every meeting, What's in their kit will determine how successful a result they can build.

The basic mental tools include simple qualifying questions, an understanding of how to get primary and secondary needs on the table clearly articulated features and benefits to fit those needs, an ability to consciously use "thought" and "fact" questions appropriately to steer the conversation, and a simple closing technique.

The physical kit should have the material required to use their corporate entity as a powerful feature/benefit unto itself, simple feature explanation vehicles (people go along with what they think they understand - witness Reaganomics) adequate "proofs" specifically designed for a variety of situations, quick "ball-park estimating" capability, and an action planning device of some sort.

Before a sales manager starts teaching the latest whiz-bang tricks for doing on the spot price/value analysis, they should know that all their people have all the fundamentals in their tool kit; and are comfortable using them. To do otherwise is like sending a man out to build a house equipped with a load of shingles!

So why is this such an easy trap to fall into? (It must be, because so many folks are in it!) As I reflect on my experience, I can identify five reasons that make sense to me.

1. Time distorts memories. It's hard for managers to remember what they knew - and didn't know-when they started. A teenager recently asked me, "who's allowed to buy stocks, and where do you go to buy them?" I was momentarily taken aback. I thought everyone know about stockbrokers etc. If they'd asked me about the differences between stock warrants and debentures, I might have considered that a reasonable question and been glad to show off what I know. (which gets us into point 2).

Because we were taught the fundamentals long ago (or more likely learned them through osmosis and trial and error), doesn't mean everyone else has them firmly in place.

2. Managers ego's. This is a very large, and even more sensitive subject. Particularly if we're talking about the typical SALES manager, or small business owner. But it's not only true, it's important, so we'll charge ahead.

Most managers love to show off of the troops. To win their respect and admiration, to justify their jobs to their subordinates, (wrong direction of course, but that's another subject), to challenge their own creativity and talent, or because it's just plain fun for most of us.

Therefore we tell war stories about the time we brought 14 dancing elephants (there were actually only six) into the presidents office (he was really the purchasing agent) and clinched the million dollar contract (read $700,000.) that made us the #1 office for the year (or #2 for the quarter, or whatever).

I exaggerate. But the point is valid. We don't talk enough about the 80% of our success that came from the routine regular use of our fundamental tool kit. The stories that inspire the most are the ones that others can emulate.

Managers also have better recall of the strategies and techniques they were using when they were most recently in the field. Handling the toughest accounts. Dealing with the most complex situations. Bringing in the long-haul, big-ticket deals.

Is this what most of your people spend most of their time doing? Do you want them chasing glamour deals, or would you prefer more volume in the bread and butter department?

One other ego-related factor.

When managers try to pass on the skills that made them successful, they naturally want to pass along their "best". Again they go back to their most recent sales successes. When they were at their most experienced, sophisticated stages of expertise. Long after they had acquired a "second nature" mastery of the fundamentals. "If only I could get them to do what I did", is a common refrain.

The question to ask yourself is 'When?". When you were already a superstar, or while you were getting successful? They can't emulate you without your foundation!

What stage are your people at? (Are you sure?). You don't earn my respect by showing me how good you are, but by helping me get more successful.

Is that what our folks need the most; or is it mostly keeping us interested in the training program? It's tough to teach the fundamentals repeatedly. But people cannot be expected to master things they've only been exposed to once or twice.

(Corporate training departments are the worst culprits. They're constantly looking for new material to "update" their programs. Pretty soon there aren't any fundamentals left in any of them!)

You'd be amazed at how many experienced and "well trained" reps have never seen, or have lost sight of, the fundamental components of the sales tool kit.

4. "If all you have is a hammer, every situation looks like a nail". Sales reps, and many managers, think that marketing, or advertising, or training, or somebody else ought to be giving them the tools for their kit. They figure they're supposed to work with what they've been given.

I've never seen a good kit built by anyone other than the sales reps (with the help of their manager of course). No one else understands what's supposed to be in it. No one else understands how to use it.

It takes time, knowledge, and effort to build a good, practical kit. And it will pay a 1000% better return than a week of cold calling!

5. My last comment is about the absurd expectations created by some people in my own industry.

I constantly receive brochures on seminars and programs promising outlandish results from ultra-fancy systems. A recent example with the headline "CLOSE MORE SALES" included the following:

- 10 objection handling formulas guaranteed to work
- 30 to 40 closes for different situations
- techniques to quality every prospect
- how to never have a bad month
- professional presentation methods
- emotional and psychological factors in selling

In addition to the above content, this seminar promised to:

- eliminate competition!
- convert all inquiries into sales!
- NEVER lose sales to lower prices!
- 5 steps GUARANTEEING a 100% sales increase in 30 days!

To top it all off, the sponsor can accomplish all of this during a single three hour seminar! (We saved the brochure - I couldn't make this up!)

I've been in sales and sales training for 15 years, am an audio cassette junkie, and would be hard pressed to come up with 30 different closes. And I know for sure that exposing sales people to this kind of training is no way to build a successful team.

If there were sure fire gimmicks that were a short cut to superlative sales performance, believe me, no one would be giving them away for a few thousands bucks (let alone $95. per person). Yet even sales managers are tempted into wishful thinking about the quick-fix solution.

Having described my five observations, I guess I should recognize the obvious. Not all of them will fit every manager or rep. Whatever your current situation, I suggest they do deserve some thought.

Allow me two concluding remarks. Firstly, I'm not suggesting you train every salesperson at all levels the same way. Some will get minimal benefits from a review of the fundamentals. I'll discuss one way of determining who should get what in a later article.

Secondly, I'm not recommending a totally "back to the basics" approach. Only that before we cover "strategic blueprints to reverse a 20/80 purchasing spread" or "how to plant critical objections for specific competitors" we make sure everyone is consistently, and effectively, using the primary building blocks. In my experience a lot more people could benefit from this kind of training that it might initially appear.

Not back to basics; forward with the fundamentals!