Sales Training Online: It's a Reality
Author: Dr. Ronald B. Marks

The costs of training are high, especially salespeople. It's estimated that it typically costs 00 to train one sales rep at a 3-day, instructor-led course. That's 00 for an instructor, plus airfare, hotel, and per diem for trainees.Moreover, there are the opportunity costs of lost sales by having the rep out of his/her territory.

With any reasonable number of trainess, there are also time costs--how long would it take to train a sales force of 100, 500 or a 1000? You can't do it all at once with traditional classroom training. It is understandable, then, why a recent survey indicated that only 30% of organizations employing salespeople engage in formal training.

Good CBT is not only faster than classroom training--and nearly always cheaper, it is also better. People learn better with multimedia training; they remember what they learn more accurately and longer, and they are better able to use what they learn to improve their performance. What is multimedia training? Multimedia training is a type of computer-based training that uses two or more media, including text, graphics, animation, audio , and video, all of which appear in this training program. In practice, multimedia uses as many of these media as is practical to produce a colorful, engaging program delivered via the computer.

In summary:

Internet availability removes training barriers of time and geography. Internet sales training allows participants to study at work, home or anywhere they have access to an Internet connection. Day or night, your channels have training readily available. The convenience of internet accessibility significantly reduces the time invested in off-site seminars and dramatically increases participation among your trainees.

Web browser software and Internet connections are widely available - Most computer users have access to a browser, such as Internet Explorer and are connected to a company's intranet, and/or have access to the Internet.

With internet training, there is inexpensive worldwide distribution - No separate distribution mechanism is needed. Web-based training can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world, keeping delivery costs low

Internet training offers flexibility, accessibility, and convenience - Users can proceed through a training program "at their own pace and at their own place." They can also access the training at any time, and only as much as they need - "Just in time and just enough." Studies demonstrate that learning is optimized when it can be immediately applied in a field setting.

Yet another advantage is that students receive immediate feedback on how they are doing. Because Web-based training programs are designed to be "at your own pace," the importance of tracking a student's progress is a concern. Our software has administrative features that keep track of where employees are in the course and how well they are doing. Moreover, course performance can be directly related to actual on-the-job performance.

The only drawback to internet sales training is that it takes time, effort and expertise to develop, but our unique training program at the University of Wisconsin eliminates these costs. Try the sample chapter below. If you like it, call us or e-mail us. We look forward to hearing from you.








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Dr. Ronald B. Marks is a marketing professor at the University of Wisconsin. I have been a sales and marketing professor for 25 years. Prior to that, I sold mainframe computers for Burroughs, now Unisys, Corporation and hospital supplies for Superior Surgical. I have also authored a college textbook in sales, now in its 6th edition with Prentice-Hall. The web site is http://mba.uwosh.edu/sales1.htm e-mail is marks@uwosh.edu

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