Great sales figures are the lifeblood of every company, but in many cases sales results are not always in line with the company's objectives. In fact, the 2015 Small Business Survey revealed that only 40 per cent of all the business owners interviewed expected their sales turnover to increase during the next 12 months. Of course, sales growth is a multi-faceted aspect of successful business operations, and poor sales performance can rarely be attributed to a single factor. Yet, adequate training is one of the stepping-stones of sales growth. Take a look at some top tips for effective sales training.

• Be consistent: whether you choose to go for a professional sales training provider or develop an in-house sales coaching programme, make sure that your strategy is consistent with your brand image, your corporate values, and that is uniformly implemented across all departments.
• Make it unique: when it comes to choosing a sales training course, the concept of 'one size fits all' does not apply. This is why it is essential to develop a sales training programme that is tailored to your organisation and to its corporate culture. What works for a competitor may not necessarily work for you, as effective sales strategies should highlight the most unique aspects of every company.
• Make it realistic: employees are unlikely to adopt new sales techniques if they can't relate to them. When devising a training session, think about complex real-life scenarios or about any known weaknesses that may affect your team. During training, make a point of giving employees the opportunity to try out new strategies and to practice overcoming objections or personal fears. Hands-on training in realistic scenarios does not have to be complicated: role plays are perfectly fine.
• Make it powerful: effective sales techniques appeal to customers on a logical and emotional level. Train your staff in the psychology of sales, and consider going beyond with specialised training, such as NLP courses.
• Focus on value instead of focusing on figures: design a sales strategy that adds value to your corporate image, to your team, and to your clients, and sales growth is likely to follow.