| I've never worked for a tax preparation company, but | | | | concepts and then reinforce them over and over. In |
| I'd be willing to bet big money that the vast majority of | | | | scientific circles, this is called spaced repetition. It's the |
| all filing and preparation software is sold in the week or | | | | same thing that allows an athlete to have a 95-mile an |
| two leading up to April 15. How can I make that claim? | | | | hour fastball, or a chess master to survey a board |
| Let's call it experience. It's the same reason most | | | | within seconds. And, it can produce dramatic results in |
| Valentines gifts are bought on the afternoon of | | | | your sales team's efforts. |
| February 14, and the shopping malls are full on | | | | Putting spaced repetition into action isn't all that |
| Christmas Eve - humans are built to wait until the last | | | | complicated or difficult. All you have to do is take the |
| minute to make a change or take action. | | | | highlights of the last sales training program while they |
| In fact, when it comes to adults, the best way to | | | | are still fresh in your sales staff's minds and work on |
| change behavior without an impending deadline is in | | | | them on a daily basis. It's an easy idea, but you'd be |
| dozens or hundreds of tiny little increments. Think of it | | | | surprised what 10 minutes a day can accomplish in |
| as the radio commercial effect: you might not | | | | terms of building new habits. |
| remember the ad the first time, or the 20th, but | | | | Lots of sales trainers will build materials and exercises |
| eventually it slips into your consciousness so naturally | | | | that can be used to reinforce the material later into |
| that you find yourself humming it without even trying. | | | | their programs. If they don't, however, be sure to ask if |
| The $64,000 question is: what does this have to do | | | | they could put some thoughts together, or at the very |
| with sales training? In a word: everything. | | | | least, make notes so that you'll be able to work on the |
| Most comprehensive sales training programs are | | | | concepts in your own office. |
| one-day events. If the company is really serious, it | | | | Using spaced repetition isn't just a smarter way to |
| might stretch over a weekend, or even a three-day | | | | reinforce sales training programs - it's also good |
| course. That's fine, except that such a small amount of | | | | business. Why pay for a quality program only to use it |
| time will only change the behavior of a very tiny | | | | once, or get a few days worth of extra motivation? |
| minority - usually that handful of producers who were | | | | By making sure your sales team internalizes the |
| bringing in most of the new accounts anyway. | | | | information concepts, you can create a cycle of |
| The answer, then, isn't to jam all of your training into a | | | | constant improvement, rather than an expensive one |
| few days and then forget about it - it's to teach the | | | | time learning session. |