The Necessity for Training the Trainer

“Take half of the sales team in your first session, and the other half in the second session. If I can free myself up, I’ll try to swing in and check in out.” ~ Sales Manager

Too often, when training is conducted, the powers that be direct the sales team to receive the full impact of the training. Yet those in management hang back and continue their daily duties as they always do, without desiring to further their own acumen. Let it be known, training should not only be performed when an outside agency visits your store. Training needs to be ongoing, daily or weekly, from each leader in your own ranks.

The problem arises when we ask sales managers to train their teams, yet never teach them the art of training. We must reinforce the concept that training, regardless of the role/position/industry for which it is aimed, can advance our own understanding of topics outside of our forte. (This is the same reason why Bill Playford and I invest our time and money attending conferences outside of automotive to learn of other strategies currently benefiting other industries.)

When people are promoted to management positions, rarely do we provide them instructional training on how to manage, what to inspect of those they manage, and the proper methods to train. Moreover, we don’t challenge them to expand their own knowledge base by sharing with them research or sending them to conferences. If we never require those we call upon to train on a daily basis to receive training themselves, the learning in your store will eventually plateau. One can only train up to what they themselves know. Once that wall is reached, an outside agency must step in. Once that shift to outsourced training commences, internal training from your own team cannot wane. From an OEM perspective, regional managers are more than equipped to share the vision of the manufacturer down to the franchise dealers, but may not be well-versed in the day-to-day operations of dealership personnel that actually executes the plan. This is where the necessity of training the trainer comes in.

When management receives the same training as the sales team, they
a) Know what is expected of those beneath them.
b) Understand how to inspect and measure the employees.
c) Build their own knowledge level and expand their own capabilities.
d) Deliver a wider array of experiences to your customers.

When any training occurs, make sure everyone, from the top down, is involved, and reinforce that one’s education should never cease solely because a management title is achieved. Training the trainer is the only way to prove the point that learning never stops.