How Coaching Fuels Adaptivity For Gross sales, Service, & Prolonged Enterprise
How training promotes adaptability for remote work teams
Learning is the ladder from mediocrity to adaptability, and the best companies have already started climbing. The only sure thing that companies can “plan” today is adaptability. It’s somewhat paradoxical – being ready to be reactive – but it’s the true “new norm” and a perfectly fitting challenge for perhaps the strangest time in modern history.
eBook release
Adaptivity is the new planning: training is the focus
Learn tips to gain a competitive advantage and overcome new challenges with an adaptive business strategy based on online training.
Why L&D should never be set in stone
It used to be that being proactive was seen as the undisputed positive, if not the only, means of operating. It took every department of the company a plan set in stone for a year, two, maybe three years, which was ceremoniously given to the C-Suite as a blessing. Now, however, companies see the benefits of being reactive, in the sense of being ready to take quick steps based on event-based, often external, circumstances.
This doesn’t mean that companies don’t have plans. Of course they will. It just means that flexibility is built into the plan. Old ideas of a more predictable world have disappeared. Notions of foreclosed companies (far fewer countries or entire economies) that are not affected by global events – these have disappeared. The thought that employees will magically adapt to new expectations, situations and roles without formal guidance and support – those are gone.
Preparations can be made especially for the learning program in order to deepen the willingness and resilience of the employees and the extended company. Remember, Critical Learning Paths are not just about the tough skills of a job. Mental health and emotional wellbeing have never been more important to learning leaders as they seek to retain workers who may be more isolated than usual, more suffering from family and tax obligations, or more concerned about the future.
1. Training adaptive sales teams
Salespeople often have to turn in a dime, even in the dullest of times. As the need for greater adaptability increases, they will need additional training to feel confident, meet customer needs, navigate a new or changed job, or manage performance-related stress or pressure.
Make it easy for yourself to stay one step ahead of new or changing products
Don’t let sellers surprise you when it comes to a quick deal. When creating internal content on products and services, rely on the LMS to assign and track courses in real time. Nobody should be left behind when training activities can be centrally managed and when sales managers can see the progress of every single team member.
Continue to develop universal sales skills and techniques
Selling can be a lifelong learning process and even seasoned professionals need brushing up on their skills. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel for this type of content when you can leverage the standard, professionally developed sales courses to enhance key features like presenting, handling objections, effectively interviewing, or closing the deal.
Emphasize the importance of soft skills for sales success
A salesperson is usually the first human connection your customer has with your company. Since first impressions set the tone for customer relationships, adaptive salespeople must be trained to be strong listeners, communicators, employees, and empaths. Ongoing soft skills training gives sales reps the know-how to build a relationship and gain the trust that leads to signed contracts.
2. Training of adaptive service teams
Customer service and support professionals are inherently some of the most agile in the organization. The flexibility required to respond to each customer’s problem is in itself an act of great adaptability. Nevertheless, you can offer training to make your work less stressful, more efficient and more satisfying.
Optimize access to training in the workflow
Service agents often focus solely on customer interactions and shouldn’t have to waste time switching to a separate learning system every time they can perform a micro-learning burst. Make it easier and more efficient by integrating learning technology with the most widely used service platform. They’ll work out more faster when it’s right in front of their eyes.
Promote skills development and professional advancement
Adaptive customer service agents need to feel supported in their ability to do their job. Performance coaching and feedback play a key role in keeping employees in this notoriously high-turnover role, as does the provision of learning paths towards management or promotion. Providing skills training in specific areas such as positive language learning, active listening, and tools for increased patience increases job performance and satisfaction.
Support stress management, health and wellbeing
Dealing with customer problems on a daily basis can put a massive strain on agents’ mood and emotional wellbeing. Be sure to expand opportunities for service workers to learn stress management techniques and other mindfulness practices to reduce frustration and burnout in these valuable employees. Emphasize the importance of these courses during busy times of year and during times of crisis or disruption.
3. Training an adaptive extended enterprise
Your partners likely serve multiple companies (not just yours) and will need to juggle priorities to keep their customers and their service partner organizations happy. To keep all of these parties happy requires a great deal of adaptability in a normal day. In this “new normal”, however, an even higher level of training is required to ensure they feel connected, clear about responsibilities, and up to date with changes.
Encourage connections and updates anytime, anywhere
Make sure partners, contractors, freelancers and suppliers never get out of hand. A centralized learning platform should make it just as easy for people outside the company to access training and information anytime, on any device. In times of crisis, it is important to reassure the extended organization that the company is operating, informing it of changes in the flow of business, and training immediately to meet new requirements or expectations.
Deepen loyalty and commitment to long-term business
Even as changes arise, adaptive learning cultures can bring partners deeper into the business by offering tiered learning pathways that award certifications or other designations for completion of training levels. Adaptivity training can include business continuity courses and instructions on what to do if sudden changes need to be implemented. They will appreciate being included as an essential contribution to the overall success of the company.
Support communication, collaboration and feedback
Your partners certainly have ideas on how your business transactions and business relationships can be more agile. Make sure you offer courses designed to stimulate new ideas rather than an “our way or the highway” approach. Use the LMS to collect feedback on which trainings are working and which need improvement. Suggestions for more adaptive interactions are always welcome!
Discover how training promotes adaptability in a post-pandemic world
The uncertainty poses an enormous challenge to strategy development. This is because traditional strategic approaches – while often seen as a response to change and uncertainty – actually adopt a relatively stable and predictable world. An adaptive approach to learning can help you navigate the tides of change and meet emerging challenges.
Download the eBook. Adaptivity is the new planning: Training is central to learning how to start a flexible online training strategy in the new normal.
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