Forgotten Factor #1: Readiness to Learn

In order for learning to stick you have to be "ready" to learn. Readiness to learn is what I call Forgotten Factor #1 in sales training. Here I mean more than just having the prerequisites and doing the required prep work. How do you get anyone ready to learn? It is the "hook," the information presented at the beginning of the learning session, that motivates the learner to continue with attention and enthusiasm. Salespeople are generally motivated by compensation/money. They approach most learning with the question: What is in this for me? Therefore, even before your objectives, you need to make it abundantly clear how the information you are presenting will help them be more effective at their job and eventually help them retire/exceed quota and make money.

Often times salespeople attend training because it is required or mandatory. That just gets their butts in the seat. It in no way ensures their readiness to learn. Getting them ready to learn is the trainers first mission. Since most trainers are not, to my knowledge individually wealthy, and cannot offer monetary rewards for participation, they must help the salespeople connect the dots to realize how this training with help them to be more productive and ultimately sell more.

Typically, I spend as much time on my hook as on my content preparation. If the learner is not motivated or ready to learn you are wasting your time presenting the content. There are many types of hooks: stories, props, quotes, analogies , metaphors etc. that can be used. The goal of each is to assure the learners readiness to receive, process and practice the content that is to follow. In the next entry I will share with you some of the specific hooks that I have used to achieve learner readiness.