One of the services that I provide to organizations is Sales Training. I have created a program that I call Process-Oriented Selling that combines the best parts of 7 nationally recognized sales training programs into a single program.

Before I accept a sales training engagement, I ask the question, “Who in management will be responsible for monitoring the salespeople to ensure that they are utilizing the new behaviors that are presented during training?”

The reason for the question is that research shows that 86% of material presented during a sales training program is forgotten within 30 days of the session if management does not hold salespeople accountable for the new behaviors

HR CONTRARIAN POINTER: Whether it is sales training or any other training program, don’t waste your time or money on training employees unless someone in management is designated as the person accountable for ensuring that the new behaviors and processes are implemented.

I am a strong believer in training. Unfortunately, most managers erroneously believe that simply presenting information to employees will cause them to change behaviors or activities; it just doesn’t work that way.

Dedicated To Improving Your Financial & Human Resources!

Information from a poll by the Ethics Resource Center has revealed that current levels of business ethics are nearing pre-Enron levels. Another poll by Junior Achievement and Deloitte reports that 41 percent of U.S. teens think that unethical behavior is necessary to advance while only 22 percent of teens held that point of view in 2005.

KPMG has developed a teaching tool that it uses to educate college students about business ethics. The
KPMG program uses case studies, videos, and role- playing games to familiarize students with real-world ethical scenarios.

HR CONTRARIAN POINTER: When all the Annual Reports have been handed out and the speeches are finished about a company and it’s wonderful accomplishments, the factor that drives the culture and subsequently ethical behavior is the personal example set by each member of senior management.

If you verbally “trash” customers, employees will feel that they have implied permission to do the same. If you “pad” invoices, employees will feel that they have permission to “pad” other things including their expense reports.

Despite what you say or what you put in writing, it is your example that everyone follows. Set a good one!

Dedicated To Improving Your Financial & Human Resources!