Training Solutions Proposal Evaluation for Handling Objections

Vendor #1: ACME Sales Training Proposal

Assignment

As an HR professional, it is reasonable to predict that one day you’ll be tasked with selecting a training solution to address an internally identified performance gap. This would involve evaluating vendor responses to a Request for Proposal (RFP) based on your knowledge of what a good training course looks like. This assignment has you evaluate training solution proposals from two vendors, against a discreet set of criteria, and recommend to your Director, HR, which training proposal you think will best address the training need.

Problem

The ‘All Clear’ beverage company sales are in decline and the leadership team has determined Sales Training is required based on the Needs Analysis that was conducted internally. The Needs Analysis identified salespeople have difficulty handling objections during a sale which leads to no sale in many cases. There are training proposals from two vendors, both are equal in Cost, so your evaluation is to be based entirely on the quality of the proposal criteria outlined below.

Process

There are two activities to complete this assignment:

1. Read both vendor proposals.
2. Using your own document, answer the questions in this assignment.

Vendor #1

ACME Sales Training Proposal

Executive Overview

ACME Sales Training is an organization with 17 years of experience helping organizations establish and enhance their selling skills. Our team consists of:

Allan Simms, MBA

Christine Spencer, M.Ed.

Mark Brown, M.A.

Elizabeth Simms, Ed.D.

Our mission is to create impactful and memorable learning that establishes and enhances performance and business results. Our client list spans all sectors of industry, both private and public entities, our specialty rests within Consumer-Packaged Goods.

Our Plan

Having reviewed the results of the Needs Analysis, our team proposes the following solutions as a Training Program to close the performance gap of Handling Objections.

We will use the next four stages of the ISD process (following the Needs Analysis) as follows.

Design

We have determined the learning objectives to be as follows:

1. Prior to attending the two-day training course, using an online eLearning platform, all trainees will review the stages of a sales call and then the selling cycle. Prior to attending the in-class training course, all trainees must pass an online quiz with a minimum of 80%.
2. During the in-class portion of the training course, using lectures and table sharing, trainees will learn about influential communication techniques to use when handling objections.
3. Using role plays and custom-built scenarios, trainees will practice handling objectives using influential communication techniques. The facilitator will observe the role plays and provide feedback for improvement.

Development

We acknowledge your trainees may have a range of selling experience, so our development team proposes the following adult learning techniques and methods to ensure everyone benefits and the performance gaps close.

eLearning

• Scenarios will put the trainees in the experience, and they will experience the consequences of their decisions not only intellectually but will see what happens as a result (close the sale, get commission, or lose the sale and see who does and why).
• Pause-points throughout the training to allow for trainees to reflect on the learning so far, attach key points to personal experience, this way they remember things and their performance can improve.

In-class

Our skilled facilitators will draw your trainees out (although, let’s face it, Salespeople aren’t usually shy!) with provocative questions, engaging activities and then force reflection and learning through verbal sharing and journaling activities to drive home the key points.

Handling objections is both a communication skill and an intellectual pursuit. Getting inside the mind of the buyer to anticipate objections is the intellectual component, and the communication skill in responding to the objection is where it all comes together. Role playing (we know, everyone ‘loves’ to role play) makes this practice, perfect.

Vendor #2: Closing the Sale Training Proposal

The methods we would use include lecture, role-plays, games (because we know salespeople like to compete) and reflection using written exercises.

Implementation

The training course will take two days. The schedule is as follows:

Day One	Day Two
Introductions / Expectations / Rules etc.	Review Key Points from Day One
Game reviewing eLearning topics	Review and Reflect – Facilitated Discussion on the Influential Communication Techniques
Topic: What is an Objection?	Preparing for Handling Objections – Case studies
Topic: Influential Communication – A Model	Practicing Higher Level Objections – Role Plays
Lunch	Lunch
Practicing Influential Communication – Role Plays	Role Plays
Wrap up Day One	Course Ends

Evaluation

Training is only a good solution if it results in performance improvement so at ACME, we include as part of our training solution, individual coaching for all trainees. Our program is as follows:

Vendor#2

Closing the Sale Training Proposal

Executive Overview

Closing the Sale has been a Sales Training organization since 2002. Operating globally, our team has the experience and skills to connect with your salesforce and make improvement happen! Our life’s work has been to impact the bottom line of each organization we work with through proven adult learning techniques and training that resonate with our audience and cause positive behaviour change. Our client list can be found on our website, but of importance is to mention we have experience in the Consumer Packages Goods sector, having worked with Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola Beverages Inc., Molson Coors, Brock Street Brewing and many more. We understand your selling cycle and your buyers and can help you turn your current sales shortfalls around!

Our team is looking forward to working with you:

Celine Phillips, Ed.D.

Scott Baker, MBA

Tricia Stevens, B.Ed., MBA

Henry Marshall, B.A.Sc.

Our Plan

We acknowledge you have completed a Needs Analysis and that your conclusion is your organization needs to improve their skills with Handling Objections. Using this information, our first step is to validate that finding and setup a virtual meeting that would last one hour with six of your salespeople. We want to do this in order to ensure we design a program that meets the needs of your salespeople. An hour of engaged dialogue with six of your staff will help us create scenarios that are relevant for the training course, as well as confirm your findings.

Upon confirmation or clarification of the performance gap, we can then proceed with designing, developing and implementing the training course.

Design

Assuming the performance gap stems from an inability to handle objections effectively, and bring the sale to a close, we propose the following learning objectives for this one day course:

1. Given in-class experiences in the morning, trainees will learn about our trademarked approach to handling objectives and be tested on it with an in-class gamified evaluation.
2. Using role playing after lunch, trainees will practice using the handling objectives approach with in-person role plays where feedback for improvement will be provided by the facilitator and fellow trainees. Additional methods to practice these new skills will include virtual scenarios on a digital platform where trainees interact with a gamified buyer in a scenario and the game responds to the methods used by the trainee. This way the trainee gets immediate feedback regarding closing the sale or losing the sale! Lastly, trainees will take part in mocked-up telephone sales experiences, as phone-based selling is a common approach in this industry.

Development

Using our vast library of experience on a global basis, our approaches will incorporate leading edge techniques as well as custom built solutions unique to your environment. The methods we propose to use in this one-day course include the following.

In-Person Training Course (One Day)

As described in the learning objectives, our approaches will include facilitator led discussions on our trademarked techniques to handling objections coupled with proven experiential techniques that encourage behaviour change, performance improvement and retention.

To review, our techniques will include:

• Interactive, engaged, facilitator led discussion to introduce the performance gap and then our technique to handling objectives. Essential to this is a review of common communication mistakes and proven solutions to avoid those pitfalls many salespeople can fall into during a sales call.
• Learning content is nothing without practice, so the methods we propose to use include practicing the new skills on three platforms:
  • In-person role plays with fellow trainees
  • Gamified experiences where the trainee enters into a digital world in a sales experience and applies the new techniques with immediate consequences both positive and negative
  • In-person telephone-based role-plays where the trainee must rely solely on their verbal communication techniques to build rapport, address objections and close the sale

Implemetation – One Day Training Course

The day’s agenda would look like this, pending approval from your team:

Introduction and Welcome!

Closing the Sale techniques to Handling Objections

Lunch

Practice – Practice – Practice

• Group breaks into three groups, then rotates from one experience to the next:
  • Physical in-person role plays
  • Online gamified role plays
  • Telephone-based role plays

Wrap up Training Day

Evaluation

To evaluate whether your salesforce has improved its skills when handling objections, we propose a post-training follow up survey be conducted 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after the training. Additionally, we will conduct follow up coaching calls (15 minutes in length) one week post training, then 3 weeks and further as needed.  

• 3-month coaching calls with each trainee – 30 minutes/week for 3 months
• Practice with role playing prior to sales calls -virtual or in person, whatever works best for your trainee
• Meetings with trainee supervisors to discuss areas where support is warranted and offers to train supervisors how to support these news skills of the salesforce.

Assignment

(To be completed by the student)

1. Using the ISD process, compare and outline at least two strengths and weaknesses for each of the ISD stages and the proposals. (250 -350 words, 16 marks)
2. Referencing the proposals shared by the vendors, select four learning objectives that you believe can be achieved (two from each proposal). Identify the performance, condition and criterion for each objective. If a component is missing, what would you include to complete the objective? (15 Marks)
3. Take into consideration the length of the course, the training methods and the deliverables promised, compare the two proposals for these elements. (6 Marks) Identify which proposal best meets the training delivery needs, support your answer. (4 Marks)
4. Compare the training effectiveness measures each company have proposed and analyze against best practices identified in the course textbook. Which vendor’s approach do you think is best and why? Support your answers with facts from each proposal and content from the textbook. (10 Marks)
5. Using the rating scheme that follows on the next page, place an ‘X’ in the cell that corresponds with your rating of each proposal across the criteria listed down the side of each table. Total up the ratings and enter that number in the last row of each table (‘Total Score’). For example, if you rated each criteria a ‘5’ for ACME, place an ‘X’ in the column labelled ‘5’ and the number ‘30’ (6 criteria x 5 = 30) in the cell to the right of the words ‘Total Score’ at the bottom of the table.

Once you have completed rating the two vendor proposals, use your rating scheme to inform your recommendation to your Director, HR. Write up your recommendation (200-300 words) and support it with examples from your analysis of vendor RFPs. (25 marks)