Chris Lytle

In the mid ’80s, I toured the country with a 1-day seminar, Radio Sales $101.  Get it? It was an entry level (101) sales course and we charged $101 for it. We averaged 35-40 people per session. It was a lovely little cash cow for Sarah and me. Now, I’ve heard hundreds of reasons (excuses) why companies don’t invest in sales training. But let me tell you about the dumbest one. One day, I took a call from a sales manager who wanted to send someone to the seminar. (Remember, it cost $101 per person.) “Chris, I don’t have the budget to send all five people,” he said. “So, I’m holding a sales contest to see which one gets to go to your seminar next month.” “You’re going to send the loser, right?” I asked. “No, I’m going to send the winner,” he said. “Why would I send the loser? He sounded confused by my question, which I thought was exactly the right one. “Because the loser of the sales contest is the one who needs sales training the most,” I said. “Give the winner dinner for two at the best steakhouse in town,” I urged him. “That’s what I would do.” He still thought I was kidding. I wasn’t. I was giving him the very best advice for someone with a tiny training budget. Sure, it’s mistake to hold a sales contest and send the winner to training. But the bigger mistake for sales managers is thinking that sales training is a reward instead of an absolute necessity. And it’s a necessity for everyone on the sales team.